Friday, April 10

Book talk to cover poet’s representation of South Los Angeles

On a large white screen, a projector illuminates the faces of two young men. Their expressions inhabit a small square on their USC student IDs. The violent, stereotypical names on the IDs present the image’s inescapable message – the racial ignorance that divides the students. Read more...

Photo: Poet Hiram Sims synthesizes photography and poetry in his book “Photoetry: Poetry and Photography from South Central L.A.” Sims will speak at the Bunche Center Library on Thursday for a book talk presented by the Bunche Center for African American Studies. (Tamaryn Kong/Daily Bruin)


Comedy short film ‘Hold It’ advances to Campus MovieFest finale

The most antagonistic place on campus for Rafe Blood was an elevator in Melnitz Hall. He said these feelings inspired his short film “Hold It,” one of the Jury Award winners of this year’s Campus MovieFest. Read more...

Photo: “Hold It,” directed and written by fourth-year film student Rafe Blood (center), was one of four films that received the Jury Award at this year’s Campus MovieFest competition at UCLA. (Jintak Han/Daily Bruin)


Campus MovieFest finalist ‘Love Light’ explores concept of escape

By the telephone booth on a dark, desolate street side, a weary man equipped with a cigarette calls a hospital, checking on the condition of his ill wife. Read more...

Photo: “Love Light,” directed and written by fourth-year communication studies student Mark Ryan Reyes, was awarded one of four Jury Awards at this year’s Campus MovieFest competition at UCLA. (Courtesy of Matthew Oquendo)


Up Next: Exploration of transgender themes in ‘Transparent’ perfect for web TV

The rise of original online programming has revolutionized the way we consume television. But are any of these new shows actually worth watching? Up Next highlights noteworthy original content from Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Studios and examines how the flexible online format functions within each show. Read more...

Photo: The Amazon Studios’ second pilot season produced “Transparent,” a shining example of the democratic nature of web television. Created by Jill Soloway, the show explores the lives of transgender individuals in a manner incomparable to that of cable television programs. (Amazon)


AFI Fest 2014: Day three

AFI Fest, the longest-running international film festival in Los Angeles, has taken off at Hollywood Boulevard. Over the next week, directors from around the world, including new auteurs and renowned award-winners, will be making appearances at the TCL Chinese Theater, the Egyptian Theater and the Dolby Theatre to support their newest projects, with numerous awaiting fans in tow. Read more...

Photo: (American Film Institute)


UCLA alumni take over Arpa International Film Festival

Fourteen years ago, UCLA alumnus Alex Kalognomos first attended the Arpa International Film Festival as a patron. It was not until a few years later while waiting to enter a screening that Kalognomos was whisked away by a volunteer in need of help during the festival. Read more...

Photo: UCLA alumni Michael Ashjian (third from the left) and Alex Kalognomos (second from the right) have taken the helm this year at the Arpa International Film Festival. The festival features films from a variety of countries, including Spain, the United States, Armenia, Cuba and Canada. Sylvia Minassian (second from the left) is the founder of Arpa. (Courtesy of Alex Kalognomos)


Across the Pond: Musician Jake Bugg revives spirit of classic rock

There’s something about the British Isles that consistently produces musical greatness; it is inherent to the country, its people and its culture. Popular culture has been defined by bands and artists from the UK; they have consistently created new genres and musical subcultures – from the Beatles’ psychedelic rock in the ’60s all the way through to the explosion of dubstep and drum ‘n’ bass in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Read more...

Photo: British singer-songwriter Jake Bugg released his self-titled debut album in 2012, which later received a Mercury Prize nomination. (Courtesy of Mercury Records)