UCLAxFilmFest is coming to Broadway – the Broadway district in downtown Los Angeles, that is, where the 8th annual festival celebrating the creative works of UCLA Extension Entertainment Studies’ students and alumni will be held at the historic Los Angeles Theatre, May 2-4, 2024. 

“With UCLA’s purchase of the Trust Building and UCLA Extension’s presence in downtown L.A., bringing the festival to this new location is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the work of our students while also supporting the economic vitality of the historic core,” said Eric Bullard, dean of continuing education and UCLA Extension. “The iconic Los Angeles Theatre is a stunning venue and an outstanding location for this community event.” 

The festival will screen 19 films featuring current and former UCLA Extension students in the roles of producer, writer, director or composer. The main festival event, taking place at the Los Angeles Theatre on May 4, includes a viewing of the films, award presentation and a reception. 

UCLAxFilmFest awards will be presented in the categories of: best film, best director, best cinematography, best unique and artistic film, entertainment studies award and audience choice award. 

“The filmmakers showcased this year truly represent the commitment and talent our students and alumni develop in our program and bring with them into the entertainment industry.” said Erin Kaufman Gabrieloff, director of the Entertainment Studies Program at UCLA Extension. “We are proud to celebrate their accomplishments with an expanded audience in this amazing theatre.” 

The theater, located just blocks from UCLA Downtown, opened in 1931 and is the most ornate of the L.A. Broadway Theatre District movie palaces. With seats for 2,000, the event is open to the public – though registration is required. 

To accommodate friends and family outside Los Angeles, the event will also be available for screening online. 

On May 3, UCLA’s Alumni Association will host an industry panel, highlighting university alumni. 

To highlight the artists beyond the films, UCLA Extension will host a poster gallery as part of the DTLA ArtNight, May 2. Additionally, sneak peaks at films from the festival will be included in the March 7 and April 4 ArtNight events. Details on these events can be found on the ArtNight Gallery page. 

To register for the in-person or online event, please visit uclaextension.edu/uclafilmfest.