Wednesday, June 11, 2025 at 7:00 pm
James Bridges Theater, Melnitz Hall, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
Student Hosts: Eileen McNulty & Bailee Banta
Discover these extraordinary filmmakers shaping the future of cinema.
Join us on Wednesday, June 11 for the Directors Spotlight, a signature evening that celebrates the powerful, personal, and wildly creative voices of our filmmakers from the UCLA TFT MFA program.
This showcase features some of the most outstanding short films by directors from across Animation, Documentary, and Narrative—each one a bold statement of artistic vision and craft.
The films selected have undergone a rigorous review process: judged by fellow students, alumni and ultimately by the prestigious Blue Ribbon Panel, comprised of industry professionals, who also choose one filmmaker to receive the highest honor: Grand Jury Prize Award.
Come celebrate the talent and tenacity of tomorrow’s great directors— tonight.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Peter Weller
Dr. Peter Weller is a noted actor, director and Italian Renaissance art historian and jazz musician. His career in the theatre includes original New York productions of David Mamet’s THE WOODS, David Rabe’s STICKS AND BONES and STREAMERS and William Mastrosimone’s WOOL GATHERER. Among his films he is known as the star of the iconic Robocop, Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, Naked Lunch, The New Age, Mighty Aphrodite, Star Trek Into Darkness, Dexter, 24, Cabinet of Curiosities. As director he helmed Elmore Leonard’s Gold Coast, received an Oscar nod for Best Live Action Short Film and executed episodes from Homicide to Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Tyrant, and Hawaii 5-0 amongst others. In addition to a half-century career in theatre, film, and television, Dr. Weller received his PhD in Italian Renaissance Art-Intellectual History with a minor in Ancient Rome from UCLA. “Leon Battista Alberti in Exile” is Dr. Weller’s first book.
Distinguished Alumni Award: Abe Sylvia
Abe Sylvia is the creator, show-runner, director and Executive Producer of the hit, new Apple TV+ series PALM ROYALE starring Kristen Wiig, Allison Janney, Ricky Martin, Carol Burnett and Laura Dern. For its premiere season, the show garnered 11 Emmy Award nominations, including Best Comedy Series.
Sylvia served as creator, show-runner and Executive Producer for Showtime’s record-breaking limited series GEORGE & TAMMY. Starring Academy Award winner Jessica Chastain and Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon, the series tracked the tumultuous love story of country music icons George Jones and Tammy Wynette. Both Chastain and Shannon garnered Emmy Award nominations for their brilliant portrayals.
Abe penned the feature film THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE starring Jessica Chastain in her Academy Award winning performance opposite Andrew Garfield as disgraced televangelists Tammy Faye & Jim Bakker. Directed by Michael Showalter, the film was released by Fox Searchlight.
Sylvia is set to co-write, Executive Produce and direct a series sequel of the critically lauded NURSE JACKIE for Amazon. He will re-team with series star Edie Falco with whom he spent three seasons on the original Emmy Award winning comedy for Showtime. In the previous iteration, Sylvia served as Supervising Producer, the writer of seven episodes and director of the acclaimed series finale. Also for Showtime, Abe served as Co-Executive Producer of THE AFFAIR.
He served as Co-Executive Producing writer and director on the Netflix hit DEAD TO ME, for which he received a WGA nomination for Best New Series.
Sylvia’s debut feature (written as a class project while enrolled at UCLA), DIRTY GIRL, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was the second largest independent acquisition of the year. Starring Juno Temple, Milla Jovovich, Tim McGraw, William H. Macy, Mary Steenburgen and Dwight Yoakam, DIRTY GIRL was released by The Weinstein Company and has become a cult classic thanks to a second life streaming on Netflix, Amazon and iTunes.
Abe began his career as a Broadway performer, discovered by Tommy Tune while still a Junior studying theater at the Boston Conservatory, he joined the legendary director choreographer for a yearlong pre-Broadway tryout of BUSKER ALLEY. Abe went on to star in the Broadway production of CATS for two years before appearing in the original Broadway Company of Mel Brooks’ smash hit, THE PRODUCERS. Following his run in that show, Abe turned his attention to a career as a writer / director for film and television, enrolling in UCLA’s MFA Production/Directing program. A proud Bruin, Abe’s first short film was selected for the university’s Director’s Spotlight. An award which he credits with jump starting his professional career in the film and television industry.