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As we head into spring break, we at the Carsey-Wolf Center would like to thank you for joining us this winter quarter for our screenings, conversations, and special events. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Pollock Theater in April, when our Connectivity series will continue with a dynamic lineup of films that explore the intersection of media, social connection, and collective engagement. Enjoy the break, and we look forward to seeing you again at the theater!
Want to keep up with all the latest CWC news? Check us out on Instagram, Facebook, and Letterboxd for timely event announcements and more.
| | Upcoming Pollock Theater Events | |
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Connectivity: Network
Saturday, April 4 / 2:00 PM
Network (1976) offers a satirical look at the corporate and media forces shaping modern life in the 1970s. The film’s portrait of media spectacle, corporate control, and audience complicity remains remarkably prescient; its anxieties about television’s role in shaping public consciousness resonate powerfully in today’s digital era of intensified media conglomeration and political fragmentation.
The Carsey-Wolf Center is proud to present the new 4K restoration of Network for this 50th anniversary screening. Our screening will be accompanied by a critical and historical introduction by Jason Ludwig (Film and Media Studies, UCSB).
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CWC Global: The Burning: The Untold Story of Africa's Refugee Crisis
Tuesday, April 7 / 7:00 PM
The Burning takes audiences across the world’s deadliest migration route: the Mediterranean Sea. Filmed undercover over the course of ten years and across twelve countries, The Burning brings the untold story of Africa’s refugee crisis to light.
Filmmaker Isabella Alexander-Nathani will join moderator Vladimir Hamed-Troyansky (Global Studies, UCSB) for a post-screening discussion of The Burning. This event is presented as part of the UNAFF Traveling Film Festival Santa Barbara.
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CWC Docs: The Other Roe
Thursday, April 9 / 7:00 PM
The Other Roe (2026) uncovers the story of Doe v. Bolton, a historic Supreme Court case that was decided on the same day as Roe v. Wade, yet has largely been erased from public memory. The film centers on Margie Pitts Hames, a trailblazing civil rights attorney whose courage and brilliance were essential to the modern fight for bodily autonomy. As the nation revisits battles over reproductive freedom, The Other Roe brings forward a missing element of this landmark moment.
Director Wendy Eley Jackson (Film and Media Studies, UCSB) will join moderator Laury Oaks (Feminist Studies, UCSB) for a post-screening discussion of The Other Roe.
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How to Get In: A Workshop with Director/Producer
Paris Barclay
Saturday, April 11
Explore your filmmaking aspirations with a specialized workshop designed exclusively for UCSB students, led by Emmy Award-winning director/producer Paris Barclay. This unique opportunity offers insights into breaking into the industry through a practical curriculum encompassing resume building, effective self-pitching, and realistic interview scenarios with Barclay.
Admission to this workshop is by application only. We welcome students from all disciplines, but require evidence of experience in media production. Applications must be received by midnight on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 to receive full consideration.
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Connectivity: Riceboy Sleeps
Thursday, April 16 / 7:00 PM
Riceboy Sleeps (2022) is a tender and deeply personal work written, produced, edited, and directed by Anthony Shim. The film traces the bond between a Korean single mother and her son as they build a life in the suburbs of Canada in the 1990s. Anchored by delicate performances and graceful long takes, Riceboy Sleeps is a moving portrait of diasporic working-class identity and the connections between parents and children.
Filmmaker Anthony Shim will join moderator Miguel Penabella (Carsey-Wolf Center, UCSB) for a post-screening discussion of Riceboy Sleeps.
This event is presented in conjunction with UCSB Reads. The program’s 2026 selection is Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. For tickets to Zauner’s free public lecture on Thursday, May 7, please visit this page.
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Connectivity: Storming Caesars Palace
Tuesday, April 28 / 7:00 PM
Directed by Hazel Gurland-Pooler, Storming Caesars Palace (2022) chronicles the life of Ruby Duncan, who rose from hotel maid to prominent protester, movement organizer, and White House advisor while fighting to defend and expand welfare rights in Las Vegas. To combat unjust accusations of fraud, Duncan organized a feminist civil rights movement led by low-income mothers demanding dignity, democratic participation, and a guaranteed basic income.
Following the screening, director Hazel Gurland-Pooler will join moderator Chelsea Kai Roesch (Film and Media Studies, UCSB) for a discussion of Storming Caesars Palace and its enduring relevance today.
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Connectivity: Star Wars:
A New Hope
Monday, May 4 / 7:00 PM
Luke Skywalker begins a journey that will change the galaxy in Star Wars: A New Hope. Nineteen years after the formation of the evil Galactic Empire, Luke is thrust into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance when he meets Obi-Wan Kenobi, who has lived for years in seclusion on the desert planet of Tatooine. Obi-Wan begins Luke’s Jedi training as Luke joins him on a daring mission to rescue Rebel leader Princess Leia from the clutches of Darth Vader and the evil Empire.
The Carsey-Wolf Center is proud to present a special May the Fourth screening of Star Wars: A New Hope, accompanied by a critical and historical introduction by Ross Melnick (interim director of the Carsey-Wolf Center), who will discuss the film’s relationship to our yearlong programming series Connectivity.
© & TM Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.
| | | | News from the Carsey-Wolf Center | |
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UCSB Alum and Editor Andy Jurgensen wins Academy Award
Congratulations to Andy Jurgensen for winning Best Editing at the 98th Academy Awards! The UCSB Film and Media Studies alum cut Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film, One Battle After Another, which also took home Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and Best Casting. In October, Andy joined our own Miguel Penabella for an insightful post-screening discussion of the film. Revisit their conversation and check out KEYT's coverage of Andy's amazing achievement here.
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Awards Chatter with Scott Feinberg
Video now available!
A week before Sunday's ceremony, film journalist Scott Feinberg joined moderator Ross Melnick (Film and Media Studies, UCSB) to discuss forecasts for the 98th Academy Awards. Their conversation began by tracing Feinberg’s path from teenage film critic to Executive Editor of Awards at The Hollywood Reporter and host of the podcast Awards Chatter. They examined the shifting landscape of voting rules, campaign strategies, streaming, global membership, and what the Oscars reveal about Hollywood history, taste, and power.
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Storytelling for the Screen Summer Institute: Advanced Television Writing Workshop
Deadline to apply: Wednesday, April 15 (for primary consideration)
The Carsey-Wolf Center’s Storytelling for the Screen summer institute is a six-week, eight-credit intensive capstone TV writing workshop. The program will teach students how to develop and write a show bible for an original scripted series and how to plan and write a pilot script. It will also strongly emphasize story and model the industry-standard TV development process, with pitches, simulated writers’ rooms, and weekly talks from distinguished industry guests.
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CWC Internship Scholarship Program
Summer internships: applications due May 15
The Carsey-Wolf Center’s Internship Scholarship Program provides UCSB students with funding to pursue internships in media. Internships may be hosted by traditional media companies or nonprofit organizations. This highly competitive program is designed to provide talented and motivated students with financial assistance in exploring careers in media. Up to $2500 in funding is available during the summer or the academic year to help defray living expenses for interns who are taking part in paid or unpaid internships.
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