As the year comes to a close and students take a break from
UCLA, Hollywood continues to evolve. For the first time in film
history, Asian Americans are directing, producing, and staring in
their own nationally distributed motion pictures telling the
stories of young Asian Americans.

The role of the music rebel is always relevant, and the
rebellion against conformity flows from hip-hop, to jazz, to funk,
to rock.
One of the emerging hip-hop voices coming out of Los Angeles is
Bambu, a Pilipino American rapper who pens lyrics about life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

From 1942 to 1976 Vincente Minnelli directed 38 films, ranging
from musicals such as “An American in Paris” to
comedies such as “Father of the Bride” to dramas such
as “The Clock.” Over the years, Minnelli’s films
have won more than a dozen Oscars, including two for best picture,
and in 1958 he won best director for the movie
“Gigi.”
Starting today and continuing for the next two weeks, the UCLA
Film and Television Archive will be exhibiting “M is for
Minnelli: The Melodramas.” A parallel series featuring
Minnelli’s musicals will be shown at the Los Angeles County
Museum of Art.

Moctesuma Esparza is widely regarded as the most successful
Latino independent film producer in Hollywood. Esparza has won
Emmy, Clio and Golden Globe awards, been Oscar-nominated, and has
produced such films as “Selena” and “Gods and
Generals.” A UCLA alumnus, Esparza has also been a historic
figure in the struggle for minority representation in the media
industry.

Seann William Scott has gone from “Dude, Where’s My
Car” to “American Pie” playing teen slackers. But
in “Bulletproof Monk,” he’s finally moved into
his first teen action film.

With a reputation as the Godfather of screenwriting, Professor
Richard Walter has molded many of Hollywood’s most prolific
screenwriters. “Fight Club,” “Spiderman”
and “Men in Black” were all written or co-written by
his former students.

Over the past few years some Latina actresses, such as Jennifer
Lopez and Salma Hayek, have risen to prominence in Hollywood. Soon
the UCLA film program may lay claim to having developed a Latina
leading lady, Tonantzin Esparza.

Actor, rapper, producer and possibly emerging sex symbol, Queen
Latifah is shaking up movie star stereotypes on her rise to
prominence in Hollywood’s aristocracy.
“I don’t want to fit into other people’s idea
of me.

Tired of watching UCLA lose without a prayer?
Then tune in and cheer on fourth-year biomedical and French
student Carrie Brubaker as she goes for the gusto against a student
from USC tonight on Hollywood Squares.

Actor Kevin Spacey, star of “American Beauty,”
spoke to a crowd of UCLA students Tuesday afternoon during a
45-minute question-and-answer forum at the Festival Theatre
following a preview of his new movie “The Life of David
Gale.”
Spacey wooed the crowd with comedic timing while answering
questions with wit and wisdom.