New Optics Film Festival Showcases The Next Generation Of Filmmakers

High school students will debut original films March 16 surrounded by celebrity actors, directors and writers at the second annual New Optics Film Festival, held from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Columbia College Hollywood.

The event, co-hosted by Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, will feature panel discussions, workshops, demonstrations and screenings of the top student films, as selected by the festival committee of judges.

"This festival gives a voice to the next generation of filmmakers," said Allie Long, one of the event organizers and a member of Columbia College Hollywood's outreach team. "Guests can participate in multiple hands-on workshops and hang out with their favorite industry professional panelists. After a stop at the milk and cookie bar, the festival culminates with screenings and an awards ceremony to celebrate our young, ambitious filmmakers."

The event is free to attend, but space is limited. RSVPs are currently open.

Highlights of the day include:

• Industry panelists, including Kelly Edwards, VP of Talent development for HBO

• Lunch with the pros, including Michael Goi, "American Horror Story" - Director/DP

• Demos and workshops from industry experts, including 3D digital sculpting and printing, virtual reality, screenwriting, animation, acting and more

Other professional industry guests have worked on productions including "Insecure," "13 Reasons Why" and "Mean Girls."

Additional event information is available below and on the Columbia College Hollywood website.

Exhibitors
New Filmmakers LA

Workshops
RED Digital Cinema
Virtual reality
Screenwriting
Canon
Animation
Acting
Cinema

Guest Speakers/Industry Panels
Kelly Edwards - VP of Talent Development and Programming, HBO
Sujata Day - Sarah - "Insecure" (HBO TV Series)
Courtney Reed - Jasmine - "Aladdin" (Broadway)
Gustavo Quiroz - Juan - "Instant Family" (Drama Feature)
Craig Hayes - "The Hate U Give" - Editor
Christine Swanson - "Chicago PD" - Director (ND Parent)

Lunch With The Pros
Beth Dubber - "13 Reasons Why" - Set photographer
Michael Goi - "American Horror Story" - Director/DP
Daryn Okada - "Mean Girls" - DP
Abdul Malik Abbott - "Ayanla, Fix My Life" - Camera operator
Amy Rhodes - "The Ellen Degeneres Show" - Writer
Mark Pellington - Imagine Dragons: "Next to Me" - Director
Jennifer Tate - "Love Land" - Producer
Jonathan Langager - "Josephine and the Roach" - Director
Jay Lehrfeld - FOX Fall TV Preview - Director
Lisa London - "Hannah Montana" - Casting director
Karl Landry - "F is for Family" - Editor
Greg Feingold - "Marshall from Detroit" - Director
Stacey Stanley - "Masters of Horror" - Producer
Britt Tumpletter - Executive Assistant to Sarah Paulson
Tara Aquino - GGN: Snoop Dogg's Double G News Network - Producer
Keertana Sastry - "The Cloverfield Paradox" - Casting department

Festival Judges

Didier Ah-koon is a prolific Storyboard Artist and Creative Consultant working with Major Animation Studios: Illumination Entertainment, Universal, Blue Sky Studios, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, Rovio Animation Company.

Von Williams has been working in the visual effects and animation industry for 20 years, working with leading studios including Dreamworks Animation, Warner Bros., Rhythm and Hues, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Deluxe Entertainment, and Lightstorm Entertainment, where he is currently a Motion Capture Editor.

Edwin Tovar, Fredo Tovar, and Scott Fleischman make up Aplusfilmz, an independent production company and directors' collective located in Los Angeles, CA. The collective has worked with TDE, SZA, Snoop Dogg, Khalid and more.

Tara Aquino is an award-winning writer and producer who's worked with Snoop Dogg, Nike, The Hundreds and more.

Keertana Sastry has worked in film and television casting for more than 5 years, most recently at 20th Century Fox Features, and currently at Bialy/Thomas & Associates, which casts such illustrious series as "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Better Call Saul."

Nick Fuller is the head of production for the Los Angeles office of the global, award-winning production company Stink Films.

Brian Grazer, Imagine Entertainment chairman, is an Academy, Emmy, Golden Globe, and Grammy winning film and television producer and a New York Times Bestselling author. His films and television shows have been nominated for 43 Oscars and 195 Emmys.

Bill Seward is an American broadcaster, actor, and coach/teacher. He is the host of "Robot Wars" on Discovery Science and has appeared on NBC's "Early Today."

Anita Vogel joined FOX News Channel in 2001 and currently serves as a Los Angeles-based correspondent. While at FOX News, Vogel has covered a multitude of stories, including the 2012 movie theatre shooting in Aurora, CO, the torching of an explosive-packed home in Escondido, CA and various consumer interest stories.