For the Media

UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television has announced the winners of its Directors Spotlight competition, eight outstanding student filmmakers whose work will be screened at the Directors Guild of America Theater at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 12.

Also at the event, acclaimed television director and UCLA alumnus Daniel Attias ("The Sopranos," "Entourage" and "Lost") will be honored as UCLA Filmmaker of the Year. Robert Rosen, dean of the school, and Barbara Boyle, chair of the school's department of film, television and digital media, will co-host the evening.

Directors Spotlight was created to provide an opportunity for student filmmakers to present their work to the entertainment industry. Since its inception more than a decade ago, the event has developed a reputation as a reliable predictor of future movie industry success, having helped launch the careers of numerous gifted filmmakers, including Alexander Payne ("Sideways"), Todd Holland ("Malcolm in the Middle"), Shane Acker ("9") and Gil Kenan ("Monster House").

The highlighted films were selected by a blue-ribbon panel of industry professionals that included Cassian Elwes (William Morris Independents), Nicole Clemens (ICM), John Nein (Sundance Film Festival) and producer-director Jon Turteltaub.

This year's Directors Spotlight winners are:

Karen Glienke: "Wild Like Ego"

A love story about Kelly, a rebellious, confused and very horny 17-year-old, and Ego, an older, loud punk who is very ready to bounce out of town.

Will Kim: "In Search of the Colors"

An animated documentary that uses various techniques to tell a story from the filmmaker's experiences at a home for the developmentally disabled.

David Lamps: "The 11th Plague"

A heartwarming animated man-versus-nature tale about a groundskeeper who must confront his worst nightmare.

Julie Sagalowsky: "Lucy: A Period Piece"

A comedy about Lucy, a tiny and shapeless 16-year-old desperate to finally enter puberty.

Bradford Schmidt: "Welgunzer"

A tale about Donald, who plans to build a time machine, travel into the future and murder himself.

Matt Silas: "The Fence"

A story about a rancher who leaves his two daughters to watch over a broken fence; a mad pursuit ensues when he learns a drifter exposed himself to them while he was away.

Olivia Silver: "Little Canyon"

A story about a family's cross-country move and a promised California paradise.

Chien-Wei Yuan: "Watchtower"

A tale set in the Midwest during the 1920s about two armed men who make their way to a quiet town, looking for a man who has disappeared.

Directors Spotlight, part of "UCLA Festival 2008: New Creative Work," an eight-day celebration of the newest work by students from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, will take place at the Directors Guild of America Theater at 7920 Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles. All festival events are free, but reservations are suggested, as space is limited. To R.S.V.P. for any event or to get more information, visit www.tft.ucla.edu/festival.

The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, consistently ranked among the nation's leading institutions, is unique in the world, bringing together the arts of theater, film and television in one academic institution. UCLA's reputation as an outstanding training ground for the theater, film and television professions and for critical scholarship is based on its long tradition of fostering creative growth, encouraging experimentation and ensuring artistic freedom. Many of the most respected names in the entertainment and communication arts and the world of scholarship are UCLA alumni.

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