Edited by Francisco Lopez, Katelyn Zamudio and Keith Boynton, motion graphics by Katelyn Zamudio, graphics Dana Welch
Special Thanks to Dean John Majewski, Tom Lazarus and Michael Siegel

download a pdf of the program

Graduation Recognition Ceremony

June 14, 2020
Wishing You Success in the Future

Welcoming Remarks

Bhaskar Sarkar  Department Chair
John Majewski Michael Douglas Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts

Departmental Address

Bhaskar Sarkar

Film & Media Studies Senior Projects and Memory Highlights

Compiled by Keith Boynton & Francisco Lopez

Student Address

Mikaela (Mika) Pham

Presentation of Awards:

The Alexander Sesonske Prize: Presented by Charles Wolfe

Recognizes writing and research capacity for student essays about film, television, and digital history, theory and criticism. The award is named after one of the founders of our department.
“Questioning Human Life’s Value” by Harvest Keeney

Italian Heritage Prize: Presented by Anna Brusutti

Recognizes critical work that focuses on Italian film or television. Competition is open to both undergraduate and graduate students but the work must have been produced for a course taken during the current school year. Award is sponsored by The Italian Heritage Foundation of Santa Barbara.
Eoin Goyette    Katherine Swartz

The Paul N. and Elinor T. Lazarus Scholarship: Presented by Tom Lazarus

Fosters the development of a student’s focus on writing for the screen. Award was established in memory of Paul Lazarus who taught screenwriting at UCSB for over 20 years. Many of his former students have gone on to write, produce, and direct major Hollywood films and television shows. It is open to Film and Media majors in their junior year. The scholarship recipient spends their senior year working in connection with an instructor to develop a new film or television screenplay.
Emma Demorest    Eoin Goyette

The Dorothy and Sherrill C. Corwin Awards: Presented by Allison Anders

For the last 40 years, the Corwin Family and the Metropolitan Theatres Corporation have generously financed this award recognizing the creative talent of UCSB students in screenwriting and production.
Best Feature Screenplay:
First Place:
Reynmar by Kaith Karishma Shenton
Second Place (tie):
Cabin Fever by Tyler Eastlick
Now Unto Us by Alexander Espinosa

Best Short Screenplay:
California Dreamin’ by Howard Lukk
Best Short Film:
First Place:
Not One More produced by Lexi Lunchick
Second Place:
Felix’s Elixirs produced by Karina Rodriguez & Amanda Orzechowska

The Television Writing Award: Presented by Cheri Steinkellner

Recognizes promise in writing for the screen. Award is made possible by a donation from Rick Rosen (William Morris Endeavor).
Best Half-Hour Sitcom:
The Office Spec Script by Maximillian Merritt
Best Hour-Long Drama:
The Resistance by Sydney Sterling
Webisodes
How the Dog Dies by Daniel Kong

Best Director Award: Presented by Chris Jenkins

Recognizes directing in student projects created during the academic year. Award is made possible by a donation from the Scott Wells Memorial Foundation. Scott was a Film and Media Studies alumni who passed away in 2012.
Tie:
Cameron Leingang for Not One More
Charles Stock for Felix’s Elixirs

David F. Siegel Award: Presented by Michael Siegel

Recognizes the memory of one our alumni who lost his battle with Leukemia just a month prior to graduation. As a student, David made every effort to put energy into his classes while he was healthy. His determination in the face of his illness has inspired this award and it recognizes graduating seniors in the Film and Media department who have shown “exceptional drive, tenacity, and courage in the face of adversity.”
Santiago Sanchez    Christian Perez

The Spirit Award: Presented by Janet Walker

Recognizes a student who embodies the dynamic spirit essential to the collaborative environment of the department; their enthusiasm, generosity, and initiative while working for the department, the Pollock Theater, and department student clubs.
Paul DeBruynkops     Fong Kuo    Hunter Johnsen     Mikaela Pham

Graduate Student Accomplishments: Presented by Professor Jennifer Holt

MA degree
Stephen Borunda Trinankur Banerjee
PhD degree
Naomi DeCelles Lisa Han

Distinction in Critical Studies: Presented by Constance Penley

Recognizes a student’s achievement in critical thinking, analysis and writing.
Laeticia Janelle Bettinger    Jennifer Fallejo    Katherine Fukuda
Molly Galliher    Kai Glick    Ian Hamilton
Emma Johnson    Marcus Pipitone    Frederico Lynch Ribeiro
Mitchka Saberi    Julia Schmidt

Outstanding Graduating Seniors: Presented by Michael Curtin

Recognizes students overall academic achievements across critical studies and production as well as their contributions to the life of the department. We acknowledge students who are active, prepared, versatile, and involved in at least one other activity outside the classroom.
Maddie Burke   Catalina Fernandez   Michael Hall
Cameron Leingang     Carlos Luna     Victoria McLaughlin
Vincenzo Muia       Mikaela Pham     Joey Szalkiewicz
Komal Surani       Calvin Thrift

Class of 2020: presented by Cynthia Felando, Ross Melnick, and Alenda Chang

Graduation Candidates

2019-2020 Film & Media Studies Seniors

Ernesto Acevedo    Trevor Akana    Keana Alden    Esteban Alvarado    Harout Avakeretsyan    Rachelle Barone    Adam Barrios    Jailene Bautista    Aaron Berkness    Josh Bevan    Laeticia Janelle Bettinger    Grant Bianchi    Daryl Boman    Emma Bridgland    Nashelle Brown    Natalia Bruening    Calvin Bruhns    Maddie Burke    Jalia Carlton-Carew    Yehna Cha    Teren’e Chambers    Gavin Chan    Jason Chen    Katy Choi    Siu Chong    Dustin Culp    Aylin Curtis    Griffin Davies    Drew Davis    Ashley De Leon    Paul DeBruynkops    Victor Diaz Lafferty    Kayla Duffey    Luke Dustin    Daniel Dyer-Diaz    Milla Dzakovic    Mike Escobar    Alex Espinosa    Jennifer Fallejo    Jesse Feinstein    Reed Felder    Catalina Fernandez    Kira Finigan    Sean Fisher    Jason Floyer    Miles Forrest    Dag Forsberg    Alexa Fortier    Hannah Friend    Sylvia Friend    Arturo Fuentes    Cole Fuetsch    Katherine Fukuda    Molly Galliher    Willem Geier    Edwin Giron-Montenegro    Kai Glick    Lizzet Gutierrez    Michael Hall    Ian Hamilton    Hannah Hernandez    Angelina Herrera    Aviel Hod    Kelly Holt    Shannon Holt    Laura Hong    Kyrie Howard    Sixian Hu    McKinley Hutchings    Eve Jablonkay    Hugo Jimenez Gonzalez    Evan Joffe    Hunter Johnsen    Emma Johnson    Sammy Johnson    Janelle Jordan    Amalie Jorgensen    Brian Ka    Maggie Kelley    Davis Kelly    Samuel Kempfer    Ashley Kim    Daniel Kong    Fong Kuo    Alex Lebowitz    Walker Lee    Cameron Leingang    Zizheng Liu    Weston Lombardo    Ashley Lopez    Francisco Lopez    Gabriel Lopez    Tori Lopez    Carlos Luna    Lexi Lunchick    Frederico Lynch Ribeiro   Yasmine Malas   McKenzie Majerle   Kayley Mauldin   Sam McEntee   Grant McGee   Victoria McLaughlin   Gregory Mears   Ruoyao Meng   Maximilian Merritt   Omar Miranda   Valerie Montes   Eliza Moody   Vincenzo Muia   Jacob Muniz   Meagan Murdoch   Claudia Nader   Tyler Newton   Sarah Nunn    Chris Perez   Sarai Perez   Laura Perez-Landin   Mikaela Pham   Gabrielle Pino   Marcus Pipitone   Hunter Pittman   Vladen Ponomar   Mikhail Prokhorov   Dylan Qualin     Malcolm Rashid   Jimmy Reynolds   Marke Riodil   Jonatan Robles   Jazmin Rosario   Mitchka Saberi   Vince Sackey   Gabriela Salazar   Nikki Sami   Santiago Sanchez   Ethan Schaffer   Julia Schmidt   Emily Schwab   Zijin Shao   Kaith Karishma Shenton   Isabelle Shepard   Linfan Shi   Jinghang Shu   Kara Sica   Roberto Solano   Blake Spiller   Amara Stinson    Charles Stock   Komal Surani   Joey Szalkiewicz   Junle Tang   Zhichao Tang   Alyse Tatevosian   Calvin Thrift   Chase Tobe   Daylon Townes   Steven Waltermire   Ze Wang   Sam Warren   Ryan Watt   West Weir   Nicky Weniz   Ryan Wilford   Jakob Wolken   Skyler Wu   Xinyi Wu   Zachary Ye   Justin You   Katelyn Zamudio