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Home › Faculty Features › Yuri Makino

Yuri Makino

Associate Professor, Interim Co-Director of School of Theatre, Film and Television

June 28, 2019

In 1998, Yuri Makino joined the School of Media Arts, now the School of Theater, Film and Television, where she teaches film production and screenwriting. She is the Interim Co-Director of the School.

Ms. Makino received her B.A. with Highest Honors in Film Studies and in German Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1990. In 1996, she completed the M.F.A. Film Graduate Program at New York University.

Ms. Makino is the recipient of a 2011 Innovation and Collaboration Faculty Grant for $25k awarded by the UA Confluence Center. With the funding, Ms. Makino is producing a documentary with UA collaborators Dr. Dieter and Netzin Steklis on their research with wild gorillas. Rough & Tumble: Taking Play Seriously explores the beneficial role of play in wild gorillas, in addition to the play of dogs and wild dolphins. Human play is usually thought of as a childhood pastime, but the film reveals that play imparts critical skills or experiences that are life-enhancing. While play may seem trivial in our lives, it may define who we are and how we came to be.

To produce, 111 Degrees Longitude, Ms. Makino received a Hanson Film Institute grant and an Artist Project Grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts. This experimental documentary is a collaborative piece produced with filmmaker Cindy Stillwell in Bozeman, Montana. The video explores modern notions of home by two women living along the 111th meridian in the American west. 111 Degrees Longitude premiered at the Big Sky Film Festival in 2009.

In 2007 Ms. Makino completed the short film, Alma, premiered at the Humboldt Film Festival where it won The Ledo Matteoli Award for Best Immigrant Story. It received 3 awards from the 2008 Baltimore Women’s Film Festival for Best Short Film, Best Director and Best Local Filmmaker (for executive producer Vicky Westover). It was also awarded a Best Director Award at the Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival in New York, Best Narrative for the Faculty Juried Screenings competition at the 2007 University Film and Video Association conference, and a 2007 Accolade Award for Excellence in the Independent Short Film category. To date Alma has screened in 22 festivals.

Ms. Makino has worked in the independent film community and commercial industry in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.

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Congratulations to University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film & Television student Brett Jones (BFA Film & Television, '23) whose film SOMETHING TO FEAR was an award winner at the recent Doc Sunback Film Festival. Brett's film, which he made as part of FTV 314a Documentary Production class, follows top college basketball recruit Kennedy Brown as she battles her detractors, and her own demons, as she makes her way to the top. The film premiered at the December 2021 edition of WHAT'S UP, DOCS at The Loft Cinema.

Brett recently spoke with his hometown newspaper about his filmmaking journey so far, and how he maintains focus on both his perspective as a filmmaker and the experience of the viewer. “I think one of the most valuable things I've learned is that you have to balance what you want and then what someone else is going to get out of it,” Jones said. “It gets to a point where you're like, ‘okay, this is the idea I want, this is the kind of unique take I want on it, but how do we build [the film] for an audience for them to understand that unique take?’ So it always starts with your passion, but then you have to construct and manipulate that passion for an audience.”

Read the full story at www.derbyinformer.com/news/derby_news/derby-filmmaker-s-work-featured-at-doc-sunback-film-festiva...
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5 days ago
Congratulations to University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film & Television student Brett Jones (BFA Film & Television, 23) whose film SOMETHING TO FEAR was an award winner at the recent Doc Sunback Film Festival. Bretts film, which he made as part of FTV 314a Documentary Production class, follows top college basketball recruit Kennedy Brown as she battles her detractors, and her own demons, as she makes her way to the top. The film premiered at the December 2021 edition of WHATS UP, DOCS at The Loft Cinema. 

Brett recently spoke with his hometown newspaper about his filmmaking journey so far, and how he maintains focus on both his perspective as a filmmaker and the experience of the viewer. “I think one of the most valuable things Ive learned is that you have to balance what you want and then what someone else is going to get out of it,” Jones said. “It gets to a point where youre like, ‘okay, this is the idea I want, this is the kind of unique take I want on it, but how do we build [the film] for an audience for them to understand that unique take?’ So it always starts with your passion, but then you have to construct and manipulate that passion for an audience.”

Read the full story at http://www.derbyinformer.com/news/derby_news/derby-filmmaker-s-work-featured-at-doc-sunback-film-festival/article_b8da7514-d39e-11ec-869c-f32a74060782.html
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Fantastic Brett!

During the commencement ceremonies at the University of Arizona last week multiple graduating BFA Musical Theatre seniors from the School of Theatre, Film & Television took to the stage to demonstrate their talents.

On May 13th, The University of Arizona's 158th Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2022 took place in the Arizona Stadium. As part of the opening ceremony graduating seniors Daniel Altamirano, Steven Enriquez, Michael Laverde, Taylor Maresca and Hannah Peyton sang the National Anthem, led by TFTV faculty member Assistant Professor of Practice Jamie Reed. Along with fellow graduate Vinney Pugliese, they also helped close the ceremony by leading the stadium in singing 'All Hail, Arizona' (Alma Mater).

During the College of Fine Arts graduation ceremony Maresca and Peyton performed 'I Will Never Leave You' from Side Show.

We are so proud of all our Wildcats and wish all Class of '22 graduates continued success. Bear Down!
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6 days ago
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So proud to have been a part of this wonderful school.

Very emotional. Love this performance 👏 ❤

Great to hear a version that I understand and the harmony is lovely!👍. Are they available for the next Super Bowl?😘

Monte would be so very proud.

This past weekend I Dream in Widescreen, one of our School's marquee events, returned to the historic Fox Tucson Theatre for the first time since 2019.

12 filmmakers from the Class of 2022 premiered their senior thesis films for a full house made up of community members, industry guests, sponsors, cast and crew, their families, TFTV faculty and students, and countless supporters. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event possible, and to the community at large for coming together to help celebrate our filmmakers!

We'd also like to send a huge congratulations to all of our filmmakers and award winners on your immense accomplishment. We cannot wait to see where you go next!

Missed the in-person event but still want to watch the short films from the Class of 2022? Watch them all on our YouTube channel for a limited time and on the IDIWS website: idiw.tftv.arizona.edu. Check the IDIWS website for award winners, and more pictures from the event will be viewable online in the coming weeks!

Photos by Julius Schlosburg.
... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago
This past weekend I Dream in Widescreen, one of our Schools marquee events, returned to the historic Fox Tucson Theatre for the first time since 2019. 

12 filmmakers from the Class of 2022 premiered their senior thesis films for a full house made up of community members, industry guests, sponsors, cast and crew, their families, TFTV faculty and students, and countless supporters. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event possible, and to the community at large for coming together to help celebrate our filmmakers! 

Wed also like to send a huge congratulations to all of our filmmakers and award winners on your immense accomplishment. We cannot wait to see where you go next!

Missed the in-person event but still want to watch the short films from the Class of 2022? Watch them all on our YouTube channel for a limited time and on the IDIWS website: idiw.tftv.arizona.edu. Check the IDIWS website for award winners, and more pictures from the event will be viewable online in the coming weeks!

Photos by Julius Schlosburg.Image attachmentImage attachment+7Image attachment
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Can't get enough of our student short films? You're in luck!

Join us tomorrow for the final screening event of the semester with the debut of 10 brand new student short films during Magic Hour at The Loft Cinema.

In these films, made during the FTV 315a Fiction Production Class, you'll see two wanna-be-spy siblings, an extreme commitment-phobe, condiments in love, a hung-over interviewee, the game LIFE, a bumbling pair of pranksters, a sore loser, a father facing his mortality, two bickering brothers, a tale of love, and ants in the Biosphere.

Joining the 10 TFTV films is an animated short made by students in the University of Arizona School of Art entitled WHO PUT THESE ANTS IN MY BIOSPHERE? This film is the result of a Research, Innovation, and Impact Grant titled “Science in Motion” and organized by Aaron Bugaj and Ellen McMahon with KeBiosphere 2 BiosArizona Institutes for Resiliencer Resilience. Each student contributed 10 seconds of animation focusing on either moss, coral, agrivoltaics, or resilience from the vantage point of an ant inhabiting Biosphere 2.

May 10 | 7pm | The Loft Cinema | FREE (first-come, first-served)
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2 weeks ago
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A struggling drag queen's evening takes an unexpected turn when she meets a persistent houseless man while en route to her show in TWIXXX, written and directed by Martin Olloren. "I love using film to give a voice to marginalized groups of people and TWIXXX tackles two extremely marginalized groups: the Black LGBTQ+ community and people without housing. I wrote TWIXXX not only to shed light on the adversity of these specific groups, but also to remind everyone that we are stronger together."

In PUNCHLINE, Nate finds newfound internet fame as the victim of several filmed assaults broadcasted on a rival’s social media account and learns the ultimate lesson through a knock-knock joke gone bad. Written and directed by James Valacich. "Observing certain online personalities made me wonder how far, morally and/or legally, an influencer could go to get recognition ... I wanted to make a found footage film with an online vlogger feel."

Both films will premiere at I Dream in Widescreen 2022 ! More info and tickets at idiw.tftv.arizona.edu.

$5 | May 7 at 7pm | Fox Tucson Theatre
DOORS OPEN AT 6PM. ARRIVE EARLY TO ENSURE YOUR SEAT!
... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago
A struggling drag queens evening takes an unexpected turn when she meets a persistent houseless man while en route to her show in TWIXXX, written and directed by Martin Olloren. I love using film to give a voice to marginalized groups of people and TWIXXX tackles two extremely marginalized groups: the Black LGBTQ+ community and people without housing. I wrote TWIXXX not only to shed light on the adversity of these specific groups, but also to remind everyone that we are stronger together.

In PUNCHLINE, Nate finds newfound internet fame as the victim of several filmed assaults broadcasted on a rival’s social media account and learns the ultimate lesson through a knock-knock joke gone bad. Written and directed by James Valacich. Observing certain online personalities made me wonder how far, morally and/or legally, an influencer could go to get recognition ... I wanted to make a found footage film with an online vlogger feel.

Both films will premiere at I Dream in Widescreen 2022 ! More info and tickets at idiw.tftv.arizona.edu.

$5 | May 7 at 7pm | Fox Tucson Theatre
DOORS OPEN AT 6PM. ARRIVE EARLY TO ENSURE YOUR SEAT!Image attachmentImage attachment+1Image attachment
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INTERIM is written and directed by Heath Bannard. "I wanted to really say something meaningful and be really, embarrassingly honest. As I looked around at lots of art, even art I love, I noticed more and more how things were sort of masked by poetic language or characters, mis en scene, etc. Though all of these things are beautiful parts of the medium, I wanted people to really walk away with what I had told them. I wanted what I had said to be so clear that you couldn't possibly miss it, it couldn't possibly go over your head."

Amid a global pandemic, an isolated nineteen-year-old boy would explore the world of rap music, but one fatal choice to try the drugs in his favorite song would end his life abruptly in 9TEEN, a documentary film written and directed by Desirée Bourret. "I was introduced to my subject's mother, and she told me about this young, vibrant soul, Dakota, who lost his life at 19 based on a single choice to take a pill. Dakota was trying to push through what was a difficult time in the world, by expressing himself through the creative outlet of music ... This project is for Dakota, his loved ones, victims of fentanyl poisoning, and the youth who might be able to see their experiences through Dakota's and remember how important their lives are."

Both films will premiere at I Dream in Widescreen 2022! More info and tickets at idiw.tftv.arizona.edu.

$5 | May 7 at 7pm | Fox Tucson Theatre
... See MoreSee Less

3 weeks ago
INTERIM is written and directed by Heath Bannard. I wanted to really say something meaningful and be really, embarrassingly honest. As I looked around at lots of art, even art I love, I noticed more and more how things were sort of masked by poetic language or characters, mis en scene, etc. Though all of these things are beautiful parts of the medium, I wanted people to really walk away with what I had told them. I wanted what I had said to be so clear that you couldnt possibly miss it, it couldnt possibly go over your head.

Amid a global pandemic, an isolated nineteen-year-old boy would explore the world of rap music, but one fatal choice to try the drugs in his favorite song would end his life abruptly in 9TEEN, a documentary film written and directed by Desirée Bourret. I was introduced to my subjects mother, and she told me about this young, vibrant soul, Dakota, who lost his life at 19 based on a single choice to take a pill. Dakota was trying to push through what was a difficult time in the world, by expressing himself through the creative outlet of music ... This project is for Dakota, his loved ones, victims of fentanyl poisoning, and the youth who might be able to see their experiences through Dakotas and remember how important their lives are.

Both films will premiere at I Dream in Widescreen 2022! More info and tickets at idiw.tftv.arizona.edu.

$5 | May 7 at 7pm | Fox Tucson TheatreImage attachmentImage attachment+1Image attachment
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