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CSUN’s Senior Film Showcase to Turn Spotlight on Tomorrow’s Filmmakers

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., April 23, 2007) — Movie fans can catch a sneak peak at some of Hollywood’s future box office draws on Wednesday, May 2, at Cal State Northridge’s 17th annual "Senior Film Showcase" at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

The showcase, which culminates four years of study for the university’s senior-level film students, is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The screenings will take place in the Leonard Goldenson Theatre of the academy at 5230 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.

Cinema and television arts professor Nate Thomas said the films in the showcase represent the best of Northridge’s film program.

"I would not be surprised to see any or all of these students’ names being bantered about in Hollywood in the future," he said. "These films highlight how much these students have learned, and how they have mastered an art that can bring pleasure to millions of people around the world."

This year’s event will also honor noted feature film producers Keri Selig and Tracie Graham, both alumni of CSUN’s Department of Cinema and Television Arts. The two will be presented with a special "Cinematheque Award" for their work as major motion picture producers.

Tracie Graham’s films include "Dumb and Dumber," starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, and "Windtalkers," starring Nicholas Cage. Keri Selig’s films include "The Stepford Wives," starring Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, Glenn Close and Bette Midler; "Three to Tango," starring Neve Campbell, Matthew Perry, Oliver Platt and Dylan McDermott, and "Passengers," which will soon be released and stars Anne Hathaway.

The five student films to be premiered at the showcase:

• "Neturei Karta: Guardian of the City," directed by Ami Cohen, tells the story of a young Hassidic man who must stand up for himself in the face of extreme religion and his Rabbi father.
• "Honey," directed by Felicia Carter-Aaron, is the story of a Chinese-American drag queen who finds a young boy sleeping on the streets. When the boy’s family is in danger, Honey must make a great sacrifice to save it from the terrors of Chinatown.
• "POV: A Dogumentary," directed by Kate Ryan, captures the efforts of five strangers who are asked to share their personal views of dogs with someone of another culture. Confronting issues surrounding culture and social class differences, their encounters provide a thought-provoking look at whether society is willing to cast aside judgments in order to understand different approaches to life.
• "Barrio Thief," directed by Michelle Mizner, is inspired by real events in Lima, Peru. The film depicts a mother and son facing the grim realities of a highly contagious, drug-resistant form of tuberculosis. When the mother cannot get the medication she needs to stay alive, her six-year-old son discovers ways to keep the two of them together.
• "Book of Tomorrow," directed by David Yohe, is the story of Billy Allen, who discovers a mysterious comic book that reveals the future. As he realizes the book’s potential, the boy must overcome challenges and learns that sometimes very big things can happen even in a small town.

A reception with live music will follow the screenings in the academy’s lobby and patio areas.

The showcase is sponsored by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the CSUN Associated Students Instructionally Related Activities Fund.

For more information about the showcase, call CSUN’s Department of Cinema and Television Arts at (818) 677-3192.