Third-year graduate film student Scott Veach, one of 10 finalists in this year’s Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmakers competition, can finally relax, having submitted his short film on Thursday. This filmmaking competition isn’t all pop and fizz, however. It’s an opportunity through which young filmmakers can establish their careers and make a name for themselves. So Veach […]
Author Archives: Paul Mendoza
Kidman not afraid of Viginia Woolf in “˜The Hours’
With all of the Oscar buzz circulating, Nicole Kidman is certainly one actress who’s being buzzed the loudest. Being a native-born Australian shouldn’t be any hurdle in winning the American award; the iconic Aussie Russell Crowe won Best Actor in 2000 and according to Kidman, she could win in a fight any day. “I could […]
Reel Cancun
They’re big, they’re bad, and they’re gonna be at your local multiplex faster than you can say Richard Hatch. The tsunami of reality programming will soon crash onto the silver screen again with the tentatively titled “Spring Break: The Movie.” It’s going to be cast with real college students and part of the first wave […]
Czech celebrities raise funds for kids, promote culture at UCLA event
On Saturday, Drake Stadium played host to one of the most unusual soccer matches UCLA has seen in years: Czech and Slovak locals versus celebrities from the Czech Republic. In a fierce match, the celebrities defeated the locals 3-2, thanks to two former European Cup champions on the celebrity team. More significantly, however, Czechs and […]
Cage’s film “˜Adaptation’ mixes fictional, real worlds
The $20 tickets for the Egyptian Theater on Saturday night were worth it. These pricey tickets were for the sneak preview of Nicolas Cage’s latest project, “Adaptation,” the centerpiece of the American Cinematheque’s Real Wild Child tribute to the Oscar winning Cage last weekend. The main draw for the evening, however, was not just the […]
Would-be “˜Idols’ storm L.A., brave cold, hunger
Justin Guarini’s got nothin’ on me. I could take him and his evil Sideshow Bob hair, no sweat. I’ve been a loyal “American Idol” fan since the first episode. So when Fox announced Monday’s Los Angeles auditions, I imagined the opportunity through rose-colored glasses: sharing my love for cheesy pop music, meeting lots of beautiful […]
Heads up "42 Up"
The documentary film genre demands a more sophisticated approach for a new age. “The standard concept of biography in film hasn’t changed that much in 100 years,” said Rani Singh, film curator at the J. Paul Getty Museum. “It’s pretty much a linear storyline, a 19th century notion. In the 21st century, we’re finding ourselves […]