he 29th SCAD Savannah Film Festival brought two very different stories to Georgia this year: a coming-of-age drama entering awards season and a documentary celebrating the remarkable career of Hollywood veteran Bruce Dern.
Held October 24–31, the festival featured Mouse and Dernsie: The Amazing Life of Bruce Dern, offering audiences a look at emerging talent and an established actor whose career spans generations.
‘Mouse’ Enters the Gotham Awards Conversation
Directed by Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson, Mouse follows Minnie Dunn (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), a teenager navigating grief, friendship and sexual discovery in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2002.
After the unexpected death of her best friend Callie (Chloe Coleman), Minnie develops an unlikely connection with Callie's grieving mother, Helen (Sophie Okonedo). Her relationship with Kat (Iman Vellani) adds another dimension to a story about identity and growing up.
David Hyde Pierce also stars.
The film has secured a Best Feature nomination at the 2026 Gotham Awards, placing it among 11 contenders for one of independent cinema's prominent honors. Winners will be announced November 30.
For Kupferer, the film provides a substantial leading role, while its Gotham recognition brings additional attention to O'Sullivan and Thompson's latest collaboration.
‘Dernsie’ Celebrates Bruce Dern's Hollywood Legacy
Director Mike Mendez turns his attention to Bruce Dern in Dernsie: The Amazing Life of Bruce Dern, a documentary examining the actor's unconventional career and enduring commitment to his craft.
Drawing from more than 50 hours of conversations, archival photographs and personal video messages, the film explores Dern's journey through Hollywood, including the career choices that helped establish his reputation as a distinctive character actor.
Contributors include Laura Dern, Quentin Tarantino and Walton Goggins.
The documentary also examines Dern's passion for long-distance running, using endurance as a parallel to his professional life through Hollywood's changing eras.
The film received its Southeast premiere at SCAD Savannah on October 31, followed by a conversation with Mendez.
Together, Mouse and Dernsie reflect two sides of independent filmmaking: the discovery of emerging voices and the preservation of cinematic history.
As awards season continues, both films offer audiences an opportunity to look beyond Hollywood's biggest commercial releases.
Sources: The Gotham Film & Media Institute and Scad
