GLASGOW, Scotland — All the telltale signs were there: nappy
braids, purple Muppet-fur shoulder bags, and “McShit”
T-shirts. Time to put away the G.O.P. geriatrics, kids; Michael
Moore’s in town.

Director Gregor Jordan may have made a movie about war, but he
had no idea audiences would actually wage it.
“I was walking up to the stage for a Q&A and I saw
this plastic water bottle hit the floor,” he said of his trip
to Sundance this year.

UCLA is respected worldwide for its high-profile alumni in the
American film and television industry, from Tim Robbins to Rob
Reiner. However, one UCLA filmmaker stands out from the field: He
is of royal blood.

At Pixar, moviemaking is no walk on the beach. The
studio’s always attempting to dive to undiscovered
depths.
So even though Pixar Animation Studios has four feature-length
films under its belt, the studio continues to push the limits of
computer animation with new challenges.

Director Tom Shadyac has only one demand: the long, curly hair
stays, or he goes.
“I’m like an old Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
album cover,” said Shadyac of his signature mane.

It’s easy to forget they are there. Locked away and not
often talked about, the mentally ill are still a taboo in much of
American culture; they are perceived as somewhat alien.

While Jacques Derrida might not be a household name, filmmakers
Amy Ziering Kofman and Kirby Dick thought a documentary on the
famed philosopher was due.
“There’s a great deal of interest in him and his
work,” Dick said.

Actor Brian Van Holt is making quite a name for himself. But
don’t think it’s Dutch.
“I’m actually Scotch-Irish,” Van Holt said.
“My nickname is “˜Dutch,’ but my family’s
part of the McGregor clan.

Film might be at the end of its reel.
Replacing the familiar clicking of films past is the hum of
computers and digital cameras. Artists, distributors and theater
chains are growing increasingly interested in digital cinema, with
one organization or another holding its own digital cinema
conference every month (the next one’s on May 3rd and
sponsored by Independant Feature Project/Los Angeles, if
you’re interested.)
But amid all this talk of monumental change, the UCLA School of
Theater, Film, Television and Digital Media remains tentative
toward these signs of the times, and it remains to be seen what
will become of film in the age of ones and zeros.

When Justin Lin searched for talent for his anticipated debut
feature, “Better Luck Tomorrow,” it was not the acting
that dismayed him.
“When we were casting, I popped in Jason Tobin’s
(the character Virgil) audition reel, and it was six scenes in a
row of him in these big movies and sitcoms, but it was all just him
delivering Chinese food,” Lin said.