SCAD TVFest Announces Honorees and Lineup for 12th Annual Event in Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA. — Jan. 25, 2024 — The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) today announces that SCAD TVfest will return to Atlanta Feb. 7-10, 2024. Now in its 12th year, the university’s signature event celebrating the best in television and streaming will take place at the new, state-of-the art SCADshow theater.

“All eyes in the TV universe look to SCAD — for hiring students and alumni as well as using SCAD’s phenomenal stages for professional productions,” said SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace. “Buzz for SCAD TVfest is at a fever pitch this year, with both the expansion of the university’s top-ranked B.F.A. in acting and our elite SCAD Casting Office to SCAD Atlanta. As if that’s not enough, SCAD TVfest guests will also get to experience screenings in our pristine new theater, SCADshow, ensconced within the magnificent new FORTY FIVE, a five-star resort for SCAD Bees in the heart of Midtown. This year’s SCAD TVfest shines bright — just like the Bees who already lend their luster to the best shows on television!”

This year’s stellar list of SCAD TVfest honorees include Matt Bomer (Fellow Travelers), who will receive The Hollywood Reporter’s Trailblazer Award; Joel Kim Booster (Loot), who will receive the Rising Star Award; Kelsey Grammer (Frasier), who will receive the Legend of Television Award; George Lopez (Lopez vs. Lopez), who will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award; Sonequa Martin-Green (Star Trek: Discovery), who will receive the Spotlight Award; Charlotte Stoudt (The Morning Show), who will receive the Variety Showrunner Award; Josie Totah (The Buccaneers), who will receive the Rising Star Award; and Ken Watanabe (Tokyo Vice), who will receive the Virtuoso Award. Honorees are scheduled to attend screenings and participate in conversations highlighting their performances and illustrious careers. In addition, SCAD will present two SCAD45 Awards recognizing graduates who give all of themselves to their creative careers: to casting professional Deanna Greif (M.F.A., performing arts, 2015) and sound editor Filipe Messeder (B.F.A., sound design, 2016).

“It is always a pleasure to celebrate the best in television at SCAD TVfest in Atlanta,” said Christina Routhier, senior executive director of SCAD theaters and festivals. “From our terrific honorees, including iconic actors Kelsey Grammer, George Lopez, and Ken Watanabe, to our shows and panels lineup featuring some of the most buzzed-about shows like The Gilded Age and The Morning Show, we can’t wait to give Atlantans and our phenomenal SCAD students a full slate of exciting programming.”

The Opening Night Gala screening is the US season two premiere of the Max Original drama series Tokyo Vice. Expected to attend are actors and executive producers Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe; actor Rachel Keller; creator, writer and executive producer J.T. Rogers; and executive producer and director Alan Poul. In addition, the SCAD TVfest will showcase dynamic programs from 20th Television, Apple TV+, BET, Cartoon Network, Hallmark, HBO, Hulu, Max, National Geographic, NBC, Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock, Prime Video, Showtime, Sony Pictures TV, STARZ, Syfy, Universal Studio Group, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Television, and more. Notable guests and shows attending this year’s festival include (subject to change): 

The Buccaneers (Apple TV+) with actor Josie Totah
Death and Other Details (Hulu) with actors Violett Beane, Lauren Patten, and actor/writer Angela Zhou, and producers, showrunners, and writers Mike Weiss and Heidi Cole McAdams

Diarra from Detroit (BET+) with star, creator, and executive producer Diarra Kilpatrick and cast members DomiNque Perry, Shannon Wallace, Bryan Terrell Clark, Jon Chaffin, and Claudia Logan
Extended Family (NBC) with actor and executive producer Jon Cryer, actors Abigail Spencer and Donald Faison, and creator, showrunner, and executive producer Mike O’Malley
Fellow Travelers (Showtime, Paramount+) with actor Matt Bomer
Frasier (Paramount+) with actors Kelsey Grammer, Jack Cutmore-Scott, Toks Olagundoye, Jess Salgueiro and Anders Keith
Genius: MLK/X (National Geographic) with actors Aaron Pierre, Weruche Opia, and Jayme Lawson
The Gilded Age (HBO) with production designer Bob Shaw and costume designer Kasia Walicka Maimone
Hazbin Hotel (Prime Video) with voice cast Erika Henningsen, Blake Roman, Amir Talai, Joel Perez, and Jessica Vosk and creator and showrunner Vivienne Medrano
Hightown (STARZ) with actor Monica Raymund and creator and showrunner Rebecca Cutter
Invincible (Prime Video) with voice actor Khary Payton and co-showrunner Simon Racioppa
Invincible Fight Girl (Cartoon Network, Max) with creator and executive producer Juston Gordon-Montgomery, art director David Depasquale, and supervising producer Bryan Newton
Loot (Apple TV+) with actor Joel Kim Booster
Lopez vs. Lopez (NBC) with Actor, Executive Producer, and Co-creator George Lopez, Actor, Co-Executive Producer, and Co-creator, Mayan Lopez, and Showrunner, Executive Producer, and Co-creator Debby Wolfe
Manhunt (Apple TV+) with actors Anthony Boyle, Brandon Flynn, Will Harrison, Hamish Linklater, Lovie Simone, and Matt Walsh and creator, executive producer, and showrunner Monica Beletsky
The Morning Show (Apple TV+) with showrunner Charlotte Stoudt
My Adventures with Superman (Adult Swim/Max) with voice cast Jack Quaid, Alice Lee, and Ishmel Sahid, co-showrunner and co-executive producer Jake Wyatt, and art director Jane Bak
Queens (National Geographic) with director and producer Victoria Bromley and editor Amy Fathers
Resident Alien (Syfy) with actors Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, and Alice Wetterlund and Creator, Executive Producer, and Showrunner Chris Sheridan
SCAD Presents: Tours & Attractions (SCAD)
SCAD Presents: chefATL (SCAD) with host John Gidding
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Netflix, Universal Content Productions) with creators, showrunners, and writers Bryan Lee O’Malley and BenDavid Grabinski
The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy (Prime Video) with creator, showrunner, and executive producer Cirocco Dunlap and production designer and co-producer Robin Eisenberg
Sort Of (Max) with co-creator, co-showrunner, writer and actor Bilal Baig, actors Amanda Cordner and Gary Powell, and co-creator, co-showrunner, writer and director Fab Filippo
Star Trek: Discovery (Paramount+) with actor and producer Sonequa Martin-Green
Tokyo Vice (Max) with actors and executive producers Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe; actor Rachel Keller; creator, writer and executive producer J.T. Rogers; and executive producer and director Alan Poul
First Look: Turtles All the Way Down (Max) with director Hannah Marks and author and executive producer John Green
The Way Home (Hallmark) with actors Chyler Leigh, Evan Williams, and Sadie Laflamme-Snow and executive producers Heather Conkie, Alexandra Clarke, and Marly Reed
We’re Here (HBO) with hosts Sasha Velour, Priyanka, Jaida Essence Hall and Latrice Royale, co-creators and executive producers Stephen Warren and Johnnie Ingram, and showrunner, director, and executive producer Peter LoGreco.

Panels 

The SCAD TVfest panel series welcomes industry experts and talented SCAD alumni from a myriad of professions to engage in meaningful conversations about their work. Panel discussions take place in event spaces at the university’s high-rise complexes FORTY and FORTY FIVE, the latter of which opened in the fall of 2023. FORTY FIVE also houses SCADshow, which will host all SCAD TVfest screenings at its 700-seat main stage or intimate 130-seat theater.

Entertainment Weekly (EW) returns for the seventh year as a media partner to create exclusive interview content at their photo and video studio. They will also curate two panels:

EW Presents Brave Warriors: They may be fighters on screen, but that doesn’t mean they’re not lovers (of the craft). This EW panel features actors who will discuss the thrill of playing iconic characters, the difference between their personas and real life, and the highs (and lows!) of their careers in Hollywood.
EW Presents Bold School: In EW’s Bold School series, power players in the entertainment industry share anecdotes about life lessons, how they found their voice, and how to pay it forward. Join a lively discussion among fierce, fearless female and/or non-binary forces in entertainment, opening up about the power and privilege of taking on roles that redefine the rules and refuse to yield.

Select panels include:  

SCAD Alumni Voices, where notable graduates lead an insightful conversation about how their SCAD education helps them navigate the TV industry.
Behind the Lens: Showrunners gathers the dynamic forces at the helm of our favorite shows for a discussion on taking a show from conception to finale, across planning and everything in between. Confirmed panelists include Rebecca Cutter (Hightown), Liz Friedman (The Good Doctor) Raamla Mohamed (Reasonable Doubt), Debby Wolfe (Lopez vs. Lopez), and Heather Zuhlke (BMF).
Behind the Lens: Below the Line brings together passionate below-the-line talent working behind-the-scenes of television in a variety of crafts. Confirmed panelists include Abbott Elementary’s Emmy Award winning casting director Wendy O’Brien, Abbott Elementary’s Emmy Award nominated hair department head Moira Frazier, and Gen V’s Makeup Department Head Colin Penman.
Casting 101 welcomes seasoned casting directors to discuss how actors can navigate Georgia’s booming entertainment market and beyond.
Funny Business: Writing Comedy with USG dives into the hilarious world of television comedy writing, featuring the creatives behind some of Universal Studio Group’s funniest shows. Confirmed panelists include Judah Miller (Bupkis), Meredith Scardino (Girls5eva), Chris Sheridan (Resident Alien), and Debby Wolfe (Lopez vs. Lopez).
Finding Representation offers insight on how to find the best manager and agent so you can build a team dedicated to your success.
Forging Identity: Queer Representation in Television with GLAAD for a lively and enlightening discussion that explores the pivotal role of queer representation in television. Bringing together talent, creatives, industry leaders, and advocates, this panel delves into the power of authentic storytelling that reflects the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community on the small screen. Confirmed panelists include Joel Kim Booster (Loot), Josie Totah (The Buccaneers) along with Stephen Warren and Johnnie Ingram co-creators and executive producers of We’re Here.
Inside the Writers Room is an open conversation that digs into the dynamic and collaborative world of writers as they navigate the intricacies of crafting narratives that captivate audiences in an ever-changing media landscape. Confirmed panelists include Ashley Michel Hoban (Dr. Death) and Chris Sheridan (Resident Alien), Simon Racioppa (Invincible).
Lessons in Creative Acquisition with Jordan Moblo: In this masterclass conversation, the EVP of Creative Acquisitions and IP Management at Universal Studio Group shares industry insights about identifying fresh and innovative stories that can become future scripted and unscripted projects across broadcast, cable and streaming. Moblo will dive into topics that include building strategic partnerships, packaging book adaptations for the screen and using unconventional methods to discover emerging talent and voices.
Meet the Executives, one of the most popular panels at the festival, features executives from content development and programming who discuss what they look for in a script or series and how to find a balance between studio needs and the stories they want to see. Confirmed panelists include Lamar Chase (SVP of Current Programming at Sony Pictures Television) Kristen Del Pero (SVP of Current Programming at Universal Television), Peter Girardi (EVP, Alternative Programming, Warner Bros. Animation), Kelly Goode (SVP & Team Leader, Current Programming, Warner Bros. Television) Barry Jossen (President and Head of A+E Studios), Frank Ochoa (VP of Adult Animation at Sony Pictures Television), Ali Roland (VP of Drama Development at Sony Pictures Television) and Tom Russo (Executive Producer Frasier/ Head of Film & Television, Grammnet NH Productions).
Animated Horizons: Exploring the Visual Verse of USG embarks on an adventure into the imaginative and limitless worlds of Universal Studio Group’s hit animated television shows. This acclaimed group of creatives will discuss the artistry, innovation, and storytelling prowess that breathes life into animated characters and worlds. Confirmed panelists include Robert Carlock (Mulligan), Sam Means (Mulligan), Bryan Lee O’Malley (Scott Pilgrim Takes Off), and BenDavid Grabinski (Scott Pilgrim Takes Off).
Behind the Seams: TV Costume Design Unveiled features renowned costume designers from acclaimed television series, who will take attendees on a journey through the meticulous artistry of crafting iconic looks and styles. From period romances to retro fantasies, this panel unveils the stories behind the costumes that define characters and contribute to the visual storytelling of television. Confirmed panelists include Amy Parris (Stranger Things, Yellowjackets) and Lyn Paolo (Queen Charlotte, Bridgerton).
WGF’s Showrunner Sessions with Mike O’Malley: In the Writers Guild Foundation’s ongoing Showrunner Sessions event series, attendees learn straight from a showrunner or showrunning team “what exactly does a showrunner do?” Viewers learn what they look for in a writing staff, the lessons they have learned on the job, and their approaches to running a writers’ room. At this panel, Mike O’Malley, the creator and showrunner of NBC’s new comedy Extended Family, will chat with fellow writer and producer Larry Andries (Blue Bloods, How to Get Away with Murder) about his journey to the showrunner chair, how he runs his writer room, and advice for writing comedy. Confirmed panelists include Mike O’Malley (Extended Family) and Larry Andries (Blue Bloods, How to Get Away with Murder).

Honorees

Matt Bomer (The Hollywood Reporter’s Trailblazer Award) most recently starred in and was an executive producer on Showtime’s adaptation of Thomas Mallon’s novel Fellow Travelers alongside Jonathan Bailey. For his role of ‘Hawkins ‘Hawk’ Fuller,’ Matt received various nominations from the Golden Globe Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. His other TV credits include Traveler, Tru Calling, Chuck, White Collar, American Horror Story: Hotel, The Last Tycoon, The SInner, Will & Grace, American Horror Stories, Echoes, Doom Patrol, and guest starring roles on Glee and The New Normal. His film credits include The Normal Heart, for which Bomer won a Golden Globe Award and a Critics Choice Award as well as received an Emmy Award nomination, Maestro, The Boys in the Band, Magic Mike, Magic Mike XXL, The Nice Guys, The Magnificent Seven, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Flightplan, In Time, Space Station 76, and Walking Out. Bomer made his directorial debut with a critically acclaimed episode of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.

Joel Kim Booster (Rising Star Award) is a Chicago-bred and Los Angeles-based stand-up comedian, writer, and actor. Booster received an Emmy Award nomination for writing the Searchlight Pictures rom-com Fire Island, which was also nominated for Outstanding Television Movie in 2023. The film won the 2023 Dorian Award for Best TV Movie and a GLAAD Award, while Booster also received a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Screenplay. In 2022, Booster was named one of the TIME100 Next as an emerging advocate and creative and a Variety Screenwriter to Watch. He has also been recognized as one of the queer young comics redefining American humor by The New York Times. His first hourlong comedy special for Netflix, Psychosexual, was nominated for a Critics Choice Award and named one of the best comedy specials of 2022 by Variety. Booster currently stars on the Apple TV+ series Loot.

Kelsey Grammer (Legend of Television Award) has won six Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Tony Award, and has received an unparalleled 18 Emmy nominations, eight Golden Globe nominations, 16 SAG nominations, and two Tony nominations. An initial role as Dr. Frasier Crane on Cheers developed into the cornerstone of the Juilliard-trained actor’s career. Grammer played the celebrated character in three different television series (Cheers, Wings, and Frasier) over a span of 20 years, tying the record for longest-running television character. He currently stars in the Frasier reboot. Grammer was most recently seen on screen in the films Father Christmas is Back, The Space Between, The God Committee, Charming the Hearts of Men, High Expectations, Money Plane, Grand Isle and Like Father. His upcoming work includes roles in upcoming films Jesus Revolution and Wanted Man as well as the show Paper Empire. Through his production company, Grammnet NH Productions, Grammer is an executive producer on the Amazon docuseries Phat Tuesdays. Accomplished as a voiceover artist, Grammer has played the iconic character Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons since 1990, for which he won an Emmy in 2006.

George Lopez’s (Lifetime Achievement Award) illustrious and multifaceted career encompasses television, film, stand-up comedy, and late-night television. Lopez has broken ground for Latino comics by embracing his ethnicity, confronting racial stereotypes, and fighting for his community on and off the stage. Lopez currently stars in his multi-camera comedy series for NBC, Lopez vs. Lopez, featuring his real-life daughter, Mayan Lopez. The show follows a fictionalized version of their real-life, father-daughter relationship, exploring dysfunction, reconnection, and all the pain and joy in between. His other film and TV credits include The Underdoggs, How the Gringo Stole Christmas, Blue Beetle, Lopez, Saint George, Lopez Tonight, George Lopez, Walking with Herb, No Man’s Land, The Tax Collector, El Chicano, Valentine’s Day, The Spy Next Door, Spare Parts and The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Lopez also has four HBO comedy specials: America’s Mexican (2007), The Wall (2017), It’s Not Me, It’s You (2012), Tall, Dark and Chicano (2009), which was nominated for a Best Comedy Album Grammy Award. His acclaimed comedy concert, Why You Crying?, debuted on Showtime in 2004. He released his third standup CD, El Mas Chingon, in 2006, earning another Grammy nomination. In 2004, he was nominated for his first Grammy in the same category for Team Leader. He is currently performing standup in arenas across the country on his ALLLRIIIIGHHTTT! Comedy Tour.

Sonequa Martin-Green (Spotlight Award) currently stars as Captain Michael Burnham in Paramount+’s hit series Star Trek: Discovery, portraying the first Black female captain in the Star Trek franchise’s 55+ year history. The series will air its fifth and final season this April. Most recently, she starred in Space Jam: A New Legacy, a sequel to the 1996 film Space Jam, and she will next be see staring in the film My Dead Friend Zoe on which she also served as an Executive Producer. Martin-Green is widely known for her turn as Sasha Williams across five seasons of AMC’s award-winning series The Walking Dead. Previously, Martin-Green received rave reviews for her starring role in Emily Abt’s Sundance Film Festival hit Toe to Toe and was featured in Victoria Mahoney’s film Yelling to the Sky.

Charlotte Stoudt (Variety Showrunner Award) is a writer and producer currently running The Morning Show for Apple TV+. This year, the show received a 2024 Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Television Series – Drama and a 2024 Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Drama Series. It was also recognized by the 2023 AFI Awards as one of its Top 10 Television Programs of the Year. Her previous television work includes the Netflix limited series Pieces of Her, six seasons of Homeland, House of Cards, and the WGA-winning Fosse/Verdon. Her development slate includes Murder Room, the true story of a homicide investigator known as the world’s living Sherlock Holmes. Dinner Party, the virtual reality film she co-created about Betty and Barney Hill’s reported UFO abduction, premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, the Tribeca Film Festival, and continues to play at venues around the world.

Josie Totah (Rising Star Award) can currently be seen as Mabel Elmsworth in Apple TV+’s The Buccaneers, based on the Edith Wharton novel of the same name. She recently wrapped production on Legendary’s horror film Faces of Death. Totah starred in and produced the NBCU/Peacock reboot of Saved by the Bell, earning a nomination for a 2022 Critics Choice Award. Her other credits include voicing Natalie on the fourth season of Netflix’s hit animated series Big Mouth; appearing in Netflix’s feature film Moxie, directed by Amy Poehler; and a recurring role in Mr. Mayor on Peacock, which Tina Fey wrote specifically for her. Totah recently sold a pitch to NBCU based on her original idea and co-created with Saved by the Bell showrunner Tracey Wigfield. She is in the final stages of writing the pilot, which she is also set to star in.

Ken Watanabe (Virtuoso Award) is an Oscar, SAG, Tony, Olivier and Grammy award-nominated actor. He has collaborated with some of most significant filmmakers of our time including Clint Eastwood (Letters from Iwo Jima), Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins & Inception), Rob Marshall (Memoirs of a Geisha) and Ed Zwick (The Last Samurai). Watanabe’s film credits also include The Creator, Godzilla and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Isle of Dogs, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu and Tampopo. In 2006, Watanabe starred in and executive produced Memories of Tomorrow, for which he received a Japanese Academy Award for Best Actor. He garnered a second Japanese Academy Award for The Unbroken and was nominated again for Yurusarezaru mono, a remake of Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven. Watanabe currently stars as Hiroto Katagiri in Max’s Tokyo Vice.

Passes are on sale now at scadtvfest.com. Individual ticket sales will begin Wednesday, Jan. 31.

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About SCAD TVfest  

Entering its 12th year in 2024, SCAD TVfest spotlights the best in design, creativity, and innovation in television, streaming, and digital media. Viewers explore the best work and latest trends in broadcast, streaming, cable, web, social media, and advertising, and connect with the top industry insiders working on camera and behind the scenes. 

The 2024 festival schedule includes gala premiere screenings, spotlights, panel discussions, Q&A events, and other original content. The full festival lineup will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 25, with passes going on sale at 10 a.m. ET that day. Individual tickets will go on sale Wednesday, Jan. 31.

Visit scadtvfest.com for a full event schedule and follow the festival on Facebook at facebook.com/SCADTVfest and on Instagram at @scadtvfest and @scaddotedu. Connect with SCAD and TVfest by using the hashtag #SCADTVfest. 

About SCAD: The University for Creative Careers

SCAD is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering more than 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow.

SCAD enrolls more than 17,500 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 120 countries. The future-minded SCAD curriculum engages professional-level technology and myriad advanced learning resources, affording students opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and real-world assignments with corporate partners through SCADpro, the university’s renowned research lab and prototype generator. SCAD also has earned top rankings for degree programs in interior design, architecture, film, fashion, digital media, and more. Career success is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. According to a recent study, 99% of SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 10 months of graduation. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more. For more information, visit scad.edu.