Outside the Box [Office] and Samuel Goldwyn Films invite you and a guest to attend

A Special Advance Screening of

THE GIRL IN THE RIVER

Written & Directed by SCA Alumnus Brando Benetton
Produced by Andrew Stevens, Joe Lemmon and Rick Moore

Followed by a Q&A with Brando Benetton
and Composers Max Aruj and W.F. Smith Leithart

7:00 P.M. on Monday, August 24th, 2026

The Eileen Norris Cinema Theater at the Frank Sinatra Hall
3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089

FREE ADMISSION. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. RSVPs REQUIRED.

FOOD AND DRINKS ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED IN THE AUDITORIUM.
 

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

In Theaters and On Demand September 4th, 2026
 

About The Girl in the River

After twin teenage sisters are abducted – one’s body recovered from the Mississippi River, the other nowhere to be found – veteran criminologist Alan Kramer (Devon Sawa) is drawn into a town suffocating under suspicion and fear. Working under relentless Police Captain Erica Graysmith (Tiffany Haddish), and forced to partner with Amelia Pembrock (Maggie Grace), a brilliant but untested profiler, Kramer quickly discovers this is no ordinary abduction. What begins as a local manhunt erupts into a media firestorm as chilling clues reveal a meticulous killer who plans every move with surgical precision and may be hiding in plain sight. Kramer and Pembrock must crawl inside the mind of a predator in a relentless race against time before another child is lost forever.

Provided courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films. Running time: 92 minutes.

https://www.samuelgoldwynfilms.com/the-girl-in-the-river/

About the Guests

BRANDO BENETTON (Writer/Director/SCA Alumnus)

Brando Benetton is an Italian filmmaker whose writing and directing work spans both Europe and the United States. While attending Ithaca College, he was named by Variety in 2015 as one of the nation's “110 Students to Watch” in film. He later earned his MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Over the course of his career, Benetton has directed award-winning TV pilots, feature films and large-scale live stunt shows for major European theme parks. Among his notable works is Nightfire, which he co-wrote, produced, and directed — a throwback spy thriller featuring an international cast led by Emmy nominee Dylan Baker. Filmed entirely in Italy, the project combines ambitious practical stunt work with a classic espionage sensibility. Following its nomination for Best Independent Pilot (Drama) at SeriesFest 2020, Nightfire premiered on Amazon Prime and Tubi.

Benetton recently made his feature directorial debut with The Girl in the River, starring Emmy winner Tiffany Haddish, Devon Sawa, Maggie Grace and Emmy nominee Ralph Macchio (Cobra Kai). The detective thriller will be released theatrically and on digital platforms on September 4, 2026, via Samuel Goldwyn Films. Drawn to character-driven genre storytelling, Benetton's work blends large-scale action and suspense with emotionally grounded human drama.

MAX ARUJ (Composer/USC Thornton Alumnus)

Max Aruj is a Los Angeles-based composer known for his work in film, television, and video games. He is the composer for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Netflix’s Man on Fire series. A graduate of the USC Thornton School of Music, he began his career working under Hans Zimmer, Lorne Balfe, and Rupert Gregson-Williams, contributing to Top Gun: Maverick, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Black Widow, and The Crown.

Among his varied projects, Aruj has written music for films and series such as Crawl, Lansky, The Ice Road, MoviePass, MovieCrash, and Mech Cadets, as well as video games such as Screamer (2026) and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids.

Beyond film and television, he co-produced Gryffin’s Gravity Deluxe orchestral album, demonstrating his versatility across genres.

W.F. SMITH LEITHART (Composer)

W. F. Smith Leithart was born in Cambridge, England in 1997. At age one, he moved across the pond (and then some) to Moscow, Idaho, a small college town in the panhandle of the state. It was while living in the midst of wheat fields and mountains that Smith discovered a love for music. When he was eight years old, Smith had his first piano lesson. Immediately following the lesson, instead of practicing, he sat at the piano and made up a tune. A short time later, Smith's brother bought him a notepad of staff paper, and he began to write. At 13, he taught himself how to use GarageBand, and spent many late nights creating loops.

After moving to Birmingham, Alabama at age 16, Smith began to take music more seriously, and started studying composition under Joel Davis, a professor at Samford University. Additionally, he took piano lessons from Barbara Shinn, another Samford professor. When he graduated high school, Smith enrolled in Samford University's School of the Arts, studying piano under Kathryn Fouse and composition under Mark Lackey. He graduated from Samford Summa Cum Laude with a degree in music composition.

Inspired to write film scores by composers such as Thomas Newman, Hans Zimmer, and John Powell, Smith has scored several short films by filmmakers Tabiyus Nah, Sheffield Leithart, Santiago Calogero, and others. In March of 2021, he won the award for Best Soundtrack at the Assurdo Film Festival for his work on the short film Unorthodox (directed by Landon Stephen Popadic). A link to the soundtrack can be found at various points on this site, but the film is not yet available to the public. Smith also composed music for planetarium shows at Samford University’s Christenberry Planetarium, and his music for those can be found on all streaming platforms under the title Zenith.

Since moving to Los Angeles in 2020, Smith has worked on a variety of films and other media. Since 2021. he has been working for Diamond Mine Productions as one of their composers, writing cues for CBS Media Ventures shows (Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray, The Drew Barrymore Show, etc.). He has collaborated with many organizations to create music for their media, including Extreme Music, Loor, and ULAX. Smith has also worked in the music department for films, shows, and video games such as Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

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
 

Check-In & Reservations

This program is open to all eligible individuals. The USC School of Cinematic Arts operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.

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.

Accessibility Needs

Individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to attend this event may contact Alessandro Ago, Assistant Dean, Programming and Special Events, at aago@cinema.usc.edu or 213-740-2330. It is requested that individuals requiring accommodations or auxiliary aids such as sign language interpreters and alternative format materials notify us at least seven days prior to the event. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner.

Parking

On-campus parking at the University of Southern California is limited. We recommend buying a day pass for the Royal Street Structure, located at the intersection of Royal Street and W. Jefferson Blvd. Parking passes are $20/car. For more information about parking at USC, please visit USC Transportation Website:

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