Attend an SCA Information Session
Upcoming Events
In-Person and Virtual SCA Graduate Information Session
January 1, 2025 - December 24, 2025, Varies
SCA Courtyard and Online
Join the SCA Admissions staff for an in-person or an online information session to learn more about applying to the SCA graduate programs for the Fall 2025 semester. Topics will include an overview of the school, programs and facilities, financial aid, Q&A with staff and more!
Making Images From Scratch: Camera Obscura and Handmade Films Workshops
September 19, 2025, 12:00 - 7:00 pm
SCA Spielberg Lobby and SCA Gallery
Renowned cinema artists Sandra Gibson and Luis Recoder will lead three hands-on workshops for USC students exploring projection, light, and camera-less image creation.
International SCA Embedded Therapist Shares Her Experience and Expertise
September 22, 2025, 2:30pm-3:30pm
Zoom
SCA Embedded Therapist and Former International Student Olivia Wills is running a workshop on her experiences as an international student.
THE TRAINER
September 22, 2025, 7:00 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
In THE TRAINER, visionary filmmaker Tony Kaye (American History X) crafts a biting, surreal portrait of ambition, loneliness, and the absurdity of the self-improvement craze. Jack (Vito Schnabel, in his acting debut) is a down-and-out hustler in Los Angeles who believes his salvation lies in a strange, home-built exercise machine. Pouring every ounce of energy into selling it, he drifts through the fractured landscape of Hollywood—encountering an odd parade of buyers, dreamers, and opportunists. What begins as a simple sales pitch becomes a tragicomic odyssey through the city’s contradictions: wealth and poverty, wellness and decay, hope and futility. Equal parts satire and elegy, THE TRAINER skewers the fitness and self-help industries while exploring the human need for validation and purpose. With Kaye’s signature mix of raw realism, surreal flourishes, and sharp social critique, the film unfolds as both a dark comedy and a meditation on the cost of chasing the American dream.
AGFA Movie Hooky Club IMAX Matinee Screening: TAMALA 2010: A PUNK CAT IN SPACE (2002)
September 23, 2025, 3:00 P.M.
The Michelle and Kevin Douglas IMAX Theatre, RZC 119, Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts, 3131 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Inspired by Hello Kitty, Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy and the Superflat art movement, TAMALA is an upside-down arthouse sci-fi manga with a bumping 2000s-era electronica score. Tamala is the adorable wide-eyed kitty at home in a multidimensional mega-city controlled by the Catty & Co. corporation. She meets both the God of Death and a new boyfriend, and just might be the reincarnation of an ancient cat cult.
ONE ROAD TO QUARTZSITE
September 23, 2025, 7:00 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Exit to Quartzsite for cheap gas, there’s not a whole lot else. But every winter its population swells from 600 to over a million – as an unlikely cross section of snowbirds, crustpunks and libertarians make their annual pilgrimage to live in this "giant parking lot." Some bought into the American Dream and lost everything; others dropped out long ago. Now they’re all neighbors on the same piece of dirt – all trying to live free and not die. ONE ROAD TO QUARTZSITE is an observational portrait of people trying to live outside of the constraints of American society, or to simply escape the winter.
YOU, ME & HER
September 24, 2025, 7:00 P.M.
The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108, George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex, 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
For Mags and Ash, marriage has become a series of arguments and compromises, leaving them both yearning for more. On their first vacation alone since becoming parents, their arguments threaten to ruin the trip—until they meet Angela, a free-spirited digital nomad who stirs unexpected feelings in Mags and gives her permission to be a version of herself she has not been in years, fun! Intrigued by Angela, the couple flirts with the idea of a threesome, but it’s never as simple as it seems.
PREDATORS
September 25, 2025, 3:00 P.M.
SCI 106, IMGD Building, 3470 McClintock Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90089
To Catch a Predator was a popular television show designed to hunt down child predators and lure them to a film set, where they would be interviewed and eventually arrested. Predators is a chilling, thought-provoking exploration of the scintillating rise and staggering fall of the show, and the underground world it helped spawn.
Camera On My Lap: Seven Short Films by Experimental South African Filmmaker Shelley Barry
September 25, 2025, 7:00 P.M.
The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108, George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex, 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Join for the first-ever West Coast screening of select short films by multiple award winner Shelley Barry. Barry will be screening and speaking about her films, including her trilogy "Whole: A Trinity of Being" (2004) and the lockdown-produced "Camera in my Lap" (2022) which engage disability-centered filmmaking practices to interrogate queerness, sexuality, race, and disability in the Global South. This is a unique opportunity to share an evening with an internationally-recognized filmmaker and activist working at the intersection of narrative and conceptual storytelling, sociocultural critique, disability justice activism, and cultural production.
EUROPA - A Special Screening
September 26, 2025, 4:00pm
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Experience a groundbreaking cinematic journey that blends powerful storytelling with cutting-edge technology. Produced under the ETC R&D Grant, Europa showcases the most advanced techniques in On-Set Virtual Production (OSVP), transporting audiences into an unforgettable world where innovation meets imagination.
Navigating Film Rights and Distribution: A seminar, Monday, September 29th. From 5:30-7pm
September 29, 2025, 5:30 - 7:00pm
Norris Theater
Learn about rights clearance as it relates to the development, production, and distribution of films.
Chicago Off-Campus Graduate Information Session
September 29, 2025, 6:00pm-7:00pm
Chicago, Illinois
This information session is available for students interested in pursuing graduate studies in one of our M.A., M.S., M.F.A., or Ph.D programs at the School of Cinematic Arts. The session will begin with a presentation discussing the SCA programs, application process and available facilities at the school -- opportunity for Q & A will also be given.
BONE LAKE
September 29, 2025, 7:30 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
A couple's romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate is upended when they are forced to share the mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. In this darkly hilarious and seductive horror story, a dream getaway spirals into a nightmarish maze of sex, lies, and manipulation, bringing terrifying secrets to light and triggering a bloody battle for survival.
AGFA Movie Hooky Club IMAX Matinee Screening: EGG (2005)
September 30, 2025, 3:00 P.M.
The Michelle and Kevin Douglas IMAX Theatre, RZC 119, Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts, 3131 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Tsukiko lives a mundane existence that revolves around her office job. On her way to work one day, she closes her eyes and a mysterious giant egg appears in what would otherwise be the darkness of her eyelids. Soon, the egg hatches, unleashing with it real world effects that grow more horrifying every time she closes here eyes. A surreal slice of birth-horror, Yukihiko Tsutsumi's (2LDK & FORBIDDEN SIREN) EGG blends elements of psychological thrillers and creature features in an effort to deconstruct sensitive themes such as women's traditional roles in society–all while creating an uncomfortable atmosphere of mounting dread that will be sure to stick with viewers long after their first-time viewing.
WONDERLAND
September 30, 2025, 7:00 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
When artificial intelligence enables the grieving to talk to the lost, a flight attendant and a mother grapple with the meaning of reality and humanity.
DJ AHMET
October 2, 2025, 7:00 P.M.
The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108, George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex, 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Ahmet, a 15-year-old boy from a remote Yuruk village in North Macedonia, finds refuge in music while navigating his father’s expectations, a conservative community, and his first experience with love — a girl already promised to someone else.
Stark Recent Alumni Showcase
October 4, 2025, Screenings at 12:30, 2:30, and 4:30pm
Ray Stark Family Theatre (SCA 108)
Please join the Peter Stark Producing Program in celebrating the short films made by recent alumni from the Classes of 2020 - 2024.
The day kicks off at 12:30pm with a 5-year Anniversary screening of the Stark Special Projects made by the Class of 2020, never before shown on campus. The following blocks are dedicated to short films submitted by the Stark Classes of 2020 - 2024. There will be short breaks in between programming blocks.
New York Off-Campus Graduate Information Session
October 5, 2025, 3:00pm-4:00pm
New York, New York
This information session is available for students interested in pursuing graduate studies in one of our M.A., M.S., M.F.A., or Ph.D programs at the School of Cinematic Arts. The session will begin with a presentation discussing the SCA programs, application process and available facilities at the school -- opportunity for Q & A will also be given.
Washington D.C. Off-Campus Graduate Information Session
October 6, 2025, 6:00pm-7:00pm
Washington, D.C.
This information session is available for students interested in pursuing graduate studies in one of our M.A., M.S., M.F.A., or Ph.D programs at the School of Cinematic Arts. The session will begin with a presentation discussing the SCA programs, application process and available facilities at the school -- opportunity for Q & A will also be given.
Washington D.C. Off-Campus Undergraduate Information Session
October 6, 2025, 8:00pm-9:00pm
Washington, D.C.
This information session is available for students interested in pursuing undergraduate studies in one of our B.A. or B.F.A. programs at the School of Cinematic Arts. The session will begin with a presentation discussing the SCA programs, application process and available facilities at the school -- opportunity for Q & A will also be given.
LIFEHACK
October 6, 2025, 7:00 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Four teenage hackers attempt to pull off a multi-million dollar bitcoin heist from the comfort of their own bedrooms.
AGFA Movie Hooky Club IMAX Matinee Screening: CRUEL JAWS (1995)
October 7, 2025, 3:00 P.M.
The Michelle and Kevin Douglas IMAX Theatre, RZC 119, Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts, 3131 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
He defied all laws of good taste and international copyright with TERMINATOR 2: SHOCKING DARK and ROBOWAR. He reset the bar for batshit Italo horror with RATS: NIGHT OF TERROR. And in 1995, Bruno Mattei stunned the world with CRUEL JAWS: the ultimate sharksploitation saga. Filmed in Florida with a cast of unknowns (including a Hulk Hogan lookalike), this film liberally borrows characters, plot, and footage from a number of other Italian sharksploitationers...and more famous sources. Experience the epitome of outrageous Italian rip-offs, now remastered and uncut for the very first time!
Wylde Pak Screening + Panel
October 7, 2025, 5:00-6:30pm
SCA 112
The event features a behind-the-scenes conversation with the show’s creative team and cast. Moderated by Professor Esther K. Chae, the discussion will explore creative collaboration, cultural authenticity, and representation in children’s animation.
100 YEARS OF DEBBIE ALLEN
October 7, 2025, 7:00 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
100 Years of Debbie Allen is a powerful, intimate, and celebratory portrait of an icon whose artistry, activism, and impact have spanned generations. As Debbie Allen turns 75 and the Debbie Allen Dance Academy (DADA) celebrates its 25th anniversary, this feature documentary weaves together the personal and professional milestones that make up a century of cultural legacy.
LURKER
October 8, 2025, 7:00 P.M.
The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108, George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex, 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
When a twenty-something retail clerk encounters a rising pop star, he takes the opportunity to edge his way into the in-crowd. But as the line between friend and fan blurs beyond recognition, access and proximity become a matter of life and death. The directorial debut from The Bear and Beef writer-producer Alex Russell, Lurker is an exhilarating cat-and-mouse thriller made for the moment. Online fixation meets reality in this parasocial, paranoid film driven by a brilliant score and star-making performances.
War, Justice, and Democracy in ANDOR: A STAR WARS STORY
October 12, 2025, 5:00 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
A four part series of screenings and conversations with writers and producers who have collaborated with SCA alumnus George Lucas to create one of the most important expressions of global popular culture of all time. Founding Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, and Ted Braun, Joseph Campbell Endowed Chair in Cinematic Ethics, examine how the Star Wars films and series created by George Lucas have explored, articulated and shaped global ideas of war, justice, and democracy in the 21st century. Accompanying screenings of four major pillars of the Star Wars canon, the program will offer analysis by Ocampo and Braun in conversation with writers, directors, and producers from the Star Wars universe. The program explores how these films and series connect emotion with thought - connect the human lives of characters with institutional ideas of justice and democracy that transcend borders.
BLUE MOON
October 14, 2025, 7:00 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
On the evening of March 31, 1943, legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart confronts his shattered self-confidence in Sardi’s bar as his former collaborator Richard Rodgers celebrates the opening night of his ground-breaking hit musical “Oklahoma!”.
SEIZE THE SUMMIT
October 15, 2025, 7:00 P.M.
The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108, George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex, 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Seize the Summit is the story of four young people’s thrilling journey to reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. But Shaqayeq, Adnan, Safa, and Tania are not ordinary adventurers, they are all survivors of war from different countries. Safa bears the physical and emotional scars of Syria’s war; Adnan has been bound to a wheelchair ever since he was shot in the back at the age of 14; Shaqayeq was born into war in Afghanistan, never knowing what peace looked like until she and her family walked to Germany when she was a young girl; Tania barely managed to escape Ukraine but had to leave family and friends behind. What brought them to take on Kilimanjaro was a profound desire to take a stand together and have the world hear their messages. But as they are forced to push their limits on this week long expedition to the summit, the mountain reveals a unique lesson to each of them.
Virtual SCA Graduate Open House
October 22, 2025, 4:00 P.M. PT
Zoom (Link Sent Morning of Event)
This is a comprehensive virtual event for prospective graduate applicants to the USC School of Cinematic Arts. The Virtual SCA Graduate Open House will include an admissions presentation and divisional breakout sessions with SCA staff and faculty. You will be able to ask questions you may have about SCA graduate degrees and the application process.
PURPLE
October 22, 2025, 7:00 P.M.
The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108, George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex, 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Noah finds himself on a layover in a city he's never been, Los Angeles. Stranded for a day, he has a chance meeting with Purple, a girl who is his total opposite in every way. As they spend the day together, on one long trip, they connect more than most people do in a lifetime.
TILER PECK: SUSPENDING TIME
October 23, 2025, 7:00 P.M.
The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108, George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex, 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Prima ballerina Tiler Peck faces a career-defining crossroads, battling crippling injuries and personal heartbreak as she fights to return to the stage and emerge as a visionary choreographer rewriting her legacy.
SCA Virtual Graduate Financial Aid Session
October 28, 2025, 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time
Online - Access Information Sent Via Email
The Virtual Financial Aid Session will provide information about financing your USC education, the financial aid process at USC and scholarship opportunities provided to School of Cinematic Arts graduate students.
SPEAK.
October 29, 2025, 7:00 P.M.
The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108, George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex, 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Speak. follows five bold young voices on a high-stakes quest to win the Super Bowl of public speaking. Against a backdrop of social and political turmoil, these teens rise with fire, wit, and unshakable humanity—delivering a masterclass in courage, conviction, and the kind of hope that refuses to be silenced.
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA: 100th Anniversary Screening
November 2, 2025, 5:00 P.M.
The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108, George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex, 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
A forerunner of the American horror film, and one of the most lavish productions of the silent cinema, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has inspired countless remakes and imitations. But none of its successors can rival the mesmerizing blend of romance and mystery that haunts every frame of the Lon Chaney original.
Aspiring young opera singer Christine Daaé (Mary Philbin) discovers that she has a mysterious admirer intent on helping her become a lead performer. This enigmatic masked presence is Erik (screen legend Lon Chaney), also known as the Phantom, a horribly disfigured recluse who lives underneath the Paris Opera House. When the Phantom takes Christine prisoner and demands her devotion and affection, her suitor, Vicomte Raoul de Chagny (Norman Kerry), sets out to rescue her.
Virtual SCA Undergraduate Open House
November 5, 2025, 4:00 P.M. PT
Zoom (Link Sent Morning of Event)
This is a comprehensive virtual event for prospective undergraduate applicants to the USC School of Cinematic Arts. The Virtual SCA Undergraduate Open House will include an admissions presentation and divisional breakout sessions with SCA staff and faculty. You will be able to ask questions you may have about SCA majors and the application process.
IMGD Information Session + Q & A
November 7, 2025, 6:00 PM PT
Zoom Webinar
Join our Interactive Media and Games faculty and staff virtually, for the opportunity to get strategies on how best to present your portfolio. This event is for prospective undergraduate and graduate students to our Interactive Media & Games programs only.