Roan Pearl is mixing together music, donuts and Cambodian culture in her thesis film. The fourth-year film and television studentis the writer and director of her short film “Maple Bacon Bar,” which she said tells the story of Sovanna – the daughter of a Cambodian American refugee family that owns a donut shop in Long Beach, California – who struggles to connect with her parents and pursue her artistic ambitions following her older sister’s death. Read more...

Photo: The protagonist of “Maple Bacon Bar” is pictured working at a donut shop on set. The student thesis film and musical seeks to highlight underrepresented voices through lyrics and storytelling. (Photo courtesy of Ee Lin. Illustration by Shea McCauley/Daily Bruin.)

Nadieme Villar is redefining the past to find strength in the future in her film “Pobre Diabla.” The sixth-year film student said her upcoming thesis film tells the story of Valeria, a young woman whose relationship has been affected by her upbringing in an abusive home with exposure to domestic violence. Read more...

Photo: (Hao Tam Tran/Daily Bruin)

Bryce Busch is graduating with silver-screen dreams. The fourth-year history student said he got his start in the UCLA film scene in typical Bruin fashion: through the Enormous Activities Fair, where he spotted the Bruin Film Society booth. Read more...

Photo: Graduating student Bryce Busch poses beside a sculpture on a sunny day. Busch reflects on his time involved within the film community at UCLA. (Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)