To celebrate their achievements over the past two years the graduate film students are showcasing their works. The presentation at the Del Mar Theatre marks years of progress and the end of their time at University of California, Santa Cruz. These six documentaries represent years of dedication and hard work by students and faculty.
This film presentation has been a yearly tradition in the Film and Digital Media (FDM) department for years. Though it stopped briefly during COVID, it was brought back last year, and is now celebrating yet another year of graduates. The Social Documentary (SocDoc) MFA is the UC system’s only graduate degree program designed for media makers committed to social change.
Student filmmakers started the program with an idea of what their film would be. Each documentary focuses on cultural diversity, and the filmmakers' connection to home. The theme, which in previous years was Beyond the Story, shifted this year and is now Echoes of Home. This theme represents how home can be a place we know intimately, or a place of diasporic imagination that we have never been able to experience—an echo that reaches us from another time or generation.
These six works take us to homes all over the world including countries like Turkey, China and Costa Rica. They explore issues that impact people all over the world through explorations into topics such as the AIDS epidemic and the murder of Indigenous landback activist Jerhy Rivera.
Michale Lindsey, who’s been the graduate program coordinator for SocDoc since November, helped organize the event. “I've known these students for about five months now, and it's exciting to see their efforts and their projects come to an end,” says Lindsey. “I'm looking forward to seeing what they have to share.”
This year's six featured filmmakers are Azad Azizyan, Rita Carmona, Meloddy Gao, Ruebi Jimenez, Vega Darling, and John Ortiz. Past graduates from SocDoc have gone on to have their works played at festivals both locally and nationally.
With thanks to the UC Santa Cruz Arts Division, these filmmakers were able to create unique heartfelt pieces that connect to diverse audiences. This film presentation is a once-a-year chance to see the future of documentary and how it can be used for the greater good.
More Information
Wednesday June 12, 2024
7:00 PM
Del Mar Theatre
1124 Pacific Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Free and open to the public.
Open seating
For more about the Social Documentary MFA click here, or visit the UCSC arts website to learn more.
