Undergraduate Research Symposium – School of Theatre, Film & Television

Our annual Undergraduate Research Symposium event showcases outstanding research papers of undergraduate students at the School of Theatre, Film & Television. Over the course of several days starting Monday April 4 at noon, the research paper presentations of student finalists will be made available to view at urs.tftv.arizona.edu.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, where we will post when each panel goes live. The symposium will conclude on April 8 with an announcement of generous prizes for student winners. Mark your calendars and join us as we celebrate the work of our students!

All online presentations will be free to view.

Monday, April 4th at 12pm

Lisitte Mora – From Nigeria to Egypt: A Brief History of North African Theatre

Cailan Compierchio – Look Out, Look Out, Look Out! “Little Shop of Horror”s as a Metaphor for Reaganomics

Chloe Shafer – The Embalming of Mr. Bechdel

Jakob Carpenter – Kabuki: Theatrical Theft

Tuesday, April 5th at 12pm

Jonathan (MJ) Barbee – Black Stories Untold: August Wilson’s Relevancy in the Evolution of American Theatre

Jordan Egan – “To the Bitter End…or Lager End”: The Contrasting Roles of Nostalgia in “The World’s End”

Chloe Pesso – “Aging Out”: A Documentary Analysis of the Foster Care System

Wednesday, April 6th at 12pm

Brenden Rohrbacher – The Rise of the Queer Perspective in Theatre

Mercedes Garcia – A Sci-Fi Exploration of Discrimination: Nnedi Okorafor’s “LaGuardia”

Caleb Drake Files – The Lost History of Indian Theatre

Thursday, April 7th at 12pm

Grant Forgues – Perspectives in “Star Wars” and Vietnam

Camryn Lang – Crossdressing on the Stage: Contrasting Japan’s Onnagata and England’s Boy Actor

Sebastián Leyva Save – The Tragedy of Growing Up: Nostalgia in “Temporada de Patos”

Friday, April 8th at 12pm

Awards announcements and acknowledgements with Dr. Anna Cooper and Professor Greg Pierotti

IDIWS Sneak Peek: THE GLASS PLANET by Gaël Baup. A young astronaut defies all odds to search for his long-lost father on a perilous, uncharted glass planet—an unforgiving world where no one has ever returned, and where he must confront both the planet’s dangers and the haunting mystery of his father’s disappearance.

"It was one of my dream films to make since I was 10 years old ... It is the most ambitious project I have made so far, we got to travel with my crew to Page, Arizona and make our own space suit and shoot in amazing locations with a crew and cast of 4 people," says writer/director Gaël Baup.

The short film version of THE GLASS PLANET will be premiering at I Dream in Widescreen 2025 - a feature length version is currently in production! More info and tickets at idiw.tftv.arizona.edu.

$5 | May 10 at 7pm | Fox Tucson Theatre
Doors open at 6pm. Arrive early to ensure your seat! ... See MoreSee Less

18 hours ago

View on Facebook

View Comments

likes 0
Shares: 0
Comments: 0

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

IDIWS Sneak Peek: PIZZA GUY RETURNS by Philip D. Summers. A timid pizza delivery guy unknowingly interrupts a cult meeting and must fight for his survival as interdimensional chaos ensues.

"'Pizza Guy Returns' is a remake of the first short film I ever made: 'Pizza Guy'. When I was 15, my high school friends and I made the original film in my dad's garage with an iPhone 6 and old Halloween decorations. I decided to screen the film at a party later that year, and to my complete surprise, my friends and parents loved it. And from that moment on, I have been working on honing my skills as a writer, director, costumer, props master, set designer, and even actor both independently and through my BFA degree here at the U of A. Before I was even accepted into the BFA program, I knew EXACTLY which film I would make as my thesis: Pizza Guy...Returns! With the script pulling thematic inspiration from actual life events that I have endured and through the extreme dedication and creativity of my team, I have been able to bring my dream to life," says writer/director Philip D. Summers.

Premiering at I Dream in Widescreen 2025! More info and tickets at idiw.tftv.arizona.edu.

$5 | May 10 at 7pm | Fox Tucson Theatre
Doors open at 6pm. Arrive early to ensure your seat! ... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago

IDIWS Sneak Peek: PLAY PRETEND by Jordan Fouts. A down on her luck party princess is given one more chance to keep her job after a gig goes horribly wrong.

"For my thesis film, I wanted to tell a story that reflected something significant to my college experience. Being a party princess has been a major part of my journey at the University of Arizona - for the past three years I have been part of a student organization that strives to bring the type of performance seen in my film to children in our Southern Arizona community. But I knew my film couldn’t be just about bright colors and fancy ball gowns. I wanted it to speak to something deeper ... so in this film, through the lens of this party princess, I hope to celebrate the lesser known artist, the one who may not be the most recognized, but whose art has more value and impact on the people around them than they realize," says writer/director Jordan Fouts.

Premiering at I Dream in Widescreen 2025! More info and tickets at idiw.tftv.arizona.edu.

$5 | May 10 at 7pm | Fox Tucson Theatre
Doors open at 6pm. Arrive early to ensure your seat! ... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago

Thank you to our friends at Arizona Public Media for the wonderful preview of I Dream in Widescreen 2025! Last week Arizona Spotlight host Mark McLemore sat down with senior filmmakers Cosmo Brusa Zappellini, Philip D. Summers, and Daniel Cadena to talk about the upcoming premiere of their senior thesis films. Also in the segment, film critic Chris Dashiell gave thoughtful reviews of films by Neylani Castro, Jordan Fouts, and Xander Maniece.

Listen the full interview and reviews: radio.azpm.org/p/radio-azspot-splash/2025/4/30/224643-5-1-25/.

These films, along with those of their peers, will premiere at I Dream in Widescreen on Saturday, May 10 at the Fox Tucson Theatre at 7pm, tickets are $5 general admission. More information and tickets are available at idiw.tftv.arizona.edu. ... See MoreSee Less

likes 0
Shares: 2
Comments: 0

I Dream in Widescreen Sneak Peek: PEOPLE FOR PAWS by Cody Rivera. Rivera’s film explores the Humane Society of Southern Arizona and the incredible staff and volunteers who devote their lives helping animals find a better home.

“The Humane Society is a vital part of Tucson’s Community,” says writer/director Cody Rivera. “The amount of time and resources that they devote to sheltering, providing medical care, and training with the goal of finding loving homes for every animal is extremely admirable. I wanted to shine a greater light on not only the animals, but the caring and supportive people involved as well.”

Tune in to News 4 Tucson - KVOA at 5pm today, when Cody speaks about the process of making this film. PEOPLE FOR PAWS premieres at I Dream in Widescreen 2025! More info and tickets at idiw.tftv.arizona.edu.

$5 | May 10 at 7pm | Fox Tucson Theatre
Doors open at 6pm. Arrive early to ensure your seat! ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago

IDIWS Sneak Peek: NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU FOR MILES by Allie Cincera. In the aftermath of a paranormal event, two sisters must battle madness, fervor, and isolation in a post-apocalyptic world.

“My dad passed down his love of horror films to me, and I knew that my last film at the U of A would be a love letter to my favorite atmospheric horror films," says writer/director Cincera. "As someone with a twin and two older sisters, writing and directing a relationship between two characters who are sisters within this isolated, post-apocalyptic world felt deeply personal and challenging but also new and exciting at the same time."

Premiering at I Dream in Widescreen 2025! More info and tickets at idiw.tftv.arizona.edu.

$5 | May 10 at 7pm | Fox Tucson Theatre
Doors open at 6pm. Arrive early to ensure your seat! ... See MoreSee Less

6 days ago