Santa Monica Pier authorities asked Marc Pannia to leave the pier. He was filming the bright, flashing ferris wheel and arcades without a permit. The UCLA Extension alumnus was attempting to get footage of an actress enjoying the carnival games at the pier for his film “OverAgain.” He ended up shooting scenes of her smiling […]
Category Archives: Film & TV
Alumni focus on diversity in Netflix film ‘Deidra & Laney Rob a Train’
Susan Cartsonis watched “The Wizard of Oz” every year as a little girl. However, she quickly realized that there weren’t many other feminist role models like Dorothy on screen. “I like stories about women in which they’re dimensional, in which they have agency, in which they actually do things,” Cartsonis said. “While that may sound […]
UCLA alum Weiko Lin reconnects with late mother in short film ‘Miki’
Weiko Lin remembers eating sesame rice wrapped in banana leaves while lying on his mother’s lap. Although he was only around 3 years old, his mother’s comfort and safety stayed in his memory. Following his mother’s death, screenwriting alumnus Lin produced a play and Chinese film called “100 Days” to honor his loved one. Now, […]
TFT alum, lecturer brings Polish poetry to stage through performance
The name for Monica Payne’s latest project came to her while reading a Polish poem with imagery of clouds and skies. The phrase “Into the Empty Sky” popped into her head as she read poetry that took on the viewpoint of the clouds floating over humanity. Payne, a theater lecturer and 2011 alumna of UCLA […]
Former lecturer brings identity, diverse team to ‘Dear White People’
Stephanie Allain worked as a studio executive at Columbia Pictures for seven years. But when she entered the conference room at work, people asked her to bring them coffee as if she were an assistant. Though Allain, who previously taught producing in the entertainment studies department at UCLA Extension, no longer works at Columbia Pictures […]
TV Review: ‘Dear White People’
Last year’s Kanye Western party and last week’s gang sign photo leak provide reminders that racism is still present at UCLA. Like many colleges, UCLA prides itself on its diversity and inclusivity, yet faces constant reminders of inequality and intolerance. Considering the campus’ history of sociopolitical protesting, it is appropriate and perhaps slightly ironic that […]
Movie review: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” bursts with colorful characters and even more dazzling scenery, but fails to organize it all into one cohesive film. The movie retains striking dichotomies that made the first installment of the franchise so memorable: futuristic metropolitan worlds paired with hit songs from the ’60s and ’70s, as well as […]