Press release

UC Davis Film Festival Hosted by Davis Varsity Theatre
May 26-27

The Davis Varsity Theatre presents the Department of Theatre and Dance’s UC Davis Film Festival produced in association with UC Davis Technocultural Studies and co-sponsored by Film Studies and Art Studio. The Festival, now in its tenth year, gives students the opportunity to showcase their short films and receive feedback from faculty who are professionals in the areas of film, television, and new media. The UC Davis Film Festival plays at the Davis Varsity Theatre Wednesday – Thursday, May 26 – 27, at 8:30pm.All tickets are $5, available at Davis Varsity Theatre Box Office starting May 19.

“Porn for Sale,” “Rendition of the Universe,” “Paradox Eclipsed” and “Happenstance” are just some of the titles from last year’s program; a year that saw an unprecedented number of entries and growing interest in the UC Davis Film Festival. This year submissions are just as numerous and diverse. They address topics including the influence of social networking sites (“The Future of Twitter”) or attempt to find the truth about love (“On Love”). Given technological innovation and the increasing quality and availability of consumer and prosumer video production and editing equipment on campus and in the community, it is no wonder that this medium is becoming so popular at UC Davis.

The festival is seeing a number of repeat offenders. Andy Blalock, a senior majoring in Film Studies who won Best Director and Best Editing in last year’s festival, has submitted five films. Notably, the campus group of student film and video artists, Filmmakers’ Ambitions, who were awarded a Special Award for Sustained Excellence at last year’s festival, as represented by Mike Sun and Golda Criddle, accounted for about ten of this year’s entries. However, there are many newcomers such as Meredith Sward a second-year Technocultural Studies major who submitted “Oh Dear,” an experimental piece that employs found footage and skillful editing.  Sward explains, Oh Dear is about the representation of beauty and sexuality of children and how it can be seen as a violent act against them. A chain of inspirations led me to create the piece starting with the children’s story Mirette on the HighWire.” 

This year’s festival has received approximately 50 submissions, which along with last year’s figures demonstrate an increasing trend in the number of entries. Festival student producer and English and Film Studies double- major Pamela Orebaugh remarks, “It’s wonderful to see UC Davis, typically a science school, produce so many great and unexpected pieces from all majors, not just arts and humanities!” There was turnout from various science departments as well as from students in the sponsoring programs of Theatre & Dance, Film Studies and Technocultural Studies. Even Ph.D. candidates got into the mix this year. In addition to producing animation, comedy, and drama, submissions include commercials, documentaries, music videos, and other art films.

When asked what drew them to the festival, many past and current participants note the opportunity to see their work on the ‘big screen,’ as well as the chance to engage with UC Davis faculty in the arts, many of whom are professionals in the area of film, television, and new media.  Via a pre-submission schedule, students are offered constructive criticism and help with how to take their work to the next level.

Submissions may be no longer than ten minutes including credits. Awards will be given in many categories including Best Editing, Best Animation and Best Sound Design. A faculty group curates the program and winners receive prizes. In the past these have been invitations to visit sets and working environments of professional faculty who work in Los Angeles and other industry centers. Last year’s winners toured the set of Professor John Iacovelli’s television program “Lincoln Heights” and found the experience incredibly interesting, rewarding, and inspiring.

In addition to student producer Pamela Orebaugh, the festival is directed by three UC Davis faculty producers: Professors Sarah Pia Anderson and John Iacovelli, Department of Theatre & Dance, and Professor Jesse Drew, Director of Technocultural Studies. The faculty producers serve as advisors along with other UC Davis faculty: Liz Constable/Film Studies, Darrin Martin/Art Studio, Maggie Morgan/Theatre & Dance, Pablo Ortiz/Music and Julie Wyman/Technocultural Studies. All are aided by student assistant producer Chiijmree Williams, a Film Studies major.

Faculty Producer Bios

Sarah Pia Anderson is an award-winning director of stage, television and film. She is a professor in the Department of Theatre & Dance at UC Davis and is considered to be one of the top women directors of English-language drama. She has directed at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre, Abbey Theatre (Dublin), Traverse Theatre (Edinburgh), on Broadway, and The Shakespeare Theater at the Folger (Washington, DC). She has directed episodes of Emmy award winning dramas “ER,” “Ally McBeal, “Huff” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Most recently she directed episodes of Golden Globe winner “Ugly Betty,” starring Salma Hayek and America Ferrera, and Golden Globe nominated “Big Love for HBO Starring Bill Paxton, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Chloe Sevigny.

Jesse Drew is Director of UC Davis Technocultural Studies program. His work as a media artist and writer seeks to challenge the complacent relationship between the public and new technologies. His media work has been exhibited widely at such venues as the San Francisco Film Arts Festival, the ZKM in Germany, the World Wide Video Festival (Amsterdam), Incident (Brussels), Taos Talking Pictures, Dallas Film and Video Festival, the Mill Valley Film and Video Festival, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the American Indian Film and Video Festival, as well as international broadcast and cablecast outlets. His writings have appeared in numerous publications and journals as well as several anthologies, such as Resisting the Virtual Life (City Lights Press) and Reclaiming San Francisco: History, Politics, Culture (City Lights Press). Before coming to UC Davis he headed the Center for Digital Media and was Associate Dean at the San Francisco Art Institute.

John Iacovelli, an Emmy Award winning designer, teaches in the Department of Theatre & Dance MFA design program. Professor Iacovelli has designed more than 200 productions at theatres across the nation, including the critically acclaimed; TONY nominated Broadway revival of Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded Iacovelli the coveted 2001 prime-time Emmy Award for his art direction of the A&E broadcast of Peter Pan. In addition to his theatre work, Iacovelli is a television and film production designer and art director for such shows as “Ed”,” Babylon 5,” ” The Cosby Show,” “ Resurrection Blvd.,” and the films “Honey, I Shrunk the Kidsand “Ruby in Paradise.” He holds an MFA in Scenic Design and Art Direction from New York University.

What: The Department of Theatre & Dance’s UC Davis Film Festival presented by the Davis Varsity Theatre

When: Wednesday – Thursday, May 26-27, 8:30 pm

Where: Davis Varsity Theatre, 616 Second Street, Davis 95616

Tickets: $5, available at Davis Varsity Theatre Box Office starting May 19

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