Outside the Box [Office] and Roadside Attractions invite you and a guest to attend

A Special Theatrical Screening of

COOKIE QUEENS

Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival 2026
Winner: Audience Award, Festival Favorites, SXSW 2026

Written & Directed by Alysa Nahmias
Produced by Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw, Alysa Nahmias, and Jennifer Sims

Followed by a Q&A with Alysa Nahmias

7:00 P.M. on Wednesday, September 30th, 2026

The Ray Stark Family Theater, SCA 108
George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex
900 W. 34th Street, 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
 

About Cookie Queens

A celebration of girlhood and the complexities that come with it, Cookie Queens is a coming-of-age story about the joys, pressures, and tensions woven into one of America’s most cherished rituals: Girl Scout Cookie season.

Provided courtesy of Roadside Attractions. Rated G. Running time: 91 minutes.

https://www.cookiequeensfilm.com/

About the Guest

ALYSA NAHMIAS (Writer/Director/Producer)

Alysa Nahmias is an Emmy Award–winning filmmaker and founder of the Los Angeles–based production company AJNA. Most recently, she directed and produced the Emmy-winning ART & KRIMES BY KRIMES, which was distributed by MTV Documentary Films and Paramount+, about artist Jesse Krimes, who smuggles his large-scale artwork out of federal prison as an act of survival. Her directing credits also include THE NEW BAUHAUS (2019), about the life and legacy of renowned artist László Moholy-Nagy, and her directorial debut UNFINISHED SPACES, co-directed with Benjamin Murray, about Cuba’s revolutionary architecture, which won a 2012 Independent Spirit Award, numerous festival prizes, and was distributed by Netflix, PBS, and HBO Latin America. It is in the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Alysa’s recent work as a producer includes the Emmy Award–winning WILDCAT for Amazon Studios, directed by Melissa Lesh & Trevor Beck Frost (Telluride 2022); the Oscar-shortlisted and Sundance Jury Award–winning UNREST (Sundance 2017), directed by Jennifer Brea; and the scripted feature NO LIGHT AND NO LAND ANYWHERE (2016), directed by Amber Sealey with executive producer Miranda July. Her producing and executive producing credits also include AFTERNOON OF A FAUN, directed by Nancy Buirski with creative advisor Martin Scorsese (NYFF 2013); I DIDN’T SEE YOU THERE, directed by Reid Davenport (Sundance 2022); HOMEGROWN, directed by Michael Premo (Venice 2024); and Alison O’Daniel’s genre-defying THE TUBA THIEVES (Sundance 2023).

Alysa is a 2019 Sundance Momentum Fellow and longtime creative advisor at Sundance Catalyst and Film Independent Labs. She is a Co-Founder and Board Treasurer of FWD-DOC as an active ally for disabled filmmakers, and she is a member of the Television Academy and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Alysa lives in Los Angeles with her partner, graphic designer Rob Carmichael, their two children, and one new kitten. [ww.ajnafilms.com]

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