Ella Rhodes is sinking her teeth into queer vampire punk in “Hickeys.”
The 12-minute thesis film, which will be screened at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Undergraduate Showcase on June 8, follows Vivian, a queer Nashville runaway who finds belonging in the 1983 Los Angeles hardcore punk scene – only to realize her close friends are actually manipulative vampires.

UCLA Asian and Pacific Islander filmmakers showcased their work and discussed the struggles the communities face at the API Film Night on May 9.
Four creatives, made up of a mix of UCLA alumni and current students, presented their films and talked about the process behind their work at the James Bridges Theater.

This post was updated May 6 at 9:30 p.m.
Editor’s note: This article contains mentions of suicidal ideation.
Warning: spoilers ahead.
With its latest outing, Marvel brings a new spark into the fading Marvel Cinematic Universe.

This post was updated May 1 at 8:39 p.m.
Waverly Wang throws herself into every eight count of her animated short film.
Wang, a graduate student with a master of fine arts degree in animation, is preparing to take center stage at the Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival on May 10 with her animated short, “Party Boy.” Centered on a performance of the Christmas ballet, “The Nutcracker,” the story follows a young boy who, in the throes of anxiety, uses familial love to gather his courage and step into the spotlight.

Shining a light on the teenage experience, the Open Mind Film Festival goes straight to the source.
Taking place Sunday, the 5th annual Open Mind Film Festival will spotlight 13 films selected from over 300 submissions and award the top three films, with the first-place prize being $1,500, said the festival’s founder and co-chair, Mia Silverman.

This post was updated April 24 at 8:46 p.m.
Jennifer Chang drives the show in theater and dialogue.
An associate professor at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Chang has done it all as a director, playwright and actor.

A one-of-a-kind friendship and a motivating mantra are the inspiration behind Caroline Sierk’s directorial debut.
After the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television decided she was not to be a part of its department when she first applied in 2024, third-year political science student Sierk took it upon herself to make her own short film, titled “To Be.” Set in a romanticized 1965 Los Angeles, the movie follows college student Jack Adler, who chooses to look beyond his world of academics as he goes off into the city of stars and meets a fellow dreamer, Diana.