Volume 11 | May-July 2018
|
|
UCLA TFT Feature Documentary Waterschool Available for Streaming on Netflix
|
The thought-provoking and inspiring new feature documentary Waterschool, created by the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, in partnership with
Swarovski, began streaming on Netflix on Wednesday, July 25. No other film school in the world has created a feature documentary that has major distribution of this kind and a major international social action campaign will soon launch in conjunction with
the release of the film to make an impact, build awareness and inspire change.
The film screened earlier in the year at the Sundance Film Festival, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and at UCLA TFT. It made its debut at the Cannes
Film Festival in May during a panel hosted by The Hollywood Reporter's Tatiana Siegel with UCLA TFT Dean TERI SCHWARTZ and UCLA TFT Executive Board Member NADJA SWAROVSKI, who were producers on the film, and Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated
director Lucy Walker (Waste Land, The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom), who served as a distinguished mentor on the project.
Read
The
Hollywood Reporter
article
In the making of Waterschool, seven diverse UCLA TFT graduate filmmaking students travelled across five continents to capture the moving stories of six
girls and young women whose lives have been empowered and transformed by the Swarovski Waterschool educational program focused on water, sanitation, hygiene and sustainability. Under the guidance of Dean Schwartz and Walker, the students worked collaboratively
in all areas of production including a “team approach” to directing, producing, editing, cinematography and sound.
Emmy Award-winning composer Alex Wurman (Temple Grandin, March of the Penguins) created the film’s score.
|
|
2018 UCLA TFT Commencement
|
|
Award-winning director Carl Franklin was the 2018 commencement keynote speaker at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television’s 71st annual commencement
ceremony on Friday, June 15. Dean TERI SCHWARTZ presided over the event. Two-time Tony Award-winning actress and singer
JUDY KAYE (Nice Work if You Can Get It, The Phantom of the Opera) received the Distinguished Alumni Award in Theater and award-winning writer and director
ALLISON ANDERS (Border Radio, Mi Vida Loca) received the Distinguished Alumni Award in Film, Television and Digital Media.
|
|
|
UCLA TFT Summer Creative Workshop
|
|
The first UCLA TFT Summer Creative Workshop, conceived by Dean
TERI SCHWARTZ, took place June 18-29 on the UCLA TFT campus. The two-week immersive storytelling workshop is a unique program designed to give voice, purpose and skills to underserved high school students with a focus on screenwriting for film,
TV streaming and/or web-based platforms. During the workshop, filmmaker and alumnus
JUSTIN LIN (B.A. ’95) surprised students with a visit and screening of his 2011 film
Fast Five. Twenty students and their families attended a certificate ceremony at the end of the program, which was also attended by UCLA Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
SCOTT WAUGH. Hulu was the sponsor of the ceremony and lunch that followed.
|
|
Inaugural Storytelling Institute
Marks Successful Completion
|
|
In mid-May, diplomas and certificates of completion were awarded to the first group of graduate students who participated in the inaugural Storytelling Institute
in Cannes, France. The six-week residency program is a partnership between UCLA TFT, Université Côte D’Azur (UCA), the Mayor and City of Cannes, the president and director of the Cannes International Film Festival, and Vivendi/Canal+. The Institute's 2018
class included four graduate screenwriting students from UCLA TFT: BISI ADEMULEGUN,
BRENNA GALVIN, ERIC MALLORY MORGAN and DANIEL TINO, and four French students from UCA: Branca Cepelowicz, Sarah Lasry, Simon Perrin and Jordan Raux.
|
|
UCLA TFT Receives Additional Scholarship Funds from the Milton Stark Estate
|
|
UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television is one of three recipients, along with the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture,
to receive funding, totaling $2 million, from the Milton Stark estate. The contribution expands the existing Judith and Milton R. Stark Scholarship, increasing annual distributions
up to 10 times the amount it awarded previously. The Judith and Milton R. Stark Scholarship was established in 1986.
|
|
UCLA TFT's Animation Workshop co-hosts "Breaking the Glass Frame: Women & Animation Past, Present, Future" Symposium
|
Hosted in partnership with UCLA TFT's Animation Workshop, CalArts Animation and Women in Animation,
Breaking the Glass Frame: Women & Animation, Past, Present, Future
will take place Oct. 6 and 7 on the campus of USC, featuring panels, screenings, workshops and networking opportunities. Confirmed keynote speakers include director Brenda Chapman (Brave, The
Prince of Egypt) and producer/creative director Brown Johnson (Sesame Workshop, Nickelodeon).
|
|
UCLA TFT Film Festival Honors screenwriter Jordan Peele, producer Megan Ellison, director Randal Kleiser and animator Floyd Norman
|
Academy Award-winning screenwriter Jordan Peele (Get Out), Academy Award-nominated producer Megan Ellison (Phantom Thread,
American Hustle), Emmy Award-nominated director Randal Kleiser (Grease,
The Blue Lagoon) and veteran animator Floyd Norman were honored at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television’s 27th Annual Film Festival. On the first night of the festival, theater director
SHIRLEY JO FINNEY was in conversation with Los Angeles Times reporter Tre’vell Anderson and theater director
JAYONGELA WILDER (M.F.A. ’18), discussing creative stories and scholarly works authored and performed by women and persons of color. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association was the presenting sponsor of the festival, which took place June 7-14 at UCLA
TFT and the Directors Guild of America, and which spotlighted student work in all disciplines.
|
|
Fourth Annual Dorothy Richards Costume Educators' Luncheon
|
On Sunday, June 3, the David C. Copley Center for Costume Design at UCLA TFT hosted the fourth annual Dorothy Richards Costume Educators' Luncheon, underwritten
by Karen Richards Sachs and David Sachs. Forty-five costume educators from around the U.S. met to discuss innovations in costume design curriculum for film and television. UCLA Art & Architecture Assitant Adjunct Professor Julia Koerner discussed her work
in 3D printing for fashion and costume (including her collaboration with costume designer Ruth Carter on
Black Panther); CADFab Digital founder/owner Maya Roth discussed digital fabric printing; and UCLA TFT Lecturer
GINA DeDOMENICO FLANAGAN discussed her work and transition from costume illustrator to costume concept artist.
|
|
Hamilton costume designer Paul Tazewell speaks at the
16th Annual Design Showcase West
|
On Saturday, June 2, Tony Award- and Emmy Award-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell was the keynote speaker at the 16th annual Design Showcase West, the only
national entertainment design showcase on the West Coast featuring the work of graduate students from the nation's top university design programs. Tazewell has been designing costumes for Broadway and regional theater, film, television, dance and opera productions
for more than 25 years. In 2016, he received a Tony Award for his costume designs for the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning musical
Hamilton and an Emmy Award for his work on NBC’s The Wiz! Live.
|
|
Half the Picture Screening
On Monday, May 21, UCLA TFT hosted a screening of
Half the Picture at the James Bridges Theater. Produced by AMY ADRION (M.F.A. ’09) and
DAVID HARRIS (M.F.A. 07), the documentary puts a spotlight on the dearth of women directors working in Hollywood.
AVA DuVERNAY, GINA PRINCE-BYTHEWOOD (B.A. ’91) and PENELOPE SPHEERIS (B.A. ’69, M.A. ’73) are among the successful women directors who talk about their career paths, struggles, inspiration and hopes for the future.
|
|
Howard Suber chats with
Bad Samaritan director Dean Devlin
|
On Monday, April 23, audience members were treated to a screening of the edge-of-your-seat thriller
Bad Samaritan in advance of its May 4 opening. After the screening, brought to the school by
DAVID HARRIS (M.F.A. ’07), Professor Emeritus HOWARD SUBER conducted a Q&A with director Dean Devlin, in the James Bridges Theater.
|
|
|
|
2018 M.F.A. Actor Showcase
|
The 2018 M.F.A. Actor Showcase took place on Tuesday, April 17 at the Geffen Playhouse.
BRETT CALO, ASHLEY CLEVELAND, TAYLOR DEAN, JOHN
DELLAPORTA, OSCAR EMMANUEL FABELA, KATIA KAPUSTIN and
BETH LANE performed scenes from scripts written by alumnus ALEXANDER
PAYNE, Tony Kushner, Jonathan Nolan and Sam Shepard, among others, for industy professionals.
|
|
Amanda Peet Chats With UCLA TFT's J.Ed Araiza and M.F.A. Actors
|
On Friday May 11, actress, writer and artist Amanda Peet visited with M.F.A. students at UCLA TFT and participated in a Q&A with Department of Theater Professor
J.ED ARAIZA, sharing stories about acting in film and on stage, what led her to writing and her experiences having her play,
Our Very Own Carlin McCullough, produced at the Geffen Playhouse.
|
|
Michael Goi: 2018 Kodak Cinematographer-in-Residence
|
Emmy Award-nominated cinematographer Michael Goi, ASC, ISC (American Horror Story)
was named the 2018 Kodak Cinematographer-in-Residence at UCLA TFT in mid-April. Hands-on student workshops with Goi continued for the remainder of the 2017-18 academic year.
|
|
|
|
Mark Bridges in Conversation
|
On Monday, May 7, two-time Academy Award-winning costume designer Mark Bridges (Phantom Thread,
The Artist, 8 Mile, Boogie Nights, Inherent Vice, Silver Linings Playbook) discussed his career with Professor
DEBORAH NADOOLMAN LANDIS, Ph.D., in front of a live audience at UCLA TFT's Darren Star Theater.
|
|
John Canemaker Conducts Master Class at UCLA TFT
|
Animation Professor
CELIA MERCER welcomed veteran animator John Canemaker to UCLA TFT in March. He presented three lectures, reviewed M.F.A. student work and brought animators Glen Keane, Andreas Deja and Aidan Terry to the school, all made possible by the Matt Groening
Endowed Chair in Animation, which provides support for visiting artists and lecturers for the UCLA Animation Workshop at UCLA TFT.
|
|
CECILIA ALBERTINI's (M.F.A. ’18) short film
Allegra's Body Shop — in which two small-time crooks break into a car shop at night only to discover that the shop owner is throwing a very special party in the garage
— has won Best Comedy at the Austin Comedy Short Fest.
|
|
CANDICE NACHMAN's (M.F.A. ’16) film
In Love premiered in Cannes, France, as part of Straight 8 2018, which invites "anyone, anywhere to make a short film on one three-minute, 20 second cartridge of Super 8mm cine film with no re-takes, no editing and no post-production, and only analogue
technology."
|
|
FTVDM Professor
BECKY SMITH's feature film August in Berlin received the Gold Remi for Low Budget (independent) Feature and was nominated in Best Actor and Best Actress categories at the Houston Film Festival.
|
|
Call Me By Your Name, which co-starred alumnus
MICHAEL STUHLBARG, was named Outstanding Film — Wide Release at the April GLAAD Awards.
|
|
Undergraduate senior
KITTY HU was the co-creator of About Home, a multimedia exploration of Holocaust memories through the concept of home, which was screened during a celebration of life that took place with survivors at UCLA Hillel in mid-May.
|
|
M.F.A. filmmaker
HANADI ELYAN's film Nadia's Visit was part of the Cannes Short Film Corner during the May Cannes Film Festival. She and Dean
TERI SCHWARTZ were recently
quoted in Marie
Claire.
|
|
|
JOHN CERRITO is one of six student filmmakers to receive a $4,500
grant from The Caucus for Producers, Writers and Directors Foundation, which will assist him in completing his student thesis film,
The Way You Look Tonight.
|
|
UCLA TFT Alumni perform in SITI Company's
theater is a blank page
|
When the West Coast premiere of
theater is a blank page took place at UCLA's Royce Hall, April 28-May 12, a number of UCLA TFT students and alumni were found in the chorus, including students
SU CASTILLO, SHAOFEI CHEN, ULATO SAM and SHENLI
ZHAO; and alumni OSCAR FABELA (M.F.A. 18), KATIA
KAPUSTIN (M.F.A. ’18), MAIA RYCHLIK (M.F.A. ’17), DANIEL STEVENS (M.F.A. ’17) and
ZURI ADELE (M.F.A. ’16). Third-year M.F.A. director CHARLES KIN served as
assistant director.
The production was presented by UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance and New York-based SITI Company. Dept. of Theater Professor
J.ED ARAIZA, a founding member of SITI Company, served as choral consultant for the production, which was directed by Ann Hamilton and Anne Bogart.
|
|
Zuri Adele Lands Freeform Series
|
ZURI ADELE
(M.F.A. ’16) has been cast as a series regular in the new Freeform series
Good Trouble, a spinoff of another Freeform series, The Fosters. Adele will play Malikia, a former foster child who feels strongly about social justice.
|
|
|
|
Ana Lily Amirpour's TV Debut
|
ANA LILY AMIRPOUR (M.F.A. ’10) made her narrative television debut
in April, helming an episode of the FX series Legion. Her next feature film is the mind-bending adventure
Blood Moon, which was unveiled at the Cannes Film Market in May.
|
|
Steven Canal's
Pose Gets Second Season order
|
The critically-acclaimed FX drama series
Pose, co-created by STEVEN CANALS (M.F.A. ’15), Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, will have a second season, set to debut in 2019. The show features the largest cast of transgender actors in series regular roles ever, as well as the largest recurring
cast of LGBTQ actors ever for a scripted series.
|
|
Steven S. DeKnight Signs Multi-Year Deal with Netflix
|
Marvel’s Daredevil executive producer
STEVEN S. DeKNIGHT (M.F.A. ’92) has signed a multi-year deal with Netflix for a variety of upcoming projects. Earlier this year, he made his feature film directorial debut with Universal Pictures'
Pacific Rim Uprising, which he also wrote.
|
|
Felicia D. Henderson Inks Deal with 20th TV, Joins
Empire
|
FELICIA D. HENDERSON (M.F.A. ’04) has signed a multiple-year, multimillion-dollar
overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television in which she will develop new projects for the studio as well as join as a consulting producer on the company's hit series
Empire.
|
|
For the first time, four female design professionals, including scenic designer
RACHEL HAUCK (B.A. ’90), are working on a Public Theater Shakespeare in the Park production at the same time.
|
|
Actress-musician-writer NORA KIRKPATRICK (B.A. ’06) is
experimenting with virtual reality with
Door No. 1, a choose-your-own-adventure style film, now available on the Hulu VR app.
|
|
Screenwriter
DAVID KOEPP (B.A. ’90) is writing the live-action screenplay for Blackhawk, director Steven Spielberg’s first superhero movie, for Amblin Entertainment and Warner
Bros., based on the comic.
|
|
BENJAMIN NATKIN (B.A. 1990), was a featured soloist at Disney Concert
Hall on Saturday, June 16, singing "New York, New York" from Leonard Bernstein’s
On the Town.
|
|
Costume designer
ALEX PLETCHER (B.A. ’11) designed the costumes for the drama I and You, written by Lauren Gunderson and directed by JoAnn Johnson, at the Artists Repertory Theater in Portland, Ore., May 20-June 17.
|
|
RACHEL RAIMIST (B.A. ’95, M.F.A. ’99) directed episode 311 of the
OWN Network's Queen Sugar, produced by Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey. The third season of the award-winning series is being helmed entirely by women.
|
|
ROYA VAKILI
has
been promoted to Senior Vice President Marketing at Fox Searchlight Pictures International. She joined the company in 2006 and has managed international marketing functions for Searchlight films since that time.
|
|
ELIZABETH WHITNEY (B.A. ’80) produced the short film
American, starring George Takei, about the Japanese relocation camps and the 442nd Army Division, which was comprised of all Japanese-American soldiers during WWII.
|
|
|
The Dorothy Parker Project
|
With Michael Cooper, UCLA TFT Adjunct Associate Professor
MARILYN FOX recently directed The Dorothy Parker Project, an evening of dramatized short stories, poems and musings by Dorothy Parker, at the Pacific Resident Theatre, where Fox is the artistic director.
|
|
Brian Kite Directs Play in China
|
Department of Theater Chair
BRIAN KITE recently directed the Southern China debut of David Lindsay-Abaire's
Rabbit Hole, in Mandarin. The play took place at the Guangzhou Dramatic Arts Center in Guangzhou, China. Professor
RICH ROSE was the scenic designer for the play, which opened Friday, May 25. In April, Kite directed
Disgraced in the James Bridges Theater.
|
|
|
|
Marike Splint's interactive
Among Us
|
In a new performance piece by UCLA TFT Assistant Professor
MARIKE SPLINT, “Among Us” invites audiences to become participants in pubic spaces. It recently took place at the Santa Monica Pier.
|
|
JEFF
BURKE, Associate Dean, Technology and Innovation, is melding technology with storytelling, artificial intelligence with live theater. Read about the advancements he's
making with the help of a Google Focused Award on the "future of storytelling."
|
|
|
|
Gina Kim Named to
THR AND Variety Watch Lists
|
|
UCLA FILM & TELEVISION ARCHIVE NEWS
|
|
A new 4K restoration of
Enamorada (1946) screened during Cannes Classics at the recent Cannes Film Festival, and was introduced by UCLA TFT Executive Board member
MARTIN SCORSESE. The film was restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project in collaboration with Fundación Televisa AC and Filmoteca de la UNAM. Directed by Emilio Fernández and starring María Félix,
Enamorada is a romantic comedy and considered a major classic from the golden age of Mexican cinema.
|
|
UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television | (310) 206-0426 | www.tft.ucla.edu
|
|
|
|