PBS SoCal’s Short Film Contest Names Its Winners From USC, CSUN and California College of the Arts

Student filmmakers from USC, California College of the Arts and Cal State Northridge won top honors at PBS SoCal’s 27th annual Fine Cut Festival of Films, and the show is growing far beyond its beginnings.

The winners were revealed Tuesday at Eagle Rock’s Vidiots, inside its Eagle Theater. The prize packages they received are valued at more than $55,000. The festival started in 1996 with only four local schools, and this year drew more than 430 film submissions from 53 schools — an expansion that has made it a meaningful stepping stone for young talent.

Winners and Their Films

Daniel Simon Zhang, a USC student, won the narrative category for “Stop When Your Ancestors Say So.” Mia Hagerty, also from USC, took the documentary prize with “A Good Death.” John Angelo Serrano, from California College of the Arts, won the animation category for “Bigger Picture.”

The top prize, the Jack Larson Southern California Student Filmmaker Award, went to Sam Markson, a CSUN student, for “Jewish Moms Scare the Crap Out of Me.”

“Fine Cut gives students the opportunity to showcase their diverse voice and creativity to a wide audience,” said PBS SoCal senior director of production Angela Boisvert. “Over the years, the program has featured notables like Ryan Coogler, Ben Proudfoot, Patricia Cordosa and Rashida Jones. And we hope that the resources provided by the Fine Cut programs will provide an avenue for the students to continue their filmmaking journey.”

What Winners Receive

Prize winners received a $2,500 grant from First Entertainment Credit Union, along with filmmaking rental equipment, production resources and professional software donated by entertainment industry partners. That mixture of cash and gear is part of what makes the festival a real opportunity rather than just a trophy case.

Boisvert’s list of past Fine Cut participants is notable. Ryan Coogler, Ben Proudfoot, Patricia Cordosa and Rashida Jones were all featured in the program over the years, and the current winners join a long line of alumni.

The Judges

The judges this year included a wide range of industry professionals. Sofia Alexander, the animator, writer and director of “Onyx Equinox,” served alongside Asia Vigil Ellington, the character designer and illustrator of “Primos.” Jonathan Furmanski, the cinematographer of “The ‘Burbs,” sat alongside Yu Gu, the director and producer of “A Woman’s Work: The NFL’s Cheerleader Problem.”

Jennifer Kobzik, the producer of “Social Studies,” and Linda Mendoza, the director of “Black-ish,” were joined by Bethany Rooney, the director of “Criminal Minds.” Storyboard artist Victor Sampaio, who has worked with Guillermo del Toro on “Pinocchio,” sat alongside director Jesús Salvador Treviño, known for “Star Trek: Voyager.”

That list reads like a who’s who of television and film, and it gives the winners a real chance to learn from people who have actually done the work.

What’s Next for Fine Cut

The festival will hold its annual mentoring workshop on Sunday at Radford Studio Center. Professional producers, directors, writers and animators will be on hand to help mentor students in their preferred track.

The films are also airing on PBS SoCal, with new episodes scheduled through the end of October. Here is the full schedule:

1. Thu., Sept. 24: “The Successor,” “Dog Brain,” “Hydra on the Horizon,” “Swimming Lessons,” “Unikid”
2. Thu., Oct. 1: “Talk Straight Duda,” “Seagull Coffee,” “American Daydream,” “Sister’s Keeper,” “The Rat Race”
3. Thu., Oct. 8: “The Unlucky Rabbit,” “Wilbur & Harold,” “Screenagers,” “Rebound,” “Bigger Picture,” “Perfectus”
4. Thu., Oct. 15: “Stop When Your Ancestors Say So,” “From, Farmersville,” “The Oceanarium,” “Somang,” “Heart-But Dim Sum Friends!,” “La Cadeja”
5. Thu., Oct. 22: “A Good Death,” “Silence = Death,” “Addie,” “Death Is a Giant Peanut”
6. Thu., Oct. 29: “Jewish Moms Scare the Crap Out of Me,” “Dissent,” “Creep,” “El Bar De Hernando,” “Natural Selection”

The festival has moved well beyond its origins. The Bridges-Larson Foundation supports Fine Cut, which was first created by screenwriter/producer/actor Jack Larson, perhaps best known as playing reporter Jimmy Olsen in the 1950s TV version of “Superman.”

Variety’s executive editor, television, Michael Schneider and senior entertainment writer Angelique Jackson hosted the event for the fifth year in a row. Their presence adds star power to an event that already has a reputation for finding talent.

The Real Value of Fine Cut

The festival is more than a competition. It is a mentorship program with real alumni, a screening platform on PBS SoCal, a grant from First Entertainment Credit Union, and a network of industry professionals willing to give their time.

That combination of resources is what sets Fine Cut apart. A festival that simply hands out trophies is one thing. A festival that hands out a $2,500 grant, professional software, production resources and a mentorship workshop is something else entirely.

The growth from four schools in 1996 to 430 submissions this year is a sign of how much the program has expanded. The prize packages valued at more than $55,000 give winners real resources to keep going.

The alumni list — Ryan Coogler, Ben Proudfoot, Patricia Cordosa, Rashida Jones — shows where the program has featured talent over the years. The current winners join that list, and they will be watched closely as they continue their careers.

Fine Cut is PBS SoCal’s longest-running series, and it has become a central platform for young filmmakers in Southern California. The festival has grown from four schools in 1996 to 53 schools this year, and the winners this year are proof that the talent is still there.

The mentoring workshop this Sunday will give students a chance to work with professionals, and the PBS SoCal broadcasts will give them an audience. That is the point of Fine Cut: to give students the opportunity to showcase their work, and to give them the resources to keep making it.

Source material: “PBS SoCal Announces Fine Cut Student Filmmaker Winners From USC, CSUN, California College of the Arts,” Variety.

film festival · Fine Cut · Los Angeles · PBS SoCal · student filmmakers