Columbia University Film Festival 2012

Opening Night

In addition to the retrospective montages shown at the celebration with introductions from esteemed graduates, the following shorts will be shown in their entirety: “Swingin’ in the Painter’s Room” (1989), directed by Greg Mottola; “The Lunch Date” (1989), written and directed by Academy Award Winner Adam Davidson; “One Day Crossing” (2000), screenplay by Christina Lazaridi, directed by Academy Award Winner, Joan Stein, produced by Karen Severns; “Chicken Heads” (2009), written and directed by Bassam Jarbawi, produced by Ed Blythe; and “Off Season” (2010), written and directed by Jonathan van Tulleken, and produced by Jacob Jaffke, a film that was nominated for a BAFTA Award. In addition, excerpts from early works of Lisa Cholodenko, James Mangold, Kimberly Peirce, Tanya Wexler, and many others, will be included.

The Andrew Sarris Award

Malia Scotch Marmo (’88) will receive this year’s Andrew Sarris Award, named for School of the Arts Film Program professor and world-renowned critic and theorist Andrew Sarris, which honors outstanding service by and artistic achievement of distinguished Film Program alumni. Marmo’s screenwriting credits include “Rafina,” “Madeline,” “Hook” and “Once Around.” The award will be given at the Opening Night Celebration.

The annual Andrew Sarris Award winner is selected by current School of the Arts Film Program students. Past recipients include Greg Mottola (’91, “Super Bad”), Albert Berger (’83, “Little Miss Sunshine”), Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (’95 and ’94, “The Extra Man”), Kathryn Bigelow (’81, “The Hurt Locker”), Lisa Cholodenko (’97, “The Kids Are All Right”), Sabrina Dhawan (’02, “Monsoon Wedding”), Simon Kinberg (’03, “Sherlock Holmes”), Kimberly Peirce (’96, “Boys Don’t Cry”), James Mangold (’99, “Knight and Day”), and Nicole Holofcener (’88, “Please Give”).

What Glass Ceiling? The Remarkable Success of Columbia’s Women Filmmakers

Lisa Cholodenko (“The Kids Are All Right”) Nicole Holofcener (“Please Give”), Larysa Kondracki (“The Whistleblower”) and Kimberly Peirce (“Boys Don’t Cry”) will be the featured panelists in a special Columbia University Women Filmmakers Panel titled “What Glass Ceiling? The Remarkable Success of Columbia’s Women Filmmakers.” The event, which is free to the public, will be held Wednesday, May 9th at the Film Society of Lincoln Center: Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center and will also be streamed live.

The festival is the annual premiere of over 40 thesis short films and feature screenplays by MFA students in the School of the Arts Film Program. Many of the films premiered over the past 25 years have gone on to win top awards and honors at prestigious festivals worldwide.