Closing Weekend at 2011 Savannah Film Festival Honored Aaron Eckhart, James Marsden, Jay and Mark Duplass

SAVANNAH, Ga., Nov. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The 14th annual Savannah Film Festival, hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design, rounded out a full week of special screenings and award presentations by honoring Golden Globe-nominated actor Aaron Eckhart ("The Dark Knight," "Erin Brockovich"), actor James Marsden ("27 Dresses," "X-Men") and the writing/directing brother team of Jay and Mark Duplass ("Cyrus," "The Puffy Chair") during the event's closing weekend.

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Accepting the Outstanding Achievement in Film Award before a packed theater, Eckhart thoughtfully reflected on the driving motivation behind his career. "Early on in my career, I had the privilege to work with Morgan Freeman. Every word out of his mouth was perfect, and take after take was flawless. I asked Morgan, 'How do you do it?' and, without missing a beat, he turned and looked me in the eye and said, 'Thirty years.' I'm halfway there. After 30-plus movies, I continue to ask, 'How do you do it?' The perfect film role—perfection—that's what drives me, and drives me crazy. Every role I've always wanted to be real so you, the audience, can have the most pleasurable experience. That's why I continuously ask, 'How do you do it?'"

Marsden received the Savannah Film Festival Spotlight Award, which is given to an outstanding young filmmaker. "I moved to L.A. when I was 19, and I've been doing this since then. I've been doing this for half my life, which just occurred to me today," he said. "I want to be that guy in his 80's that people say, 'You would know him if you saw him. He's been in everything.' That's the actor who's brave enough to take risks. This award is special because it means I'm doing something right."

Jay Duplass accepted the SCAD Cinevation Award prior to the screening of the Duplass' new film "Jeff, Who Lives at Home." Starring Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Judy Greer and Susan Sarandon, the film follows a man who looks to the universe to determine his path but, through a series of comedic and unexpected events, ends up crossing paths with his family in the strangest locations and circumstances. "I want to commend the festival on your excellent taste for choosing my brother and me for this award," laughed Duplass. "We feel so lucky and it feels so surreal to receive this award."

Earlier in the week actress Ellen Barkin ("The Big Easy," "Ocean's Thirteen") and actor Ray Liotta ("Goodfellas," "Hannibal") received Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Awards while actress Lily Tomlin ("9 to 5," "All of Me") and writer/director Oliver Stone ("Platoon," "Wall Street") were honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Savannah Film Festival special gala screenings during closing weekend included an advanced screening of James Bobin's "The Muppets;" Drake Doremus' "Like Crazy," winner of the Grand Jury and Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival; and Famke Janssen's "Bringing Up Bobby."

In addition to the special screenings, 23 professional and 11 student films in competition screened throughout the festival.

The jurors for this year's competition included producer Lesley Chilcott ("Waiting for Superman"), actor Anson Mount ("Hell on Wheels"), record producer/film composer Jack Douglas (Aerosmith, The Who), and talent manager/producer Johnnie Planco (Parseghian Planco Management).

The Savannah Film Festival has become one of the largest entertainment events in the Southeast. SCAD offers the only major film program in the United States integrated within an acclaimed art and design university. In the past seven years, the university has been one of the top 10 U.S. film schools in producing Student Academy Award finalists.

For more information, visit scad.edu/filmfest.

SCAD: The University for Creative Careers

The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution conferring bachelor's and master's degrees at distinctive locations and online to prepare talented students for professional careers. SCAD offers degrees in more than 40 areas of study, as well as minors in nearly 60 disciplines in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia; in Hong Kong; in Lacoste, France; and online through SCAD eLearning.

SCAD has more than 20,000 alumni and offers an exceptional education and unparalleled career preparation. The diverse student body, consisting of more than 11,000 students, comes from all 50 United States and more than 100 countries worldwide. Each student is nurtured and motivated by a faculty of more than 700 professors with extraordinary academic credentials and valuable professional experience. These professors emphasize learning through individual attention in an inspiring university environment. SCAD's innovative curriculum is enhanced by advanced, professional-level technology, equipment and learning resources and has garnered acclaim from respected organizations and publications, including 3D World, American Institute of Architects, BusinessWeek, DesignIntelligence, U.S. News & World Report and the Los Angeles Times.

For more information, visit scad.edu.

SOURCE SCAD, Savannah Film Festival