Focus on Eric Goldfarb

School of Media Arts Alumnus Eric Goldfarb (BA 97) will be returning to The University of Arizona’s Gallagher Theater to screen his first feature film, “STU PLUS WHO?”

Check out the hilarious trailer:

http://stupluswho.com/trailer.php

Goldfarb created “STU PLUS WHO” together with his producing partner Stuart Acher, who will also be present for the screening and Q & A.

The film was inspired by the real life experiences of Acher, who won the prize of a trip for two to Jamaica on a game show. A romantic journey of self-discovery features Acher’s subsequent search for the perfectly charming female travel companion. “STU PLUS WHO” features guerrilla style paparazzi footage of Acher’s interactions with Paula Abdul, Courtney Love, Penelope Cruz, and Rosario Dawson.

Goldfarb has won 3 Primetime Emmys for editing “The Amazing Race,” and has had 10 overall nominations for video and sound editing. Goldfarb and Acher will discuss the creation of their feature film and also their experience of working in Hollywood.

FREE SCREENING OF “STU PLUS WHO?”

Gallagher Theater
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 4pm

“STU PLUS WHO?” was produced by Stuart Acher and Eric Goldfarb and runs 78 minutes.

School of Media Arts Alumni Take Home 2009 Emmy Awards

School of Media Arts Alumni Will Holst (BFA 04) and Sooyeon L. Johnston (BMA 96) have emerged victorious at the recent Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences 2009 Emmy awards.

Holst earned Emmy awards for "Schools for Sudan" and "Anatomy of Sorrow,” while Johnston received Emmys in three different categories including a feature segment program on photographer Mark Klett, and the programs "Arte 201: Art & Inspirations" and “Retablo: Uncovering the Secrets."

Additionally, former School of Media Arts instructor, Luis Carrión, won an Emmy for the program "Tucson Islamic Community."

For additional information about the prestigious 2009 Emmy Awards of the Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences go to:

http://uanews.org/node/28223

To see shorts of:

Retablo: Uncovering the Secrets

http://tv.azpm.org/kuat/segments/2009/10/16/kuat-retablo-uncovering-the-secrets/

Tucson Islamic Community

http://ondemand.azpm.org/videoshorts/watch/2008/10/1/kuat-islamic-center-of-tucson/

Congratulations to Will Holst, Sooyeon L. Johnston, and Luis Carrión on their creation of award winning programming.

KUAT broadcasts “Laramie Inside Out”

Professor Beverly Seckinger's documentary, “Laramie Inside Out,” will be broadcast on:

Arizona Public Media (PBS)/KUAT
Friday, October 30 at 11pm.

The film follows the aftermath of Matthew Shepard's 1998 gay-bashing murder in Seckinger's Wyoming hometown.

One reviewer wrote:

“A very personal look at the town and its people. Seckinger's film is an important addition to the narratives that help us understand what happened to Matthew Shepard, why it happened and how that community was affected by the crime.”
—Moises Kaufman
Screenwriter/Director
HBO's The Laramie Project

Professor Seckinger’s documentary is screened in conjunction with "The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later — An Epilogue" which was recently performed simultaneously on about 150 stages in all fifty states, Canada, Great Britain, Spain, Hong Kong and Australia. The play was performed on Oct. 12, the 11th anniversary of Shepard's death, including the UA’s Centennial Hall.

Please check your local listings and tune into “Laramie Inside Out.”

http://tv.azpm.org/kuat/
http://laramieinsideout.com
http://www.arizonaalumni.com/Alumnus/f09/bev.html

Learn to Write a Script!

Screen Writing Workshop with Marcus De Leon

Fee: $40

* UA Students FREE

(Event Dates: October 24-25)

Noted screenwriter-director Marcus De Leon (HBO’s Walkout) will lead a fun, interactive, intensive two-day screenwriting workshop for participants at all levels. This workshop is open to the general public. In collaboration with the School of Media Arts and the College of Fine Arts.

Native Eyes Film Showcase

Native Eyes Film Showcase

October 24, 2009, 4:00–10:00 p.m. FREE

Native Eyes on the Reservation!


Join us in Topawa, Arizona at the Tohono O'odham Nation Museum and Cultural Center for a fun-filled evening of museum tours, film screening and discussion with the filmmaker, live waila dance concert and food!

4:00 and 5:00 Staff-lead tours of the Tohono O’odham Nation Museum

6:00 outdoor screening: Waila! Making the People Happy

7:15 discussion with filmmaker Daniel Golding (Quechan) and Angelo Joaquin (Tohono O’odham) of the Arizona State Museum

8:00 Waila dance concert with Sound of the Desert, led by Alex Gomez

Food by Ha:san Preparatory and Leadership School available for purchase

What’s Waila? (pronounced y-la)
Waila is an O’odham form of music that embodies polka and Mexican tejano, cumbias and Norteño. It blends European instruments infused with modern-day electric keyboards and guitars with O’odham language and culture. “Waila” is derived from the Spanish word for dance, baila, and sometimes is called chicken scratch.

Waila! Making the People Happy - Director Dan Golding (Quechan) 2009, (58 min)
The film brings viewers on a journey of musical evolution, introducing the famous Joaquin Brothers, who performed waila across the reservation and took it all the way to Carnegie Hall, as well as some of the younger waila musicians, and explores where the traditions are headed next.

Sound of the Desert
This waila band, led by Alex Gomez, performs in the older style of waila music featuring a dual saxophone combination, in the style of the Joaquin Brothers.

Dan Golding
Dan Golding (Quechan) graduated Cum Laude from San Francisco State University receiving a BA in Film Production and a minor in American Indian Studies. He started Hokan Media Productions in 1997 as a means to produce social issue documentary and narrative films. His films have screened both nationally and internationally. He also teaches hands-on digital filmmaking workshops to at-risk tribal youth, through Hokan Media Digital Filmmaking Academy. Mr. Golding is a traditional singer and is involved in a master apprentice language program with his uncle. His latest film Waila! Making the People Happy, a 30 minute documentary on Chicken Scratch, the contemporary dance music of the southern Arizona Indian tribes, has aired on PBS. He will lead a discussion about the documentary on Sunday at Native Eyes, and will be a presenter for the youth media Saturday program.

Angelo Joaquin Jr.
Angelo Joaquin Jr. (Tohono O'odham) is a program coordinator at the Arizona
State Museum specializing in Native American culture programs. He is a co-founder and director of the annual Waila Festival celebrating this traditional O'odham musical expression. He has organized five Young Waila Musicians Workshops which brought youngsters and elder O'odham together for a day-long immersion session in the music and the culture. He will help plan the music-themed presentations of Native Eyes. He will serve as a discussant for the films and waila dance concert that demonstrates the tradition presented in the film. He will discuss the evolution of this tradition and the role of waila music in the lives of O'odham today.

Native Eyes Film Showcase is presented by Arizona State Museum and the UA's Hanson Film Institute in collaboration with the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. Native Eyes was made possible in part by a grant from the Arizona Humanities Council and with additional support from the Law College Association and the Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy Program at the James E. Rogers College of Law.

Information about Native Eyes Film Showcase programs in Tucson from November 12–14, 2009, coming.....

Focus on Lindsay Utz

School of Media Arts Alumna Lindsay Utz (BA 2003) associate produced the season premiere of PBS' FRONTLINE –“Obama’s War” a one-hour long documentary about the war in Afghanistan.

It's a firsthand look at what US and NATO soldiers are up against every day and should be mandatory viewing for anyone interested in the policy debate unfolding in Washington.

Check your local PBS listings for airdates and times.

Additionally, she edited a short documentary for the Frontline website called FRONTLINE DIARY: "Obama's War" which is a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into making a FRONTLINE episode, and includes some great moments that didn't make it into the film. You can find it here after the broadcast:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamaswar/

Congratulations to Lindsay and tune into “Obama’s War” and its companion website.

"Good Boy" Screens at Beowulf Alley Theatre

Patrick Roddy's "Good Boy" Screens at Beowulf Alley Theatre

Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 South 6th Ave, between Broadway and Congress in Downtown Tucson, known for its high quality theatrical productions, has added screening equipment to its beautiful 95-seat air-conditioned theatre and, in partnership with the Independent Filmmakers Association of Southern Arizona (IFASA), presents local film artist, Patrick Roddy's, "Good Boy".

Showings will take place on Friday and Saturday, October 16 and 17 at 7 p.m. Tickets for this weekend event are $5.00 general admission. IFASA members and Beowulf Alley Theatre volunteers and paid subscribers (Season and Flex Pass) will receive a cold drink or snack item from concessions for free.

For more information, see:

http://www.beowulfalley.org

or call (520) 882-0555.

Appropriate for 16 years and older. For information about IFASA, see www.ifasa.net. IndeFliks@the Alley is sponsored by Cox Communications and Pastiche Modern Eatery.

The plot follows a young man who attempts to escape his trapped existence by stealing money from his work and heading to California, hopefully to find a better life. But, he stumbles into an unimaginable world along the way, ruled by a depraved man who controls everything and everyone around him.

Patrick Roddy's (www.patrickroddy.com) third film has won an Accolade Award of Excellence-Feature Film, in addition to two Accolade Awards of Merit (Direction and Lead Actor) and has received very favorable reviews (see below). “Good Boy” is a psychological thriller written by Nicholl Fellowship semifinalist Ken Henderson. Horror star Tiffany Shepis (/Nightmare Man/) plays a key role in the film.


“Good Boy is a stunning film ... couldn't take my eyes off the screen!” FatallyYours.com

“Good Boy is a riveting thriller” 10KBullets.com

“4 out of 4 cigars, it's well written, the acting is great” RogueCinema.com

The IFASA mission is to encourage, build and support a strong local independent film community by promoting the production, exhibition and public awareness of film, digital video and media arts. To achieve this mission, IFASA provides technical assistance, pools resources and talent, and offers educational and networking opportunities for the professional and novice alike.


Beowulf Alley Theatre Company, a 501 (c)(3) organization, is committed to enriching the community and enhancing appreciation of the arts through the production of innovative, invigorating theatre and theatrical education with the highest standards for acting and production.

Lesbian Looks

LESBIAN LOOKS LAUNCHES 17TH ANNUAL FILM SERIES THIS FRI OCT 9

Straightlaced: How Gender’s got us all Tied Up (Debra Chasnoff, 2009)
Pariah (Dee Rees and Nekisa Cooper, 2007)
Gallagher Theater, UA Student Union
7:30pm
FREE

Lesbian Looks opens its 17th season this Friday night with the Arizona premiere of the documentary STRAIGHTLACED: HOW GENDER’S GOT US ALL TIED UP, by Academy Award-winning director Debra Chasnoff.

From girls confronting popular messages about culture and body image to boys who are sexually active just to prove they aren't gay, the students in STRAIGHTLACED illustrate the toll that deeply held stereotypes and rigid gender policing have on all of our lives.

" A rare gem that provides a forum for young people to speak eloquently about the courage it takes to break out of the box, live authentic lives, and stand up for justice."
—Bruce Cohen, Oscar-winning Producer of MILK

"As in Chasnoff's previous recent works, the film is remarkable for the candor with which its subjects speak - in this case, teens discussing their frustrations with gender roles and stereotypes."
—The San Francisco Chronicle

“ It lifts kids up to make them realize that it's okay to be who you want to be."
—Carlos Garcia, Superintendent of San Francisco Unified School District

" ...a work of huge importance, that is both challenging and accessible."
—London Gay and Lesbian Film Festival

Also screening: PARIAH, a beautifully shot, award-winning coming-of-age drama about a lesbian teenager unsuccessfully juggling multiple identities to avoid rejection from her friends and family.

"Rees' jaw-droppingly good PARIAH continues to reel in awards. Rees shows stellar talent in both writing and directing with her story of a Bronx high school girl uncertainly trying to explore multiple identities."
—Charlie Olsky, Indiewire

Friday's screening will be followed by a panel discussion.

Lesbian Looks is presented by the UA Institute for LGBT Studies, and co-sponsored by the School of Media Arts, the Hanson Film Institute, the McLelland Institute for Children, Youth and Families, the University Library and Center for Creative Photography, the School of Anthropology, the Department of Gender & Women’s Studies, the Department of English, the Center for Student Involvement in Leadership, and Men Against Violence

http://lgbcom.web.arizona.edu/lesbianlooks/lobbydoor.html

Focus on Alum Dirk Van Fleet

Dirk Van Fleet is a School of Media Arts Alumnus (BFA 1997) and also the Producer and Editor of the documentary “Dig Comics!”

Van Fleet will be presenting his film at the Tucson Film & Music Festival on Saturday, October 10th at 11:30am at the Crossroads Cinema on Grant and Swan.

The documentary “Dig Comics!” asks the question, “Is the American art form of comics dying?”

Comic creators, retailers, and historians weigh in on what why the popularity of comics has waned over the past five decades and whether it's too late to reverse the trend. The battle is on to get America to Dig Comics!

This is a rare opportunity to see this documentary and to query one of its makers. The School of Media Arts is proud to be a supporter of The Tucson Film & Music Festival and we wish Dirk Van Fleet a very warm welcome back to Tucson.

www.digcomics.com

http://www.tucsonfilmandmusicfestival.com/

Lost Dream at the Rialto

School of Media Arts Alum Mae Nekoba (BA 2000) will be presenting her film “Lost Dream” on Sunday, October 11th at 9:00pm at the historic Rialto Theatre.

“Lost Dream” has its focus on two college students, Perry and Giovanni, who develop a delicate friendship based on their mutually destructive behavior. Perry, the son of a corrupt Congressman, is tormented by his position in society. Giovanni, distraught by a troubled childhood, has lost his desire to live. Together, they challenge each other's existence in search of salvation.

“Perry and Giovanni could be any two kids in the world,” said filmmaker Nekoba. “Many college students will be able to identify with their struggle.”

“Lost Dream” stars “Twilight’s” Michael Welch and “Melrose Place's” Shaun Sipos. Michael Welch will be present for the screening and participate with Nekoba during the Q & A. “Twilight” fans . . . this is your chance to ask a rising star and filmmaker questions about the process of making a film.

“Who is this kid!?” Nekoba asked during the casting session. “There is something about him that I like!”

To purchase your tickets for “Lost Dream” please visit:

http://www.tucsonfilmandmusicfestival.com/

And for more information about the film:

www.lostdreamfilm.com

The School of Media Arts is a proud supporter of the 5th Annual Tucson Film & Music Festival.