Free Screening and Book Signing with Author Marsha Gordon
By Karina Valdes Marsha Gordon, author of “BECOMING THE EX-WIFE: The Unconventional Life and Forgotten Writings of Ursula Parrott,” will be at the Bill Cosford Cinema on Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. for a book signing and screening of the film, “There’s Always Tomorrow,” based on a story by Ursula Parrott. "For any movie-lover seeking an introduction to Ursula Parrott, ‘There's Always Tomorrow’ has so much to offer," said Christina Lane, professor of Film Studies in the Department of Cinematic Arts. "Featuring one of the greatest screen pairings of all [...]
Assistant Professor Shares His Acting, Directing Experience
By Franco LaTona Rafal Sokolowski, assistant professor of film directing for the Department of Cinematic Arts in the School of Communication, brings his acting and directing skills to teaching the art.
Film ‘Aguadilla’ Depicts Migrants’ Tumultuous Journeys to Puerto Rico
By Caroline Val Professor Tom Musca and a crew of School of Communication students and alumni spent the summer producing a feature-length film inspired by the stories of Dominican immigrants who flee to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, seeking better opportunities. As Tom Musca sat on the balcony of a longtime friend’s home, with the town of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico in the distance, he suddenly noticed a rustling in the trees beneath them. When he inquired about the commotion to his friend Noel Quiñones, a pilot and film colleague, the gentleman coolly [...]
Alumnus Sketched and Fulfilled His Dream Job
By Brandi Troup From Florida and the University of Miami to California, Dustin Romero brought his artistic talents, ambitions, and dreams with him. And now he is a character layout artist for “The Simpsons.” A proud alumnus of the University of Miami, Dustin Romero is a character layout artist for the longstanding show “The Simpsons.” Though his path to California hasn’t been linear, working in the realm of art was Romero’s fate. “I would draw all the time,” he said. “My mother used to joke that I was born with [...]
Film Professor Shares Top Film Picks for Ramadan
By Abbie Bernet Sana Haq, assistant professor in the Department of Cinematic Arts, shares her top suggestions for films to watch this Ramadan that celebrate Muslim stories and experiences. Last week, we entered the holy month of Ramadan, and I have a few films to recommend. In case you're interested in getting to know more about Muslim life and experience in the U.S. and abroad. The Battle of Algiers (1966) "The Battle of Algiers" (1966), Igor Film and Casbah Film I'm going to kick off the list with [...]
The 40th Annual Miami Film Festival Glitters with Support from the School of Communication
By Karina Valdes The 40th annual Miami Film Festival (MFF) is rolling out the red carpet from March 3-12, showcasing films created by a diverse set of filmmakers from across the world. The festival unites Miami’s local filmmakers and cinema-loving residents with world-wide industry professionals and films from a variety of genres in theaters and events throughout the city. The University of Miami School of Communication is set to host screenings and is sponsoring the University of Miami Documentary Achievement Award. Professor Tom Musca’s latest film, “Dying to Direct,” is [...]
Inaugural Shorts Miami International Film Festival Coming to the Bill Cosford Cinema
The internationally recognized University of Miami School of Communication announces its inaugural Shorts Miami International Film Festival, to be held Feb. 3-5 at the Bill Cosford Cinema in Coral Gables. The festival seeks to showcase emerging and established filmmakers in a competition that aims to promote excellence in short form narrative and documentary filmmaking. Monetary awards of $500 will be given to the best jury-selected U.S. or international short film (20 minutes or less) in each of the following competitions: Narrative and Documentary. A $500 Best of the Festival cash-award [...]
Students Focus Their Cameras on New Artists at the U
By Janette Neuwahl Tannen Film students in Professor Ed Talavera’s class learn key skills in cinematography, while helping to create music videos at no cost for emerging artists. Before this fall, junior Grecia Dianel Rivera had never performed her own songs for a video audience. Yet, early in October, a class of 15 film students surrounded the young Puerto Rican vocalist as she lip-synced along to one of her own songs, “Cuanto es dos mas dos,” or “How much is two plus two?” in a studio at the University of Miami School [...]
Cinematic Arts Professor Helms Creative Development of 360 VR Project
By Karina Valdes After great success with their last virtual reality (VR) project, the Ohio Department of Medicaid commissioned a new original 360 VR series, Medicaid Care Experience Simulation (MCarES). The series addresses health equity and cultural humility for the LGBTQ+ community, elder abuse in older adults with disabilities, and maternal infant health and intimate partner violence. Rafal Sokolowski, a recently hired assistant professor in the Department of Cinematic Arts, took the helm in creating and developing the series, working as the show runner to conceive the stories and produce scripts for [...]