LACOSTE, FRANCE — June 30, 2025 — The fourth annual SCAD Lacoste Film Festival celebrated excellence in film last week with a series of prestigious honors at the Savannah College of Art and Design’s (SCAD) global location in the picturesque village of Lacoste, France.
“The SCAD Lacoste Film Festival brought together renowned filmmakers, actors, and artisans for an unforgettable celebration of cinema,” said Christina Routhier, executive director of SCAD theaters and festivals. “Set against the stunning backdrop of our medieval campus overlooking the Luberon Valley, the festival featured special events and tributes that deeply connected with SCAD’s leading programs in acting, film, production design, and fashion. It was a unique opportunity for students and the community to engage closely with industry leaders and timeless films from France, the UK, and the U.S.”
On Thursday, SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace and SCAD acting student Simon Lough presented the Virtuoso Award to acclaimed British actor Toby Jones, recognized for his transformative performances across stage and screen. Jones selected Tale of Tales (2015) for his featured screening — a surreal fantasy film that highlights his whimsical and critically acclaimed performance. He is widely known for roles in Captain America, The Hunger Games, and his BAFTA-winning and Olivier-nominated work.
On Friday, SCAD rising senior Stella Smith presented Lifetime Achievement Awards to two icons of British storytelling — director Sir Stephen Frears and screenwriter Sir Christopher Hampton, who famously collaborated on the acclaimed 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons. Frears, knighted in 2023, is also known for The Queen and Philomena. Hampton, knighted in 2020, is an Academy and Tony Award winner celebrated for his sophisticated literary adaptations.
“I’d like to say to all the students, go forward and without fear,” Hampton said. “The life of a screenwriter is sort of a melancholy life with many, many disappointments, but every now and then there is a ray of light through the prison cell window, and this [award] is one of them. This is really nice to get. Very occasionally, there is a miracle in that a film you have written reaches the screen as you’d imagined it — or better than you’d imagined it — and that’s really the reason for doing the job in the first place.”
This year’s Étoile Award was presented to legendary French costume designer Jany Temime by SCAD acting student George Galle. Renowned for her iconic work on the final six Harry Potter films and the James Bond series, Temime has collaborated with acclaimed directors such as Sam Mendes, Alfonso Cuarón, and David Yates. Her visionary designs have left a lasting impact on contemporary cinema. The award presentation was followed by a special conversation and a screening of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).
“I am really touched and honored to receive this prize, which is incredible. I would really like to thank Paula Wallace and SCAD,” said Temime. “I’ve met lovely students, lovely teachers — everything is so incredibly beautiful, watching films under the skies and surrounded by lavender — it’s my idea of paradise on Earth.”
The festival welcomed rising French stars Ivan du Pontavice and Taïs Vinolo, along with beloved Gilmore Girls actor Yanic Truesdale, for a special screening and conversation centered on Étoile, Prime Video’s dazzling new ballet comedy from Emmy winners Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Gilmore Girls), set between Paris and New York.
In celebration of 250 years of Jane Austen, audiences enjoyed a screening of Jane Austen Wrecked by Life (2024), the charming French romantic comedy by Laura Piani. A post-screening Q&A featured Piani and producer Gabrielle Dumon.
Veteran British producers Alison Owen (Suffragette, Saving Mr. Banks) and Faye Ward (Wild Rose, Stan & Ollie) took part in a lively conversation on the art of producing, following a screening of Wild Rose (2018), starring Jessie Buckley.
The festival also featured a screening of Dior and I (2014), with director Frédéric Tcheng in attendance. The event coincided with Christian Dior: Jardins Rêvés, a major new exhibition at SCAD FASH Lacoste — the first museum exhibition in Provence dedicated to the legendary fashion house — on view through Sept. 28.
SCAD LACOSTE
SCAD Lacoste is a residential study abroad location in France, offering immersion in the history and culture of Provence. Course offerings each quarter are varied to apply to all SCAD areas of study and are taught by SCAD professors. Lacoste is a beautifully preserved medieval village and historic destination for artists, known for its extraordinary light and exquisite pastoral setting. SCAD Lacoste structures dating from the ninth to the 19th centuries feature cutting-edge contemporary amenities. SCAD Lacoste resources include a library, a gallery, a dining hall, and housing, as well as teaching studios dedicated to painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and digital imaging. Students interact with visiting artists, take field trips to museums and historic sites in the area, and exhibit their work at a local vernissage.
Celebrated artists and designers visit with SCAD Lacoste students throughout the year. Notable guests have included actor Jeremy Irons; artist and illustrator Ruben Toledo, actor and designer John Malkovich; designer Bibhu Mohapatra; social media influencer, photographer, and inventor of the cinemagraph Jamie Beck of Ann Street Studio; interior designer and television host Genevieve Gorder; installation artist Hugo Dalton; design legend Ilse Crawford; chief creative officer of Shimoda Design Group Joey Shimoda; Vogue contributing editor Lynn Yaeger; and CFDA Fashion Award-winning designers Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters of Creatures of the Wind.
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 18,500 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 110 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 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. A 2024 study found that 99% of recent SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 12 months of graduation. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more.
