TV

Milo Ventimiglia, casts of Wonder Years and Yellowjackets to be honored at 2022 SCAD TVfest

Judy Greer, Ed Helms, Randall Park, Kaci Walfall, and the showrunners of Hacks are also among the honorees as part of the event's tenth anniversary.

By

Lester Fabian Brathwaite

Published on February 11, 2022 10:00AM EST

The Savannah College of Art and Design's annual event celebrating all things television and streaming, SCAD TVfest, is ringing in its tenth year in style — albeit virtually. EW is returning for the fifth year as media partner to create exclusive interview content and curate its Bold School panel. 

This Is Us's Milo Ventimiglia will be honored with the Virtuoso Award at this year's fest, taking place Feb. 17-19. Last year, Ventimiglia's co-star Chrissy Metz received the Vanguard Award, which this year will go to Judy Greer, coming to TV screens this spring alongside Renée Zellweger in The Thing About Pam. Ed Helms and Randall Park, who have teamed up for Peacock's True Story with Ed and Randall, will receive the Spotlight Award.

SCAD-TV-FEST-2022 — From left to right, Milo Ventimiglia, Dulé Hill, and Melanie Lynskey. NBC; ABC/Matt Miller; Kailey Schwerman/Showtime

"This year's TVfest line-up is an exciting mix of buzzworthy new shows, fan favorites, and standout awards contenders. When it comes to selecting honorees, we look to casts and individuals that embody the innovation at the heart of television and digital media — and whose work inspires our students and festival goers," said SCAD TVfest Executive Director Christina Routhier.

Newcomer Kaci Walfall from The CW's Naomi will receive the Rising Star Award while the cast and creative team of The Wonder Years — Dulé Hill, Saycon Sengbloh, Laura Kariuki, Saladin Patterson, and Fred Savage — will receive the Best Ensemble Award. Jen Statsky, Paul Downs, and Lucia Aniello will receive the inaugural Variety Showrunner Award for their work on Hacks. And last, but certainly not least, the phenomenal cast of Yellowjackets — Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Christina Ricci, Samantha Hanratty, and Liv Hewson — will receive the Outstanding Cast Award.

"In 2013, when I created SCAD TVfest, I knew TV was changing. Cable was out, streaming was in, and Georgia was just then emerging as the epicenter for new content creation," said SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. "SCAD TVfest has become the viewing party that launches careers! Today our Bees are contributing their talents to all the shows we love, from The Crown to Station Eleven. Whatever the future of TV holds, you can bet the evolution of this medium starts at SCAD TVfest." 

Notable guests and shows virtually attending this year's festival include (subject to change): 

All American: Homecoming (The CW/Warner Bros. TV) with actors Geffri Maya, Peyton Alex Smith, Kelly Jenrette, Cory Hardrict, Sylvester Powell, Camille Hyde, Mitchell Edwards, and Netta Walker
As We See It (Prime Video) with executive producer and showrunner Jason Katims and actors Rick Glassman, Sue Ann Pien, Albert Rutecki, Sosie Bacon, Chris Pang, and Joe Mantegna
Astrid & Lilly Save The World (Syfy) with actors Jana Morrison and Samantha Aucoin and executive producers and showrunners Betsy Van Stone and Noelle Stehman
Bel-Air (Peacock)
Big Sky (ABC) with cast and producers
Ghosts (CBS) with actors Utkarsh Ambudkar, Brandon Scott Jones, Richie Moriarty, Danielle Pinnock, Asher Grodman, Román Zaragoza, Sheila Carrasco, Rebecca Wisocky, and Devan Chandler Long, and showrunners Joe Port and Joe Wiseman
Grand Crew (NBC) with actors Echo Kellum, Nicole Byer, Justin Cunningham, Aaron Jennings, Carl Tart, Grasie Mercedes; showrunner Phil Augusta Jackson; and executive producer Dan Goor
Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 (ABC) with showrunner Krista Vernoff, actors Kim Raver, Chandra Wilson, Barrett Doss, and Jaina Lee Ortiz, and associate producer Kasha Foster

Hacks (HBO Max) with showrunners Jen Stasky, Paul W. Downs, and Lucia Aniello
Naomi (The CW/Warner Bros. TV) with actors Kaci Walfall, Mary-Charles Jones, Daniel Puig, Camila Moreno, and Will Meyers
Resident Alien (Syfy) with actors Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, Alice Wetterlund, Corey Reynolds, Levi Fiehler, and Elizabeth Bowen
Single Drunk Female (Freeform) with actors Sofia Black-D'elia and Ally Sheedy, showrunner and executive producer Jenni Konner, creator and executive producer Simone Finch, and executive producer Daisy Gardner
The Cleaning Lady (FOX/Warner Bros. TV) with actors Élodie Yung and Martha Millan and executive producers Miranda Kwok and Melissa Carter
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video) with actors Marin Hinkle and Caroline Aaron
The Legend of Vox Machina (Prime Video) with actors and creators Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey, Sam Riegel, Marisha Ray, Ashley Johnson, and Liam O'Brien
The Thing About Pam with actor Judy Greer
This Is Us (NBC) with actor Milo Ventimiglia
True Story with Ed and Randall (Peacock / Warner Bros. Unscripted TV) with actors and hosts Ed Helms and Randall Park

Woke (Sony Pictures Television/Hulu) with actors Lamorne Morris, Blake Anderson, T Murph, Sasheer Zamata, and JB Smoove
The Wonder Years (ABC) with actors Dulé Hill, Saycon Sengbloh, Laura Kariuki, and executive producers Saladin Patterson and Fred Savage

This year's panels with industry experts include:

Sketch to Screen: Costume Design for Television
Entertainment Weekly's Bold School
Finding Your Perfect Pitch
In Conversation series, including insightful talks with actor Judy Greer, among others
Inside the Writers' Room
Meet the Executives, one of the most popular panels at the festival, featuring executives from content development and programming who discuss what they look for in a script or series, when they will take a chance on a new writer, and how to find a balance between studio needs and the stories they want to see
The Moms of Maisel
Music and Needle Drops: Crafting the Perfect Soundtrack with Jen Malone
SCAD Alumni Voices, where notable graduates lead an insightful conversation about how their SCAD education helps them navigate the TV industry. SCAD alumni can be found in every corner of the entertainment field, representing the university with professionalism and creativity
Showrunners Panel, gathering the dynamic forces at the helm of our favorite shows to discuss taking a show from conception to finale planning and everything in between

Showrunners: True Crime, bringing together creators, actors, writers, and producers working in this popular genre from both a dramatic and nonfiction perspective. Participants Jenny Klein (The Thing About Pam), Patrick Macmanus (The Girl from Plainville, Dr. Death), and Robin Veith (Candy) will discuss their different approaches in bringing these real-life stories to the screen as well as their insights into the audience's fascination
The State of TV: A Masterclass on an Industry in Transition
Warner Bros. Unscripted Television Producers with Audrey Morrissey (The Voice), Nicole Woods (The Bachelor franchise), Tracey Baird (True Story with Ed and Randall), and Yasmin Shackleton (Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses), moderated by Brooke Karzen, Head of Warner Horizon Unscripted Television
We'll Fix It in Post
What's the Commotion over Motion?
Writing Workshop: Why Research Matters