DEAR SIRS
February 2, 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
Outside the Box [Office] and Burning Torch Productions invite you and a guest to attend
A Special Theatrical Screening of
DEAR SIRS

Directed & Edited by SCA Alumnus Mark Pedri
Produced by USC Alumna Carrie McCarthy
Composed by SCA Alumnus James Craft
Animated by Drew Christie
Followed by a Q&A with Mark Pedri, Carrie McCarthy, and James Craft
7:00 P.M. on Thursday, February 2nd, 2023
The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108
George Lucas Building, School of Cinematic Arts Complex
900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
FREE ADMISSION. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. RSVP REQUIRED.
CLICK HERE TO RSVP
About Dear Sirs
Filmmaker Mark Pedri had never heard his grandfather Silvio’s story despite spending nearly every day together for 10 years. It wasn’t until after Silvio’s death that Mark found an archive of old photos, letters, and documents detailing Silvio’s journey as a Prisoner of War (POW) in World War II. The discovery inspired Mark to bike over 500 miles across Europe, following the original Prisoner of War transportation routes, in an effort to tell his grandfather’s story and better understand the man who helped raise him.
Running time: 93 minutes.
https://www.dearsirsfilm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DearSirsFilm
https://www.instagram.com/dear.sirs.film
https://twitter.com/DearSirsFilm
About the Guest
MARK PEDRI (Director, Editor, SCA Alumnus)
Mark Pedri is an expedition-based documentary filmmaker and writer from Southwestern Wyoming where he tells stories from off the beaten path. Mark founded Burning Torch Productions in 2011 to focus on character-driven stories from the backcountry and backroads of the world. His films have played at international festivals, on national PBS, and in screening tours around the world. Prior to making films full-time, Mark managed the Episodic Storytelling program at Sundance Institute. Mark has an MFA in Producing from the University of Southern California and an MA in Communication and Journalism from the University of Wyoming. For his most recent film he cycled across Germany to retrace the route of his grandfather who was a Prisoner of War in WWII.
CARRIE MCCARTHY, PhD (Producer, USC Alumna)
Carrie McCarthy, PhD is a scientist turned producer from Rock Springs who got her start working as a scientific film consultant on documentaries. During her time in academia, Carrie was awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to fund her research, which has been published in several peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences worldwide. She now runs Burning Torch Productions with her partner Mark where she produces documentaries, feature-length, and episodic content focusing on character-driven non-fiction stories. Her films have won awards at film festivals around the world. Carrie has a PhD in Materials Chemistry from the University of Southern California. Though she has no fixed address to give, she calls Los Angeles and Wyoming home.
JAMES CRAFT (Composer, SCA Alumnus)
James Craft is a LA-based composer known for writing scores for documentaries, visual art, and narrative driven films. Upon moving to Los Angeles from New York, where he worked as the lead singer for La Strada, James worked in studios, assisted award winning composers, and wrote for commercials and TV. James is a graduate of San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the Film Scoring Program at the University of Southern California. He has studied under Emmy Award winning and Oscar nominated composers such as Bruce Broughton, Christopher Young, and Garry Schyman.
About Outside the Box [Office]
Outside the Box [Office] is a weekly showcase for upcoming releases highlighting world cinema, documentary and independent film titles. The series draws from around the globe to present movies that may challenge, inspire or simply entertain.
To view the calendar of screenings, click here
To SUBSCRIBE to our MAILING LIST for upcoming free screenings and events, e-mail the word "Subscribe" to: aago@cinema.usc.edu
Join our Public Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/223769338060863/
Check-In & Reservations
This screening is free of charge and open to the public. A reservation confirmation will automatically be sent to your e-mail account upon successfully making an RSVP through this website. Doors will open at 6:30 P.M.
All SCA screenings are OVERBOOKED to ensure seating capacity in the theater, therefore seating is not guaranteed based on RSVPs. The RSVP list will be checked in on a first-come, first-served basis until the theater is full. Once the theater has reached capacity, we will no longer be able to admit guests, regardless of RSVP status.
Parking
On-campus parking at the University of Southern California is limited, and it is best to visit the USC Transportation Website for the most up-to-date information if you plan to drive and park on campus:
https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/daily-and-hourly-parking/
https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/about-us/entrance-hours/
Contact Information
Name: Alessandro Ago
Email: aago@cinema.usc.edu