Watch the 2026 Commencement Speechesencement at the Shrine
Spotlight Stories
2026 SCA Commencement Speaker
Jason Reitman
Commencement Video
Cinematographer Alice Brooks Receives the 2026 Mary Pickford Alumni Award
Alice Brooks
Alumni Profile
The iconic actress/filmmaker sits down with SCA
Paula Patton
Alumni Profile
Legendary Game Designer Mark Cerny Visits USC Games
USC Games, consistently recognized as one of the top game design programs in North America, welcomed legendary game designer and industry pioneer Mark Cerny for a special guest lecture on September 29th, focused on the evolution of the industry.
SCA Explores the Future of Theatrical Exhibition
With a blockbuster summer at the box office, SCA explores the enduring magic of the moviegoing experience and the evolving business of theatrical exhibition with top industry leaders Michael P. O’Leary (President and CEO of Cinema United), Thomas Song (CFO of Regal Global Entertainment) and SCA alumnus Jack Heller (filmmaker and founding principal of Assemble Media), in a kickoff conversation.
Unforgettable Summers Start at SCA
“The best experience in any film program ever you’re gonna have is at USC.” - Kiernan Collins, 2026 SCA Summer Program Student
From Student Projects to Feature Films: SCA Alumna Makes Feature Directorial Debut with Trojan Class
Alumni Spotlight
SCA alum Soraya Simi ‘19 reflects on her time at SCA and the realities of directing a feature film right out of college.
2026 Commencement Speeches
Jason Reitman and Alice Brooks Welcome the Class of 2026
2026 Commencement Speeches: Jason Reitman and Alice Brooks Welcome the Class of 2026
First Look 2026
Surrounded by peers and flash photography, the students who typically work behind the camera stepped into the spotlight for the night and The USC School of Cinematic Arts' 2026 First Look showcase, an annual ceremony recognizing outstanding student films completed in the past year and their filmmakers.
SCA Impact Awards
Celebrating Students Who Create Community
The SCA Community Impact Council held its annual SCA Impact Awards on May 4, celebrating the work of 30 students who were nominated for outstanding contributions to building community at SCA, with 8 of them taking home division awards.
Trojans Take Center Stage at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
This year the spotlight shines brightly on Trojan filmmakers at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF), one of the nation’s premier showcases for AAPI cinema, and a standout on the calendar of events for Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, celebrated in May.
Director Jason Reitman and Cinematographer Alice Brooks to Headline 2026 Commencement
Jason Reitman, Oscar-nominated director for Juno and Up in the Air will deliver the 2026 USC School of Cinematic Arts commencement address, it was announced today by Dean Elizabeth Daley. Additionally, acclaimed cinematographer Alice Brooks, known for In the Heights and the Wicked franchise will receive the Mary Pickford Alumni Award.
Alum Finds Success Mentoring Young Aspiring Filmmakers Post-Graduation
Luke Harris ’22 jumped straight into filmmaking after earning his BFA, partnering with a hometown nonprofit to teach students and turning his early short ManBooBs into a full community production led entirely by teens. That work propelled him to the 2025 Princess Grace Awards Ceremony, where he connected with fellow alum Jon M. Chu ’03 for some timely career advice.
Guardians of Hollywood’s Memory: The Warner Bros. Archives and the Iron Mountain Partnership
The Warner Bros. Archives, or WBA, is one of the largest and most comprehensive single-studio archival collections in the world, documenting the inner workings of a Hollywood powerhouse through memos, contracts, publicity stills, scripts, production notes, and even music scores.
Trampoline House by Sichong Xie
In Trampoline House: Memory Drawing Series, Xie transforms a playground into a stage of temporal disintegration. Drawing from children’s games and the rawness of construction site materials, this durational performance for camera video collapses the boundaries between play and labor. A trampoline becomes the platform for a living drawing, where a large chalk piece is layered over original architectural renderings from Xie’s grandfather—blueprints from the 1960s. Every memory is an empty theater—a space that once held meaning, now gradually fading into oblivion. As the durational performance slowly dissolves the chalk drawing, the ephemeral nature of memory takes form in every movement.
SCA Alum Josh Schwartz Establishes Writing Mentorship Program for Writing Students
Television visionary and SCA alum Josh Schwartz has established the Josh Schwartz Writing Mentorship Program for students of the John Wells Division of Writing for Screen & Television at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.
Kevin Feige Endows SCA’s Film & Television Production Division
The transformational gift from SCA Alumni Kevin Feige ’95 launches fundraising efforts to mark SCA’s much anticipated 100th Anniversary on February 6, 2029.
SCA Alumni Make Magic
SCA alumni Amirah Adem ’25 and Biola Olateru-Olagbegi ’25 teamed up for the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films Program and landed a Cinemark commercial.
Turning a Summer at SCA into a Career in Film
SCA alumnus Jonah Feingold ’13 discusses how his early experiences at SCA helped launch a career in independent filmmaking.