First Look Festival participants from the entire history of the event came together to celebrate fifteen years of SCA student filmmaking last Thursday, April 14th. The First Look Reunion Party was hosted by the SCA Office of Student-Industry Relations and sponsored by Fotokem. The event welcomed alumni from all of SCA’s student film festivals to the Harold Lloyd Lobby and Gallery in the School of Cinematic Arts complex, who mingled and took the opportunity to catch up on each other’s career developments and latest projects.

“It was amazing to see all these First Look alumni together in one room,” said Sandrine Cassidy, the Director of Festivals and Distribution at SCA. “It gave a sense of family and community and it was nice seeing them compare their own experiences with First Look or with their life since they graduated.”

“First Look is a terrific place to network. Filmmakers who are out of school already come and attend the screening of the films they worked on and current students come to check out the latest productions from the school. There is a great pool of talent and networking at First look which is invaluable.”

This year’s First Look Festival consists of a four-day integrated festival, held May 2-5, featuring the work of students across the School’s six divisions. Production Division students’ work will be screened at the First Film Festival; students from the Interactive Media Division will showcase their projects at the First Move Festival; the John C. Hench Division of Animation & Digital Arts will put on the First Frame Festival; and the Writing Division will host an exclusive, invite-only event, First Pitch.

"The USC First Look Reunion Party was one of these events where you look at each other and ask

yourself, why aren't we doing this every month or at least year? It was amazing to reconnect with old friends and equally lovely to see that none of us had aged,” said attendee and First Look alum Barbara Stepansky. “Events like this are what makes the USC family strong.”

The Office of Student-Industry Relations is devoted to guiding students through the process of turning their educations into a career, through a broad range of professional development services overseen by industry professionals. For more information, visit http://cinema.usc.edu/sir/index.cfm.