Upcoming Events
Virtual SCA Graduate Information Session
April 1, 2023 - January 1, 2024, Varies
Online - Access Information Sent Via Email
Join the SCA Admissions staff for an online information session to learn more about applying to the SCA graduate programs for the Spring/Fall 2024 semester. Topics will include an overview of the school, programs and facilities, financial aid, Q&A with staff and more!
In-Person SCA Graduate Information Session
May 1, 2023 - January 1, 2024, Varies
SCA Courtyard
Join the SCA Admissions staff for an in-person information session to learn more about applying to the SCA graduate programs for the Fall 2024 semester. Topics will include an overview of the school, programs and facilities, financial aid, Q&A with staff and more!
Windows and Blinds: MA+P PhD Mid-Year Exhibition
November 28, 2023 - December 1, 2023, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
SCA Gallery (SCA 120)
The Division of Media Arts and Practice's PhD mid-year exhibition. The gallery will be open to the public from 11/28 until 12/1, with a reception on the evening of 11/29.
IN FLAMES
November 30, 2023, 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
Mariam lives with her younger brother and their mother, Fariha, in a tiny apartment in Karachi. When Mariam’s maternal grandfather passes, his brother tries to manipulate them into signing over their apartment to him, a common occurrence in Pakistan, where women’s property rights are fragile. Mariam’s mother, grieving and isolated, is easy to influence. Mariam, distraught by her mother’s foolishness, finds solace in a secret romance with a fellow student, Asad. When their relationship takes an unexpected turn, Mariam becomes consumed by nightmares. Meanwhile, her mother, caught between her coercive Uncle and a murky legal system, is oblivious to her daughter’s deteriorating mental state. Mariam’s nightmares begin to bleed into reality. Mother and daughter must come together if they hope to overcome the real and phantasmal forces that threaten to engulf them.
The IMES Spotlight Screening Series Presents: THE PIGEON TUNNEL
November 30, 2023, 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
Academy Award-winning documentarian Errol Morris pulls back the curtain on the storied life and career of former British spy David Cornwell—better known as John le Carré, author of such classic espionage novels as “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold," “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and “The Constant Gardener." Set against the turbulent backdrop of the Cold War leading into present day, the film spans six decades as le Carré delivers his final and most candid interview, punctuated with rare archival footage and dramatized vignettes. "The Pigeon Tunnel" is a deeply human and engaging exploration of le Carré's extraordinary journey and the paper-thin membrane between fact and fiction.
TI MANGIO IL CUORE
December 1, 2023, 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
The forbidden love between Andrea, the reluctant heir of the Malatesta family, and Marilena, the beautiful wife of the Camporeale boss, rekindles an old feud between two rival families. The fatal passion brings the clans back into war, in an ancient land, not so different from the far west, where only blood can wash out blood, following the ruthless codes of the local mafia. But Marilena, now cast out by the Camporeale and prisoner of the Malatesta, contended and reviled, with the strength only a wounded mother can have, will oppose to a destiny which seems already written.
THE TRIAL (EL JUICIO)
December 4, 2023, 2:00 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
The Oscar-nominated feature ARGENTINA, 1985 rekindled interest in Argentina’s murderous military dictatorship (1976-1983). THE TRIAL, based on never-before-seen courtroom footage, is a shocking record of the first major prosecution of crimes against humanity since Nuremberg. Facing a group of nine former military officers — including the infamous Jorge Rafael Videla, onetime President of Argentina — survivors and parents of the disappeared (los desaparecidos) recount harassment, property theft, kidnapping (high school students abducted during the “Night of the Pencils”), the theft of newborn babies, torture, rape, and mass killings. The defense testifies that their “dirty war” was a response to subversives and leftist terror. The chief prosecutor legendarily ends his closing argument: “¡Nunca mas!”
LA STRANEZZA
December 4, 2023, 7:00 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
1921, future Literature Nobel Prize Winner Luigi Pirandello returns to his beloved Sicily for the 80th birthday of his mentor, famous novelist and playwright Giovanni Verga. Upon his arrival in Agrigento, feral and unexpected news catapult him into a human universe populated by incredible personalities, ghostly visions, distant memories and melancholy apparitions. While at the height of his artistic growth, at the same time Pirandello finds himself still in the midst of his reflection on theater. This irrational and compelling journey will allow him to confront a nostalgic past, propelling him toward the creation of his masterpiece, “Six Characters in Search of an Author” an eternal work of art which will mark a worldwide revolution in twentieth-century theater.
AUNTIE LEE'S MEAT PIES
December 5, 2023, 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
Taking a simple premise and turning it into an increasingly bloody and hallucinogenic nightmare, Joseph F. Robertson’s (THE CRAWLING HAND) AUNTIE LEE’S MEAT PIES heaps on gruesome kills with a healthy side of pitch black humor. Graced with a cast as strange as the film itself, among them Pat Morita (THE KARATE KID), Michael Berryman (THE HILLS HAVE EYES), and Karen Black (TRILOGY OF TERROR, HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES) as Auntie Lee, this would-be midnight movie has been newly restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative.
AMERIKATSI
December 5, 2023, 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
In 1948, decades after fleeing Armenia to the US as a child, Charlie returns in the hopes of finding a connection to his roots, but what he finds instead is a country crushed under Soviet rule. After being unjustly imprisoned, Charlie falls into despair, until he discovers that he can see into a nearby apartment from his cell window - the home of a prison guard. As his life unexpectedly becomes entwined with the man's, he begins to see that the true spirit of his homeland is alive in its passionate people. Filled with warmth and humor, Amerikatsi celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the bonds that unite us all.
CITY OF A MILLION DREAMS
December 5, 2023, 7:00 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
“City of A Million Dreams” delves into the heart of New Orleans, focusing on the tradition of jazz funerals—an emotional display combining grief and joy, weeping and dancing. The film follows two central figures, Deb “Big Red Cotton,” a blogger and videographer, and Dr. Michael White, a professor and jazz composer. Their quests intertwine, offering a deep dive into New Orleans’ soul and history. As the festival approaches, it promises to be a celebration of culture and storytelling. “City of A Million Dreams” sets the stage for a cinematic journey into the essence of New Orleans.
PICTURES OF GHOSTS & THE TREE OF DREAM
December 6, 2023, 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
Acclaimed Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho turns his camera inward, crafting an infectious personal essay exploring the spaces and cinemas that have long lingered in his memory. Now living in his mother’s beloved apartment in Recife, Mendonça Filho is constantly reminded of the home as it once was, the birthplace of the gonzo films of his teenage years and the set of his breakout debut, NEIGHBOURING SOUNDS. But nothing stays the same forever, and 50 years on the apartment and Recife itself are full of specters of the past, including the mostly shuttered movie palaces of his youth. Weaving together home movies, contemporary footage and scenes from his films, Kleber Mendonça Filho composes a nostalgic love letter to his hometown of Recife and the lasting legacy of cinema.
CTCS-467: Television Symposium
January 8, 2024 - May 6, 2024, 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
This Spring 2024 semester, the School of Cinematic Arts will offer a very special course called CTCS-467: Television Symposium, a four-unit elective class open for enrollment to ALL USC STUDENTS OF ANY MAJOR that brings you face-to-face with the leading television writers, producers, directors and actors working today. Each week, students watch contemporary television programming selected from the best shows on the air, followed by an exclusive Q&A with the creative team behind the show. The class is taught by MARY MCNAMARA, Pulitzer Prize-winning television critic and cultural editor for the Los Angeles Times and meets in person every Monday night @ 7:00 P.M. in the Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108.
CTCS-466: Theatrical Film Symposium
January 11, 2024 - May 2, 2024, 6:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
This Spring 2024 semester, the School of Cinematic Arts will offer a very special course called CTCS-466: Theatrical Film Symposium, a four-unit elective class open for enrollment to ALL USC STUDENTS OF ANY MAJOR that brings you face-to-face with leading film directors, writers, producers, and actors working today. Throughout the semester, students will watch a wide selection of new film releases, followed by exclusive Q&As with the creative teams behind them. The class is taught by film critic LEONARD MALTIN and meets every Thursday night in Norris Cinema Theatre from 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.
CARMEN
January 27, 2024, 1:00 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
On January 27, acclaimed English director Carrie Cracknell brings a vital new production of one of opera’s most enduringly powerful works, reinvigorating the classic story with a staging that moves the action to the modern day and finds at the heart of the drama issues that could not be more relevant today: gendered violence, abusive labor structures, and the desire to break through societal boundaries. Dazzling young mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina leads a powerhouse quartet of stars in the complex and volatile title role, alongside tenor Piotr Beczala as Carmen’s troubled lover Don José, soprano Angel Blue as the loyal Micaëla, and bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen as the swaggering Escamillo. Daniele Rustioni conducts Bizet’s heart-pounding score.
ROMÉO ET JULIETTE
March 23, 2024, 10:00 A.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
On March 23, two singers at the height of their powers—radiant soprano Nadine Sierra and tenor sensation Benjamin Bernheim—come together as the star-crossed lovers in Gounod’s sumptuous Shakespeare adaptation, with Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin on the podium to conduct one of the repertoire’s most romantic scores. Bartlett Sher’s towering staging also features baritone Will Liverman and tenor Frederick Ballentine as the archrivals Mercutio and Tybalt, mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey as the mischievous pageboy Stéphano, and bass-baritone Alfred Walker as Frère Laurent.
THE ITO SISTERS: AN AMERICAN STORY
April 5, 2024, 3:00 P.M.
Taper Hall of Humanities (THH), Room 201, 3501 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089
The Ito Sisters is a feature-length documentary film that captures the stories of three Japanese American sisters, interviewed in their eighties and nineties, as they recount how their immigrant parents struggled to make a life in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. The family’s chronicle is set against the backdrop of the anti-Japanese movement in California, a 60-year campaign by politicians, journalists, landowners, labor leaders and others that culminated in the evacuation and incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans from the West Coast during World War II. The Ito Sisters is written, directed and produced by Antonia Grace Glenn, the granddaughter of the middle of the three sisters.