Peter Yang wants to give students food for thought about escapism in his film “Strange Fodder.” The fourth-year biochemistry student’s film project stars fourth-year sociology student Daniel Vallejo, who mentally enters a series of new realities after experiencing an unspecified traumatic event. Read more...

Photo: Fourth-year biochemistry student Peter Yang directed “Strange Fodder,” a film that is currently in pre-production. The film deals with escapism, following a protagonist who enters multiple realities after suffering a traumatic experience. (Courtesy of Peter Yang)

The model minority mindset establishes a certain demographic as more successful than others, said Wendy Wang. However, those labeled as such – like Asian-Americans – often find it difficult to discuss, she said. Read more...

Photo: UCLA students interned at the “Things I Never Said” project, which centers around opening a discussion about stigmas surrounding mental health in Asian-American communities. Director Wendy Wang said the need to create further education on this topic partially stems from the model minority myth. (Courtesy of Wendy Wang)

Every three seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s disease – but Bruna Cabral is trying to find hope despite its negative impacts on millions of families. The UCLA Extension student’s short film follows an 8-year-old boy named Dylan (Mason Wells) whose 80-year-old best friend begins to lose her memory due to Alzheimer’s. Read more...

Photo: UCLA Extension student Bruna Cabral wanted to convey the importance of being patient with those who have Alzheimer’s disease in her short film “Piece of Me.” The films follows an eight-year-old boy whose 80-year-old best friend begins to lose her memory due to the disease. Cabral said she wanted to juxtapose the innocence of a young child with an elderly character. (Amy Dixon/Photo editor)