USC Cinematic Arts | First Look 2018

« Back to First Film 2018 Screening List

Social Change Films:

Ablution (15:00)

The bond between a disabled Muslim father and his son is tested when love is pitted against religion.

Director/Writer/Producer
Omar Al Dakheel

Producer
Itai Forman

Producer/
Cinematographer
Xing-Mai Deng

Composer
Murat Selcuk

Editor
Avi Glick

Sound Designer
Jane Zheng Jia

Cast: Omar Al Dakheel as Waleed, Jay Abdo as Khaled, Austin MacKinnon as Mark

Behind Closed Doors (15:00)

After realizing her abusive husband will never change, a battered woman must make the ultimate decision of staying with the only man she has ever loved, or calling the police to save her life.

Writer/Director/
Cinematographer/Editor/
VFX Supervisor/Sound Mixer
Roy Arwas

Composer
Aaron Aiken

Stunt Supervisor
Van White

Sound
Stephen Marin

Producer
Tiffany Kontoyiannis

Associate Producer
Abhinav Kalavar

Cinematographer
Anthony Suy

Production Designer
Rudy Salas

Makeup Artist
Emily Fowler

1st AC
Sigin Ojulu

Gaffer
Daniel Zevallos

Key Grip
Gabriel Hallen

PA
Marshall Woodruff

Key PA
Haley Hudkins

Cast: Austin Musick as Taylor, Kenny Johnston as Eric, Ralph Rodriguez as Sean

G.I. José (10:40)

A Mexican-American U.S. Army soldier comes back home and faces the dilemma of whether to defend his family, or the laws of the country he vowed to protect.

Co-writer/Director
Alejandro Marquez Vela

Co-writer/Exec Producer
Peter Haig

Producer
Yves Beneche

DP
Gerardo Guerra

Cast: Nicolas Osuna as José, Calahan Skogman as Agent Mills, Josh Olkowski as Agent Hernandez, Vanessa Simon as Mother, Xochitl Gomez-Deines as Frida, Elester Latham as Veteran

Geeta (15:47)

After coming to the US to work as a housemaid, Geeta slowly realizes her financial, personal and social freedoms are slowly being taken away from her.

Director/Writer
Sohil Vaidya

Producers
Andrew Reid
Ryan Michael Connollly

Cinematographer
Auden Bui

Editor
Sikander Sidhu

Associate Producer
Jay Dasgupta

Sound Designer
Lauren Kleeman

Sound Recordist
Nicky Guirre

Cast: Komal Daga as Geeta, Shefali Deshay as Monica, Kapil Talvalkar as Keshav, Laura Gonsales as Patricia (Building Manager)

Hurria (14:31)

A refugee father must escape with his daughter out of war torn Syria before IS fighters ethnically cleanse their camp.

Director
Travis Rush

Writer
Aqsa Altaf

Producers
Molly Bolster
Sara Clausen

Cinematographer
Alvin Joo

Sound Designers
Lynna Lam
Sean Gamboa

Editor
Rachelle Hoppel

Production Designer
Genevieve Parkes

Gaffer
Spencer Patzman

Assistant Director
Ryan Ly

Composer
Carlo Kretzschmar

Cast: Ara Woland as Mubarak, Sophia Kasbaum as Rubina, Sissi Kal as Fatima, Pedram Naseri as Amir, Paul Chepikian as Ahmad, Sean Mann as Al Aziz, Emily Moussa as Iman

MIRA (9:07)

MIRA is a poetic science short about an ambitious marine biologist who risks her life to follow her dreams.

Director/Writer/Producer
Amanda Tasse

Producers
Jeremy Burkett
Dan Funes

Sound Designer/Post-Production Sound
Eric Wegener

Production Sound Mixers
Matt Ma
Jason Freeman

Composer
Igor Nemirovsky

Director of Photography
Xing-Mai Deng

Editor
David Aristizabal

Production Designer
Yihong 'Annie' Ding

3D Animator
Dana Wilson

VFX Artist
Arliss Gammill

2D Animator
Rachel Seropian

Cast: Vanessa Patel as Mira, Maya Sayre as Mira Voice-over

Non-Disclosure (14:50)

In a world where women are in power, Ben, a naive aspiring producer must decide whether to sign a non-disclosure agreement, or give up his career after getting sexually assaulted by his boss.

Writer/Director/Producer
Tiffany Kontoyiannis

Producer/
Cinematographer/Editor/
VFX Supervisor/Sound Mixer
Roy Arwas

Cinematographer
Anthony Suy

Composer
Aaron Aiken

Associate Producers
Abhinav Kalavar
Olivia Fitzgerald

UPM
Karly Arevalo

1st AD
Mikayla Heinke

Production Designer
Rudy Salas

PA
Haley Hudkins

Cast: Michael Minto as Ben Hayes, Dannielle Argyros as Hannah Hayes, Jodi Bentley as Victoria Harper, Sandy Bainum as Elizabeth Wright, Marc Stallion as Jack, Mai Arwas as Cat Caller 1, Sandy Ellis as Cat Caller 2, Tita Sapag as Officer Worker 1, Shauna Howard as Officer Worker 2, Chloe Zubiri as Creep, Pallavi Srinivasan as Wife, Daniel E Miller as Male Associate 1

The Dust Trail (13:40)

A desensitized immigration officer gets a case that forces him to reconcile with his humanity.

Director
Miriam Arghandiwal

Producers
Lauren Quirarte
Sofia Vyshnevetska

Editors
Dagmawi Abebe
Maria De Sanctis

Composer
Marco Valerio Antonini

Sound
Ryan Vaughan
Shay McCleavy

Writer
Ricardo Salinas

Cinematographers
Merawi Germia
Emily Kalish

Production Designers
Leland Montgomery
Amrish

Assistant Director
Amina Abdul Isa

Cast: Robert Foster as Davy Stoddard, Steven Gomez as Teto Rodriguez, Roman Phillips as Antonio Rodriguez, Bayardo De Murguia as Border Patrol Officer, Leslie Stevens as Immigration Director, Noelle Urbano as Dr. Ellen Grimes, Indra Kelly as Alyssa Rodriquez, Brenda Garcia as Mother-in-Law, Garian Reyes as Antonio's Son

Violets (24:49)

An African American family living in South Central Los Angeles, faces challenges when their patriarch, John- an LAPD officer- struggles to come out to her family about her gender identity.

Director/Writer
Maren H. Jensen

Sound Designer
Derek Sepe

Producers
Sadé Clacken Joseph
Monica Johnson Harris

Cinematographer
Nick Ramsey

Production Sound Mixer
Carol Gao

Post-Production Sound
Chris Morocco

Editor
Tiffany D. Brooks

Production Designer
Elizabeth Wedding

Composer
Edan Freiberger

First Assistant Director
Rachel Bass

Art Director
Alexah Acuña

Costume Designer
Elizabeth Maines

Casting Director
Jason L. Wood

Cast: Scott St. Patrick as John, Aisha Kabia as Violet, Loretta Devine as Marcy, Mykal-Michelle Harris as Anna, Toshi Calderón as Diana, Carter Vincent as Chris, Josiah Davis as Damian, Jaja Galiano as Destiny, Amira Gray as Charlene, Cassie Carrere as Leila, Steve Suh as Convenience Store Clerk

« Back to First Look 2018 Screening List