With a title like “Attack of the Killer Trees,” the viewer may expect a retro horror aesthetic and cheesy special effects. However, Valerie Giuili’s animated film instead offers a colorful, animated story of hapless Louie Lumberjack as he discovers the dramatic repercussions of his unsustainable job. Read more...

Photo: Valerie Giuili is an interdisciplinary artist studying animation at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Her film “Attack of the Killer Trees” won best in show at the 2014 Campus Events Commission’s Shorttakes Student Film Festival. (Justin Chang/Daily Bruin)

Determined to stake its claim over the perfect park bench that would become the film’s centerpiece, the student crew of “Small Talk” ventured out at the crack of dawn to begin a long but ultimately rewarding day of filming. Read more...

Photo: Winning the best comedy category in this year’s Campus Events Commission Shorttakes Student Film Festival, the short film “Small Talk” was written and directed by third-year film and television student Ryan Elkins. He said he was intrigued by the simple concept of two people sitting on a park bench, sharing their differing opinions on romantic relationships. (Courtesy of Ryan Elkins)