For Immediate Release
Press Contact: Kerryn Negus
knegus@email.arizona.edu
TUCSON, AZ (January 19, 2021) – The University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film & Television in partnership with The Loft Cinema will present a special edition of What’s Up, Docs?, the annual showcase of short documentaries made by film and television students. Filmed during the pandemic with strict safety protocols, much of the line-up pays tribute to Tucson and explores topics that are current, newsworthy, poignant, funny, and sublime. The Loft Cinema will stream the fifteen films via their online platform from February 4-17, 2021. Total runtime of the program is approximately 120 minutes, and will be available for viewing for free starting February 4 at loftcinema.org/film/whats-up-docs/.
The documentary line-up includes Adia, a profile of UA Women’s Basketball Head Coach Adia Barnes who took the team from basement-dwellers to Pac-15 contenders; Solution Number Two, an exploration of the UA operation that drew national attention for its testing of wastewater to identify outbreaks on campus; Be Our Guest, about local refugee support organization Casa Alitas; Tucson, Cinezona, which explores how the Loft Cinema is navigating the pandemic; Asian and American, which digs deep into what it means to be Asian-American today; Butterfly, featuring two Tucson women who find healing and strength in pole dancing; and Pandemic Pets, in which a rescue dog named Bryce Meryl Streep Feldstein provides comfort and sanity for a Tucson family. Watch the What’s Up, Docs? 2021 trailer here.
TFTV Associate Professor Jacob Bricca, ACE leads the Documentary Production class and mentored the students: “I was extremely proud of our students for the work they created this semester,” Bricca said. “Many of them were already very involved in the Tucson community through jobs, volunteer activities, and the like, and they used these connections to explore their world in meaningful ways. In many cases the stories they originally wanted to tell turned out to be less interesting than the one they ended up with. In some cases they told deeply personal stories, delving into stories of hardship, loss, transformation, and renewal, and finding out new things about their families and themselves. What is remarkable is how universal these stories are. There is something in this program that everyone in Tucson can relate to.”
About the UA School of Theatre, Film & Television
The University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film & Television (TFTV) nurtures and develops outstanding artists and scholars via rigorous training and mentoring by internationally recognized faculty, high-level internship opportunities, industry-standard resources, and hands-on production experience. TFTV offers comprehensive training programs that aim to prepare students to succeed in a wide range of careers – in the industry, the arts, and higher education. Each year through Arizona Repertory Theatre productions, the Studio Series, and Film & Television screenings, students of TFTV are able to showcase their talents, tell compelling stories, and provide clear results of what happens in their classrooms and studios. TFTV’s Film & Television program regularly ranks in The Wrap’s “Top 50 Film Schools,” and the School’s Theatre programs regularly rank in Onstage’s “Top 30 College Musical Theatre Programs” and “Top 30 College Theatre Design & Tech Programs” making UA one of the country’s top institutions to study theatre, film and television. More at https://tftv.arizona.edu/