Upcoming Events
OUTSIDE THE BOX [OFFICE]: Fall 2022
July 6, 2022 - December 14, 2022, Varied
USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex, 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Outside the Box [Office] is a free, year-round film showcase of brand new movies, with a focus on independent, international, documentary, and genre cinema. The series draws from around the globe to present movies that may challenge, inspire or simply entertain. Films are screened in facilities around the USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex, including the Ray Stark Family Theatre, the Albert & Dana Broccoli Theatre, and the Michelle & Kevin Douglas IMAX Theatre. Please refer to individual film listings for venue and start time.
In-Person SCA Graduate Information Session
July 7, 2022 - November 15, 2022, 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 2023 semester. Topics will include an overview of the school, programs and facilities, financial aid, Q&A with staff and more!
Virtual SCA Graduate Information Session
August 3, 2022 - November 2, 2022, 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 Fall 2023 semester. Topics will include an overview of the school, programs and facilities, financial aid, Q&A with staff and more!
CTCS-467: Television Symposium
August 22, 2022 - December 12, 2022, 7:00 P.M. - 10:00 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 Fall 2022 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 Tuesday night @ 7:00 P.M. in the Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108.
CTCS-466: Theatrical Film Symposium
August 25, 2022 - December 8, 2022, 6:00 - 10:00 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
This Fall 2022 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 YEAR OR 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. Potential Fall 2022 Screenings May Include: Bros, Don't Worry Darling, The Woman King, Till, The Banshees of Inisherin, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Armageddon Time, Amsterdam, The Fabelmans, and Avatar: The Way of the Water.
JOHN SINGLETON: A CELEBRATION
September 9, 2022 - April 19, 2023, 7:00 P.M.
Varied
Throughout the 2022/2023 academic year, Visions and Voices, the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and the USC African American Cinema Society, will host a series of screenings honoring the life and career of trailblazing filmmaker, iconic Angeleno, and USC alumnus, John Singleton. Screenings will take place at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum, with conversations to follow featuring cast and crew.
ARGENTINA, 1985
September 26, 2022, 7:00 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Argentina, 1985 is inspired by the true story of public prosecutors Julio Strassera, and Luis Moreno Ocampo, who dared to investigate and prosecute Argentina’s bloodiest military dictatorship in 1985. Undeterred by the military’s still considerable influence within their fragile new democracy, Strassera and Moreno Ocampo assembled a young legal team of unlikely heroes for their David-vs-Goliath battle. Under constant threat to themselves and their families, they raced against time to bring justice to the victims of the military junta.
SIRENS
September 27, 2022, 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
On the outskirts of Beirut, Lilas and her thrash metal bandmates, Shery, Maya, Alma, and Tatyana (Slave to Sirens), have big dreams but few opportunities. When the band’s appearance at a UK music festival isn’t the life-changer they had hoped for, Lilas comes home to Lebanon on the brink of collapse. At the same time, the complicated relationship between Lilas and her fellow guitarist Shery starts to fracture. The future of her band, her country, and her dreams now all at stake, Lilas faces a crossroad. She must decide what kind of leader she will be, not only for her band, but also as a young woman struggling to define herself in Lebanon, a country as complex as each of the Sirens themselves.
A IS FOR AGUSTIN
September 27, 2022, 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
In a remote mountainous region of the northern Philippines, an illiterate Indigenous man decides to go to school. Intending to make a better life for himself, 40-year-old Agustin starts learning his ABCs.
DEI and Transformative Justice Student Training
September 28, 2022, 2-5 p.m.
Virtual
The SCA Council on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion has purchased seats for an upcoming workshop in transformative justice and leverage the principles of equity and inclusion to promote community-based approaches to resolving conflict, reducing harm and building accountable communities. This session is interactive and lead by renown transformative justice expert Xhercis Méndez. Capacity is limited so RSVP now!
Description: This workshop, facilitated by former actor and transformative justice scholar and trainer, Xhercis Méndez, will provide a foundation in the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) to 1) help students collaborate and build strong and resilient communities; 2) provide strategies to promote collaboration and reduce interpersonal conflict; and 3) learn tools to reduce harm caused from interpersonal conflict.
Xhercis Méndez is currently a teaching fellow in Gender and Women’s Studies at Harvard Divinity School. She is also an Associate Professor in Women and Gender Studies and Queer Studies and an affiliated faculty of African American Studies at California State University, Fullerton. Professor Méndez is an organizer, activist, and transdisciplinary scholar and feminist. She is currently a consultant for the Transformative Justice initiative at Michigan State University, which seeks to expand the healing and accountability options available to and for survivors of gender-based violence, sexual assault and sexual misconduct within the university.
LUMPIA WITH A VENGEANCE
September 28, 2022, 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 this crowdfunded action comedy, the LUMPIA-armed avenger (Mark Muñoz) returns to Fogtown! He teams up with high school teen Rachel (April Absynth) to take down a crime syndicate selling drugs masked as food. Can they prevent a mysterious boss from destroying their town, and her parents’ dream wedding?
Celebrate Nigerian Independence Day
September 30, 2022, 7:30pm
Bing Theatre
Featuring a performance of "Wedlock of The Gods" by Zulu Sofola. Directed by our fellow SCA and SDA Professor, Bayo Akinfemi.
581/582 Thesis Screenings
September 30, 2022, 7pm-10pm
Norris Theatre
Please join us for the 581/582 Thesis Films Screening!
Sept. 30th, 2022, at 7:00PM PDT at Norris Theater
SCA Inclusive Classroom Workshops for Faculty
October 3, 2022 - November 7, 2022, 6-7:30 p.m.
Virtual
As faculty we are always working to support the diverse voices of students in our classrooms. There are proven techniques we can use to make our classroom more inclusive and welcoming for diverse students taking our classes. This semester the SCA Council on Diversity & Inclusion and the Center for Excellence in Teaching are hosting three workshops to help SCA faculty foster more inclusive teaching spaces. Join all sessions, or attend individual workshops!
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Monday, Oct 3: BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE SYLLABUS (6-7:30 p.m.)
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Monday, October 17: DISCUSSION NORMS AND COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS (6-7:30 p.m.)
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Monday, November 7: TECHNIQUES FOR FACILITATING CHALLENGING DISCUSSIONS IN SCA CLASSROOMS (6-7:30 p.m.)
BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE SYLLABUS: The session will focus on syllabus content and ensuring that policies listed on your syllabus are inclusive, supportive and welcoming to all students. This 90-minute workshop is specifically designed for SCA faculty. Experts from CET will first discuss strategies, then we will open the space to share techniques with each other. If you have specific questions about your course syllabus this is the perfect opportunity to get targeted feedback from experts in inclusive pedagogy. This is a stand-alone workshop; you do not need to have attended the previous session to participate.
DISCUSSION NORMS AND COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS: What is a community agreement and how can you use it to struct
DECISION TO LEAVE
October 3, 2022, 6:30 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Winner of Best Director at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, The Handmaiden) returns with a seductive romantic thriller that takes his renowned stylistic flair to dizzying new heights. From a mountain peak in South Korea, a businessman plummets to his death. Did he jump, or was he pushed? When detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-il, The Host) arrives on the scene, he begins to suspect the dead man’s wife Seo-rae (Tang Wei, Lust, Caution) may know more than she initially lets on. But as he digs deeper into the investigation, Hae-joon finds himself trapped in a web of deception and desire, proving that the darkest mysteries lurk inside the human heart.
Off-Campus Graduate Information Session
October 3, 2022, 6:30PM - 8:30PM
New York
This information session is available for students interested in pursuing graduate studies in one of our M.A. or M.F.A. programs at the School of Cinematic Arts. Information regarding Ph.D. programs will not be covered during the presentation. 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.
LITTLE PALESTINE
October 4, 2022, 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
The district of Yarmouk (Damascus, Syria) sheltered the biggest Palestinian refugee camp in the world from 1957 to 2018. When the Syrian revolution broke out, the regime of Bashar Al-Assad saw Yarmouk as a refuge of rebels and resistance and set up a siege from 2013 on. Gradually deprived of food, medicine and electricity, Yarmouk was cut off from the rest of the world. Abdallah Al-Khatib was born in Yarmouk and lived there until his expulsion by Daesh in 2015. Between 2011 and 2015, he and his friends documented the daily life of the besieged inhabitants, who decided to face bombing, displacement and hunger with rallying, study, music, love and joy. Hundreds of lives were irredeemably transformed by war and siege - from Abdallah’s mother, who turned into a nurse taking care of the elderly at the camp, to the fiercest activists whose passion for Palestine got gradually undermined by hunger...
PRETTY PROBLEMS
October 5, 2022, 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
A couple on the rocks are pulled along by absurdly wealthy strangers for a wine country getaway that turns into the most unhinged weekend of their lives.
Schedule of Classes Available
October 5, 2022, 9am
Online
The Schedule of classes will be available online
USC SCA Trojan Family Weekend 2022 Events
October 6, 2022 - October 7, 2022, Various
Various
Join us for these special presentations as part of the USC School of Cinematic Arts’ celebration of Trojan Family Weekend! To register for specific SCA events, click on each individual link by clicking "Make Reservations" on the event page.
Please note: this is not a reservation for the university’s Trojan Family Weekend programming. To register for the weekend, click here.
LA SKINS FEST Presents: NATIVE AMERICAN SHORT FILM SHOWCASE
October 10, 2022, 7:00 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
The prestigious LA SKINS FEST ranks among the country’s best film festivals and is an annual gathering for film industry insiders, cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers, and critics. The LA Skins Fest is considered a major launching ground for Indian Country’s most talked about films. Founded in 2007, the Los Angeles Skins Fest, presented in the historic TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, is a 6-day multicultural event celebrating the art of film, TV and new media. The Los Angeles Skins Fest’s long-standing commitment is to join filmmakers and film connoisseurs together to experience great cinema. The exciting schedule consists of dozens of filmmakers presenting their newest works, special artist development programs, tributes to community leaders, special events, and remarkable films. Festival headquarters are in Los Angeles, CA.
HIGHER LEARNING
October 12, 2022, 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
Kristy Swanson, Omar Epps and Michael Rapaport star as first-term freshmen who get a crash course in diversity, identity and sexuality in writer/director John Singleton's bold look at contemporary college life. Also starring Laurence Fishburne, Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes, Jennifer Connelly and Tyra Banks.
Off-Campus Graduate Information Session
October 17, 2022, 6:30PM - 8:30PM
Chicago
This information session is available for students interested in pursuing graduate studies in one of our M.A. or M.F.A. programs at the School of Cinematic Arts. Information regarding Ph.D. programs will not be covered during the presentation. 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.
ACCEPTED
October 17, 2022, 7:00 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
T.M. Landry, an unconventional prep school in Louisiana, receives national attention for sending its graduates to elite universities. When an explosive New York Times exposé rocks the school, students face uncertain futures and must decide for themselves what they are willing to do to be accepted.
HOLY SPIDER
October 19, 2022, 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
Female journalist Rahimi (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) travels to the Iranian holy city of Mashhad to investigate a serial killer who believes he is doing the work of God, cleansing the streets of sinners by murdering sex workers. As the body count mounts, and Rahimi draws closer to exposing his crimes, the opportunity for justice grows harder to attain as the ‘Spider Killer’ is embraced by many as a hero. Based on the horrific true story of serial killer Saeed Hanaei, acclaimed writer-director Ali Abbasi (Border) unveils a gripping crime thriller, and a daring indictment of a society in which rough justice is routinely a fact of life.
2023 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science Seminar: CINEMATIC STORYTELLING IN OUR NEW VIRTUAL UNIVERSE
October 21, 2022, 4:00 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 goal of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation film school program is to influence the next generation of filmmakers to create more realistic and dramatic stories about science and technology and to challenge existing stereotypes about scientists and engineers through the visual media. The goal is not to propagandize on behalf of science or to create exclusively positive images of scientists and engineers. Rather, the Sloan program aims to help aspiring and professional screenwriters and filmmakers integrate science and technology themes and characters into their work. All currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate SCA majors from the seven academic divisions are eligible and encouraged to apply for any of the listed Sloan grants.
18 1/2
October 26, 2022, 7:00 P.M.
The Ray Stark Family Theatre
In 1974, a White House transcriber is thrust into the Watergate scandal when she obtains the only copy of the infamous 18½ minute gap in Nixon's tapes.
On-Campus Graduate Information Session
October 27, 2022 - November 10, 2022, 7PM - 9PM
USC School of Cinematic Arts
This information session is available for students interested in pursuing graduate studies in one of our M.A. or M.F.A. programs at the School of Cinematic Arts. Information regarding the Ph.D. programs will not be covered during the presentation. 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.
ROSEWOOD
November 9, 2022, 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 1982 a reporter visiting Levy County in Florida noticed a lack of black residents. So he asked questions and a long-ago tragedy came to light. It is January 1, 1923 in Rosewood, but in this largely black town built on family, faith and hard work, hopes for the new year abruptly end. In a few harrowing nights, a white mob razes Rosewood into oblivion. As the rampage gains cataclysmic force, a heroic World War I veteran (Ving Rhames) and a shopkeeper (Jon Voight) join forces. Dozens of terrified women and children have fled into nearby swamps. Somehow they must be led to safety.
The Metropolitan Opera Presents: Giuseppe Verdi's LA TRAVIATA
November 12, 2022, 12:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Three captivating sopranos with many previous triumphs to their names—Nadine Sierra, Ermonela Jaho, and Angel Blue— star as the self-sacrificing courtesan Violetta, one of opera’s ultimate heroines. Tenors Stephen Costello, Ismael Jordi (in his Met debut), and Dmytro Popov share the role of her self-centered lover Alfredo, alongside baritones Luca Salsi, Amartuvshin Enkhbat (another debut), and Artur Rucinski as his disapproving father. Michael Mayer’s vibrant production also features three maestros: Daniele Callegari, Marco Armiliato, and Nicola Luisotti.
SHAFT (2000)
November 30, 2022, 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
Who delivers ten times out of ten? Samuel L. Jackson is SHAFT, the man and the movie. John Singleton directs this gritty action-packed thriller. With his uncle John Shaft (Richard Roundtree, reprising his original role) as his mentor, it's no surprise that today's Shaft is the coolest dude and the hottest action around. To stop a racist killer (Christian Bale), Shaft's got to track down the only eyewitness (Toni Collette) that can put the perpetrator behind bars. As Shaft closes in, so does the danger. Armed with attitude and up against corrupt cops and venomous druglords, he's out to make crime pay up!
BABY BOY
January 25, 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
Baby Boy is the powerful urban drama directed by John Singleton starring rap music superstars Tyrese Gibson and Snoop Dogg. With knockout performances from Ving Rhames (Mission: Impossible II, Pulp Fiction, Con Air) and A.J. Johnson (Friday, House Party, The Players Club), Baby Boy is a tough, honest and unflinching look at modern urban life. Jody (Gibson) is a 20-year-old African American in South Central L.A. who is trying to live large but doesn't have a job. He's got two babies by two different women and still lives at home with his mother (Johnson). Growing up is tough on Jody, but a series of events involving his mother's new boyfriend Melvin (Rhames), his girlfriend Yvette (Taraji P. Henson) and her ex-con ex-boyfriend Rodney (Snoop Dogg), force him to learn lessons about living, loving and surviving as a man in the hood.
The Metropolitan Opera Presents: Terence Blanchard's CHAMPION
April 29, 2023, 12:00 P.M. - 4:15 P.M.
Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Six-time Grammy Award–winning composer Terence Blanchard brings his first opera to the Met after his Fire Shut Up in My Bones triumphantly premiered with the company to universal acclaim in 2021–22. Bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green is the young boxer Emile Griffith, who rises from obscurity to become a world champion, and bass-baritone Eric Owens portrays Griffith’s older self, haunted by the ghosts of his past. Soprano Latonia Moore is Emelda Griffith, the boxer’s estranged mother, and mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe is the bar owner Kathy Hagan. Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium for Blanchard’s second Met premiere, also reuniting the director-and-choreographer team of James Robinson and Camille A. Brown.