By Ethan Chi

Rolling out the red carpet for Hollywood's future film directors and producers, the Office of Industry Relations hosted their annual First Look Film Festival awards Thursday evening, April 10, where filmmakers eagerly anticipated who might walk home with a prize. First Look awards films for outstanding production, with SCA faculty choosing awardees for directing, editing, cinematography, sound, production design, screenwriting and producing. A panel made up of industry professionals also recognizes films in categories that include comedy, drama, documentary, animation, social change, and genre (horror, sci-fi etc.)

This year, not only were awards and certificates given to the winners of each category, but prizes from Panavision and Focus Features were also on the table.

Aaron Saffa, manager of Panavision’s New Filmmaker Program, and the brand coordinator of the program, Antonia Aljuwani, were on hand to present an equipment grant for a camera and optics rental package, worth $15,000. The winner was chosen from among five students who competed in a pitch competition earlier in the day, with the award going to Molly Karna. 

 “We wanted to donate today because USC has been an industry leader in providing resources for filmmakers up and coming, and we wanted to be a part of the early stages for students who are looking to get into the industry,” Aljuwani said. “It's important to support young filmmakers, because that is the future of the movie industry. And we know that there's a lot of stories to be told. There's a lot of great experiences that young people may be able to show that we haven't seen before.”

Focus Features offered a generous $10,000 dollar prize, in addition to two meetings with company executives. The recipient of the cash prize and influential meetings is Millie Xu, director of The Visit, a horror thriller about a teenager who has a hard time accepting that her mother is dying. Xu expressed how this encouragement has helped validate her aspirations as a filmmaker.

 

“I think this came at the right time because I just graduated and I am right now coming up with my feature,” Xu said. “I feel like I’m at a crossroads right now in my life, and this was such a good push in the right direction. This is a big step forward, and tells me that oh, I should keep making films.”

Xu added that the affirmation of peers and esteemed industry panelists coupled with the cash prize and professional advice, signified she’s on the right path, despite doubts from her family.  She said: “Right now is probably one of the moments I'm never going to forget in my life, because I've been making films for seven or eight years, and I don't have a good relationship with my parents, especially because my parents are Asian, and they're very traditional. They don't want me to be making films or directing films. They're like, ‘Oh, you're, you're Asian, you're a female and you're not gonna make it.’ But I think this is one of the things that tells me ‘oh, maybe I actually can.’”

Similar to Xu, Matthew Beavers, who won for best documentary with his film A Hand to Hold, was appreciative of his First Look trophy. Beavers saw the recognition as a culmination of all the time and effort he invested into his film, about two members of the Street Medicine team that walk the streets to treat Los Angeles’ homeless citizens, as well as his USC career as a whole.

 “Winning these awards for Best Cinematography for Documentary and Best Documentary has truly made me so thankful for all the hard work that my team and I put into this documentary. I feel a great sense of pride and affirmation in the work I did with my cinematography and the lengths I went through from pre production in finding a look with the Director to getting feedback from professors on how to maximize the look was all accredited by this award,” Beavers said. “Now when it comes to winning best documentary overall I give so much credit to those who participated in the documentary and to the team that allowed us access to the tough world they help everyday to make better.”

The evening was a celebration of all First Look filmmakers, not just those who walked away with prizes. Just participating in the event itself offered nominees a spotlight of acknowledgement for their work. For Ella Grace Rodriguez, director of Siren Salon, a narrative film about a woman’s transformative experience in a 1950s hair salon, this event brought student filmmakers together to appreciate their immense dedication and commitment to their student films.

“I would definitely say it was a very surreal and overwhelming experience once we found out that we made First Look, but it's really awesome just to see so many people together and we're all graduating this May so it's awesome to see everyone just moments before we head out,” Rodriguez said. “I feel like in a lot of ways, this film is all of our babies, and so I just hope we get to celebrate that and everyone's projects tonight too,” she added. “I think overall though, I just hope everyone appreciates how much heart went into the project. We built the salon from the ground up so a lot of work was put into making the set, and I just hope they recognize it.”

Not only were current SCA students included in the First Look event, but joining them on the red carpet were SCA alumni who served as jurors for the industry awards categories. Directors Kelley Kali and Cassie Brooksbank noted that coming back allowed them to connect with filmmakers, while also providing them a sense of pride and fulfillment for the School.

“It's so fun to come back and see the students and then you remember why you love doing it and things that got you excited when you were their age,” Brooksbank said. “It’s also cool because you get to actually meet these new filmmakers and it keeps you on your toes, because they'll ask you questions and you have to be ready. But yeah, I love coming back and being here tonight means so much.”

            While fellow juror Kali noted that taking home a First Look trophy will not “catapult” you into the film industry, the SCA alumna added that the experience offers great encouragement to passionate young creatives who want to make a difference. This message resonated with new filmmaker Beavers, as winning the Documentary category for a personal and meaningful story encapsulated why he loves making films.

            “I think being at the beginning of my career, I have done my best to tell stories and be a part of stories that matter to me. I seek to work with those who accept me for who I am and allow a safe space for collaboration,” Beavers said. “I want to tell the same stories that I wrote about in my personal statement that got me into the USC film school, and that’s stories of tragedy and triumph.”