KUCI: Film School

An Unreasonable Man / Steve Skrovan Interview

Philip Glass Interview / Notes on a Scandal

Composer Philip Glass discusses his Academy Award-nominated score to Notes on a Scandal. Glass is considered one of the most influential composers of the late-20th century. In 1976, his landmark opera Einstein on the Beach was staged by Robert Wilson to a baffling variety of reviews. At the time, his compositions were so avant-garde that he had to form the Philip Glass Ensemble to give them a venue for performance. Although called a minimalist by the Western classical mainstream, he denies this categorization. His major works include opera, theater pieces, dance, and song. Notes on a Scandal is his latest of over 80 film scores.

Filmmaker Magazine / Jason Guerrrasio / Sundance

FILMMAKER MAGAZINE / JASON GUERRASIO / SUNDANCE
Filmmaker Magazine Managing Editor Jason Guerrasio discusses the surprises at last week's Sundance Film Festival. Sundance ranks alongside the Cannes, Moscow, Venice, Berlin, and Toronto festivals as one of the most prestigious in the world. Held annually in Park City, Utah, it is the largest independent cinema festival in the U.S. and the premiere showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. The festival comprises competitive sections for American and independent dramatic and documentary films, and a group of non-competitive showcase sections, including the Sundance Online Film Festival. Controversially so, the festival has also become the premiere showcase for sponsors and "swag giveaways".

swift

Mad Dash director Morgan Swift discusses this yearly campus film competition where, from concept to print, teams of 1-8 have 24-hours to make a short movie. The UCI Computerstore has the equipment donated by Apple, Canon, and the School of the Arts, and YOU have the talent. Bigger teams, MONSTROUS prizes, and a great opportunity to show your stuff.

American Cinematheque at the Aero / Kevin Thomas Interview

Puccini for Beginners / Maria Maggenti Interview

Maria Maggenti discusses her new film Puccini for Beginners. Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, Puccini for Beginners with Justin Kirk, Gretchen Mol and Julianne Nicholson is a screwball comedy romance set in New York City. Maggenti is best known for her 1995 indie hit The Incredibly True Adventures of 2 Girls in Love, starring Laurel Holloman and Nicole Ari Parker. She also wrote the screenplay for 1999 movie The Love Letter (co-starring Ellen Degeneres) and writes for the CBS drama Without a Trace.

Absolute Wilson / Katharina Otto-Bernstein Interview

An interview with Katharina Otto-Bernstein, director of the documentary Absolute Wilson. As a collaborator with America's underground icons, Philip Glass, Tom Waits and Williams S. Burroughs, Robert Wilson wowed the theater world with innovative spectacles that sometimes lasted as long as a week. His choreographic work and revolutionary approach to visual story-telling include the theatrical sensations Einstein on the Beach, Deafman Glance and The CIVIL WarS. Katharina Otto-Bernstein spent five years following Wilson around the world with her camera. She has a distinguished career as a filmaker with credits that include Coming Home, a documentary she made in Berlin about reuniting families, The Second Greatest Story Ever Told, a comedy with Miro Sorvino and Malcolm McDowell, The Need for Speed, the story of hard-core bicycle messengers in New York City, and When Night Falls Over Moscow, a German television production about the illegal arms trade. Otto-Bernstein's Beautopia: The Dark Side of Modeling was was the hit of the 1998 Chicago and Sundance Film Festivals.

Newport Beach Film Festival / Gregg Schwenk Interview

THE NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL
An interview with Gregg Schwenk, executive director of the Newport Beach Film Festival. In 2007, the Festival will spotlight over 350 films from around the world including features, shorts, documentaries, and animation that will compete for a series of awards including Jury Awards and Audience Awards. In addition to film screenings, the Festival will host several premiere galas, yacht parties, and question and answer sessions with filmmakers. The Festival runs from April 19th through April 29th, 2007. The event is expected to attract more than 35,000 film devotees.

Frederick Wiseman Interview

The Trials of Darryl Hunt / Rickie Stern and Annie Sundberg Interview