The end of the academic year is a busy and exciting time on campus, as it marks the culmination of advanced student projects from each of the School of Cinematic Arts’ academic divisions. The screenings, exhibitions, festivals and other events at which these works are presented make for an incredibly busy end of the Spring semester. In case you missed any of it, here’s a roundup of some of the exciting happenings that marked the end of the 2024/2025 academic year.

USC Games Expo 

The 9th USC Games Expo was held on May 13th at the SCA Complex. Over sixty student and alumni games were featured and a keynote speech from Ramone Russell, Director of Product Development Communications and Brand Strategy, San Diego Studio, was delivered to the capacity crowd in Norris Cinema Theatre.

IMGD Annual Thesis Show

The IMGD annual thesis show, this year entitled “arcana.exe” was held as a preview night and as part of the USC Games Expo. 23 Masters of Fine Arts projects were demonstrated ranging from games showing the risks of social manipulation in high school (and based on Shakespeare’s Richard III) to a alternate controller games (such as The Will and the Wisp, a game about grieving, and Closure, a game about coming to grips with a failed relationship). A 10x10 physical experience (InSync) anchored the exhibit where participants were able to visit an alien planet while blindfolded, relying on touch to navigate and interact.

CAMS Fest 

The Division of Cinema and Media Studies (CAMS) is known for the strength of the cinema scholarship produced by its graduates. However, just as many CAMS students and alumni go on to careers as creators. CAMS Fest celebrates the division’s creative side, with students from the division screening their films at the Eileen Norris Theatre. This year’s standouts included: The World Is Not Enough (????), written and directed by Enoch Lai (Screening Committee Award winner); Blue Crush Angels, written and directed by Matthew Chan (Faculty Favorite winner); and Sweet Farewell, from writer/director Cynthia Nguyen, and producer/cinematographer Hugh Vo (Audience Choice).

First Pitch 

The John Wells Division of Writing for Screen & Television’s speed dating-style meetings between graduating writers and industry representatives, settled into its second year of being back in the Cinematic Arts Complex with a lively event hosted by alumnus Josh Schwartz, known for The O.C., Chuck, Gossip Girl, and as he told the rapt audience of graduating writers, many many other failed projects. Schwartz delivered a keynote that featured his signature dose of reality delivered with a light touch, encouraging the writers to be resilient. “Most likely you will face some form of rejection,” he told them, but said the key to success is “hearing no and still being able to pick yourself up and keep pitching.” In addition to meeting reps from companies including WME, Entertainment 360, Gersh, IAG, Writ Large  and Zero Gravity, the new industry writers also got to socialize with returning graduates including Aaron Rahsaan Thomas (Friday Night Lights, S.W.A.T), Zaiver Sinnett (Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19), Valerie Chu (The Pitt, Tracker), and Sheridan Watson (Matlock, The Sex Lives of College Girls), among others.

Stark Special Projects 

The screening of the special projects from the Peter Stark Producing Program is perhaps among the least known end of year events at SCA. That’s changing fast, as evidenced by the standing-room-only audience in SCA 108 (the Ray Stark theatre) that gathered to watch the three projects.
The special projects program allows Stark producers to “hire” writers and directors from any SCA programs—which can include themselves—and make their short films using SCA resources. Starkies in their second of four semesters submit pitches for the opportunity and three are chosen through a competitive process led by a jury consisting of division chair Ed Saxon and three industry executives who serve as advisors on the projects. This year’s mentors included Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa (13 Going on 3), What Women Want), who advised the creators of Josephine, produced by Quin Earley and Aurora Florence, about the gender roles in a theatre producer in a small Mormon community. Tarde Noche, produced by Jiyoung Choi and Zein Khleif, about a young Mexican woman coming to terms with her mother’s imminent death, was mentored by Karen Sherwood (Frost/Nixon, Inside Man). And Dirty Fuzz, a puppet comedy about what happens when a rookie cop accidentally shoots her partner at a strip club, was produced by Shagun Kanwar and Justin Nguyen, and mentored by Dara Weintrab (Southland Tales, Pineapple Express).

Media Arts + Practice Senior Showcase

iMAPPENING: iMappening, a yearly exhibition of experimental works-in-progress from the MA+P PhD program, was held on Stages 3 and 4 and April 24th and a screening in SCI 106 of original work was held on April 25th.

From the Outside In: USC Media Arts + Practice undergraduates held From the Outside In, an exhibition of thesis projects created by senior undergraduate students in the Media Arts + Practice BA program. These projects integrated research across multiple fields and together represent a holistic view of the emerging media landscape.

SCA Impact Awards for Student Work

Sponsored by the SCA Community Impact Council, the awards celebrate students whose have demonstrated their commitment to social change and community engagement at SCA.
The following students were honored by their divisions:
 
•    Matthew Sorgie—Animation + Digital Arts, for a dynamic animated film project featuring queer couples who have been together for decades.
•    Avana Wang—Cinema and Media Studies, for creating the Luna Fest film festival to celebrate Asian women filmmakers.
•    Zeping Sun—Expanded Animation Research + Practice, for a body of work focused on exploring identity, tradition, and belonging.
•    Mikayah Lee—Film and Television Production, for her work as President of the African American Cinema Society, as well as creative work.
•    Kyra Godoy and Drew Henderson—Interactive Media & Games, for their inclusive creative work as well as their efforts in organizing programming that centers inclusion in the game industry
•    Katie Luo—Media Arts + Practice, for multimedia and scholarly work exploring the intimacies between humans and technology, with a focus on surveillance and interpersonal relationships.
•    Lucy M. Wilkins—Writing for Screen and Television, for mentoring international students, connecting them to resources, and helping them find community.
•    Shagun Kanwar—Peter Stark Producing Program, for developing filmmaking initiatives with organizations and companies, that level the playing field for marginalized groups that lack the resources and access in film.

There were also nine students who were received honorable mentions:

•    Olivia Whiteley (Peter Stark Producing Program) uses media as a platform for refugee advocacy. 
•    Fernanda Ramos-Francia Y (Peter Stark Producing Program) amplifies Latina voices and supports gender-marginalized filmmakers. 
•    Pau Brunet Fuertes (Cinema and Media Studies) whose work centers on Spanish and queer cinema.
•    Alisha Merchant (Cinema and Media Studies) who works at the intersection of film, medicine, and social impact.
•    Tania Sarfraz (Cinema and Media Studies) who was recognized for her organizing work for the USC graduate student union, the 2024 CAMS First Forum Conference, and the Theory Today working group. 
•    Jackson Van Horn (Film and Television Production) founded Vanmoto Media to spotlight underrepresented voices and launched a free mentorship program to help diverse students get into top film schools. 
•    Marie Tagbo (Writing for Screen and Television) was recognized “Let My Sandwich Go”, a satirical workplace comedy about performative DEI programs in corporate culture. 
•    Inez Franco (Film and Television Production) creates films that draw from her Southeast LA roots to spotlight overlooked communities and tell deeply personal stories that center the Latiné experience.
•    Darcy Hatcher (Media Arts + Practice) was recognized for her body of work; projects in multiple classes that challenge gender and racial stereotypes and celebrate queer identity.

A special award was given to Tyler Holmes (Film and Television Production), the Annenberg Scholar who has worked as the student assistant for the SCA Community Impact Council for the past year, recognizing his efforts to elevate the council’s work.

SCA First Look

On April 3, the School of Cinematic Arts hosted First Look 2025, the annual ceremony dedicated to awarding and recognizing exemplary films by USC students. Nominated films span style and form, with entries from animation, comedy, documentary, drama, genre and social change categories. Nominations included Outstanding Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design, Screenwriting and Sound Design.