LA rebel and renowned filmmaker Jamaa Fanaka produced three of his feature titles while studying film at UCLA. Fanaka was a filmmaker who worked to produce high-quality films outside of mainstream Hollywood, especially within the African-American community. Read more...
Photo: UCLA alumnus Jamaa Fanaka directed the “Penitentiary” films. Fanaka, who died in 2012, directed films which will be screened by the Brooklyn Academy of Music. (Courtesy of United Artists/Photofest)
As a young girl growing up in Iran, Golnaz Jamsheed used to watch somber Iranian movies, like “Taste of Cherry,” with her mother. “The movies of the time, which are now national treasures, capture a feeling of melancholy and the state of the times which was very dark for my young age,” Jamsheed said. Read more...
Photo: For alumna Golnaz Jamsheed’s short film “Miracle Town,” working with a child actor gave the character of a silent, young boy a sense of childlike innocence and authenticity that reflected her own childhood, Jamsheed said. (Courtesy of Haolu Wang)
UCLA alumni and faculty have lent their acting, writing and directing talents to several series nominated for the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards. Contributing to nominations in categories such as Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Limited Series, Bruins have showcased their skills in both acting and production as parts of the casts and the crews. Read more...
Photo: Kerri Drootin has used songs from her own record collection for soundtracks in shows such as “A.P. Bio.” Now, she is nominated for an Emmy in Outstanding Music Supervision. (Courtesy of Todd Drootin)
Chantalle Williams’ first stop after arriving in Los Angeles was the Hollywood sign. “It’s very cliche, but for me it was such an iconic moment,” Williams said. Read more...
Photo: Alumna Chantalle Williams faced struggles as an international student from Ontario, Canada, including obtaining a work visa to audition for film roles. (Axel Lopez/Daily Bruin)
A real-world prison escape inspired writer and director Daniel Lafrentz’s film “Noble Creatures.” Lafrentz, a graduate student in film, based his film off an article he read in 2015 about two prisoners who escaped a maximum security prison in New York. Read more...
Photo: Alumnus Daniel Lafrentz based his film “Noble Creatures” off of a real life prison escape in New York. However, Lafrentz set his film in Louisiana in order to create tension using its natural landscape in places such as Lafayette and Maurice, and also featured Louisiana-native actors. (Daniel Leibowitz/Daily Bruin)
UCLA alumni and faculty have lent their acting, writing and directing talents to several series nominated for the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards. Contributing to nominations in categories such as Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Limited Series, Bruins have showcased their skills in both acting and production as parts of the casts and the crews. Read more...
Photo: Alumna Nancy Cartwright has been voicing Bart Simpson since the creation of the animated sitcom “The Simpsons” in 1989. Cartwright’s performance as Bart has earned her a nomination in the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance. (Creative Commons photo by voicechasers via Wikimedia Commons)
Disney’s turbulent casting process for the live-action remake of the 1992 animated classic “Aladdin” has finally come to an end. However, after a four-months-long international search for the perfect lead actors, the company now faces backlash from fans in the form of accusations of whitewashing and cultural misrepresentation. Read more...
Photo: (Harishwer Balasubramnai/Daily Bruin Senior Staff)
