If you can't bring Moses to the mountain, bring the mountain to Moses. And if you can't bring Hollywood insiders to Orange, take Orange to Hollywood—or, at least, the little slice of Orange occupied by Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.
Every year, the college holds Leo Freedman Foundation First Cut Screenings in Hollywood, where the top films from the previous school year (as determined by a panel of distinguished alumni and industry representatives) roll.
And so, starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, the following films screen at the Directors Guild of America Theatre in Los Angeles (although not necessarily in this order):
Angeltown (directed by Nancy Liu, class of 2016) – A Korean Marilyn Monroe wanders the City of Angels and confronts her past.
Gardeners of the Forest (dirs. Ceylan Carhoglu and Nicole Jordan-Webber, both ’16) – For generations, Laos was known as the Land of a Million Elephants but, as of 2016, there are fewer than 600 elephants left in the wild. This was a Student Academy Award finalist in the Documentary category.
Icarus (dir. Tom Teller, ’16) – When a Mars colony’s comm satellite is damaged, Emilia Riley embarks on a seemingly harmless repair excursion. A shuttle malfunction cuts connectivity to the ground and Chris, her son, makes the knee jerk decision to go after her.
It’s Just a Gun (dir. Brian Robau, ’ 17) – When Gabe finds a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, a series of events is set in motion that changes his life forever. This was a Student Academy Award finalist in the Narrative category.
Rocket (dir. Brenna Malloy, ’16) – A bittersweet fairy tale set in the world of 1950s dirt track racing. This was also a Student Academy Award finalist in the Narrative category.
Here is a promotional reel created by Sarah Marinello (BFA/Film Prod., ’16) and co-edited by Jeff Heimbuch:
Leo Freedman Foundation First Cut 2016 Reel from Dodge College on Vimeo.
Geez, those look like real movies and everything …
Actually, Bob Bassett, the Dodge College dean and a professor, says these display “the storytelling prowess of the next generation of filmmakers coming to you from Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.”
Learn more about the event or RSVP at: chapman.edu/firstcut.
