ATLANTA — Jan. 14, 2025 — Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers will receive the Variety Showrunner Award at the 13th annual SCAD TVfest next month. The university’s signature event celebrating the best in TV and streaming, SCAD TVfest will screen at the state-of-the art SCADshow theater in Midtown Atlanta Feb. 5–7, 2025.
The Duffer Brothers write, direct, and executive produce Stranger Things, which is Netflix’s most popular English-language series of all time. The series wrapped production on its fifth and final season in December 2024 and will premiere later this year.
“I wish we could have eleven seasons of Stranger Things. My world — not to mention my kids’ world — has been turned upside down by this groundbreaking Netflix series launched back in 2016,” said Variety TV editor Michael Schneider. “And behind this funny, scary, wild trip back to the 1980s have been the Duffer Brothers. They’ve made me care for Hopper and Joyce, root for Mike and Eleven, relate to Dustin and Lucas — and of course, fear the Demogorgon, the Mind Flayer, Vecna and, yes, the Soviets. I’ll be running up that hill for Season 5 when it finally returns this year.”
The Duffer Brothers will accept the award at a special ceremony Wednesday, Feb. 5, where the festival will screen an episode of Stranger Things followed by a discussion moderated by Schneider.
“The Duffer Brothers have become synonymous with epic, genre-defining television since the groundbreaking premiere of Stranger Things. Filmed right here in Atlanta, the series not only captivates audiences worldwide but also highlights the city’s emergence as a powerhouse for television production and features the creative ingenuity of many SCAD alumni from costume designers to production assistants,” said SCAD executive director of theaters and festivals Christina Routhier. “The Duffer Brothers’ ability to weave nostalgia, innovation, and compelling storytelling has redefined what’s possible on screen. We are thrilled to honor their extraordinary contributions to television with the Variety Showrunner Award at SCAD TVfest, where we celebrate the creators who shape the future of the medium.”
In 2022, the Duffer Brothers announced the launch of their production company, Upside Down Pictures. They currently produce the Olivier Award-winning West End production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Kate Trefry. The play will premiere on Broadway in March 2025. In addition to the expansion of the Stranger Things franchise via an untitled animated series, the company will produce the upcoming original Netflix series The Boroughs and Something Very Bad is Going to Happen. Upside Down Pictures also has multiple projects in development, including a live-action series adaptation of Death Note.
Previous recipients of SCAD TVfest’s Variety Showrunner Award include Charlotte Stoudt (The Morning Show); Jen Statsky, Paul W. Downs, and Lucia Aniello (Hacks); and Sterlin Harjo (Reservation Dogs).
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 2025 festival schedule includes gala premiere screenings, spotlights, panel discussions, Q&A events, and other original content. The full festival lineup will be announced Thursday, Jan. 23.
Passes are on sale now at scadtvfest.com. Individual ticket sales will begin at 10 a.m. ET Thursday, Jan. 23.
Visit scadtvfest.com for more information and follow the festival on Facebook at facebook.com/SCADTVfest, on Instagram at @scadtvfest and @scaddotedu and TikTok @scaddotedu. Connect with SCAD and SCAD TVfest by using the hashtag #SCADTVfest.
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Variety
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