Today
Board Game Bar Social with UCLA Mixed Alumni Association
Sat 5/23 • 5PM PDT
Guildhall - Burbank • Burbank
Join us! The UCLA Mixed Alumni Association is organizing a social event at Guildhall in Burbank, where alums can meet and chat with other Mixed Alumni in the area.
Tomorrow
San Fernando Valley: Wellness Walk
Sun 5/24 • 9AM PDT
Greenbriar Trailhead • Los Angeles CA
Please join our third wellness walk of the year! We will be walking the Greenbriar Trail in Topanga Canyon. It is a 3 mile out and back trail which means you can walk as much or as little as you want. Wear your Bruin gear and don't forget your water. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/greenbriar-trail 
Bruin Family Socials – Petaluma, CA
Sun 5/24 • 12PM PDT
Lombardi's | Gourmet Deli & BBQ • Petaluma CA
Bruin Family Socials are events that bring UCLA to neighborhoods around the world. Providing an opportunity for attendees to engage with one another on a regional level, Bruin Family Socials foster connections and relationships within the greater Bruin community. Historically, Bruin Family Socials have taken place over the course of one weekend each year. During spring 2023, these events transitioned to a year-round model that accommodates a variety of activities and locations, ultimately allowing for added flexibility and more opportunities to build community than ever before. We hope you will join us at an event near you!
Monday May 25
Azores: An Island Adventure with a Stay in Lisbon
Mon 5/25
Portugal •
Portugal awaits on this unforgettable 11-night adventure to Lisbon and the enigmatic Azores Islands! Stay for two nights in Lisbon and see the city highlights. Then, fly to the remote, pristine Azores archipelago to witness breathtaking vistas and natural wonders on four volcanic islands. Admire Terceira’s colonial architecture, visit traditional villages and explore a volcanic lava tube. On Faial, visit the Capelinhos volcano interpretation center and the Caldeira Velha nature reserve, and admire the majestic Pico Mountain. Ferry over to Pico one day to encounter vineyards growing in lava rock and visit the Whalers Museum. In São Miguel, thrill to a whale-watching excursion, visit Laga do Fogo’s magnificent crater, take a jeep to witness the crater lake-of-two-colors and Caldeira Velha’s warm iron waterfall. Also, enjoy a tea factory tour and tasting, stroll magical botanical gardens and delight in a folklore performance. Plus, savor stew cooked in hot lava rock and participate in an experiential farmhouse dinner. This active small-group program features experienced guides and lecturers, first-class hotels and a generous meal plan.
Office Closed in Observance of Memorial Day Holiday
Mon 5/25
A129 Murphy Hall
UCLA Financial Aid & Scholarships will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2026, in Observance of the Memorial Day holiday. We will resume regular operating hours on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
Sicily, Malta & Amalfi Coast
Mon 5/25
Italy •
Revel in magnificent scenic beauty and enthralling history on this exclusively chartered, 7-night cruise featuring the breathtaking Amalfi Coast, legendary sites in Sicily, and the baroque grandeur of Valletta, Malta’s capital. During your deluxe voyage, appreciate the remarkable archaeological ruins of Pompeii and Syracuse and enjoy a choice of tours in Palermo that showcase glittering Byzantine mosaics. Coastal splendor awaits as you stroll through picturesque Positano and Capri on the Amalfi Coast and take in sweeping views from Taormina’s famous Greek theater. You’ll also marvel at the stunning interior of Valletta’s 16th-century cathedral and meander through charming Ortigia, Syracuse’s island old town. Along the way, relish enticing cuisine, sample Sicilian wines in a palazzo and dig into Palermo’s tastiest street foods! As you travel, expert guides and speakers will share meaningful insights about the many cultures interwoven within this fascinating region, while a professional Travel Director will manage the logistics. To enhance your experience, add the Naples Pre-Tour extension.
Tuesday May 26
Bruin Professionals Encino Chapter Meeting
Tue 5/26 • 7:30AM PDT
Lewitt Hackman Law Firm • Encino CA
Join BP Encino Chapter for their monthly meeting! The Ins and Outs of a 1031 Exchange A 1031 exchange allows real estate investors to defer capital gains taxes when selling an investment property and reinvesting the proceeds into another qualifying property. In this session, we’ll walk through how a 1031 exchange works, the strict timelines and rules investors must follow, and common mistakes that can disqualify an exchange. We’ll also cover planning strategies investors use to preserve wealth, grow portfolios, and maximize the tax deferral benefits of this powerful tool.
Health & Wellbeing Drop-ins
Tue 5/26 • 11AM - 1PM PDT
RISE Center at Lu Valle Commons Basement Level
Feel free to drop by and chat with RISE Health and Wellbeing Coordinator! Whether you want to discuss campus mental health resources, get connected to CAPS, manage academic stress, or just need someone to talk to, we're here for you.
UCLA Affordability Workshop
Tue 5/26 • 12PM - 1PM PDT RSVP
Join UCLA Financial Aid & Scholarships for a one-hour interactive workshop designed to help newly admitted students and their families better understand their financial aid offer and estimated net cost of attendance. During this hands-on session, a UCLA financial aid expert will walk you through the key parts of your Bruin Financial Aid Letter, explain the different types of aid offered, and demonstrate how to calculate what attending UCLA may actually cost after grants, scholarships, and other support. Please complete the RSVP form below to join us!
Movement and Meditation
Tue 5/26 • 1:15PM - 2PM PDT
RISE Center at Lu Valle Commons Basement Level
Beginner-friendly stretching and meditation with UCLA Rec Instructor Binny. All equipment provided (yoga mats, blocks).
How to Update Your Homepage After Course Import
Tue 5/26 • 2PM - 2:30PM PDT
The Classroom – Millennial Leadership: Communication
Tue 5/26 • 5:30PM - 7PM PDT
Zoom
The Millennial Leadership course provides practical skills and builds confidence in key leadership areas, including effective delegation, managing former peers, conflict resolution, mitigating impostor syndrome, and navigating ambiguity.
TEDxUCLA 2026: Renaissance & Revival
Tue 5/26 • 6PM - 9PM PDT
UCLA Northwest Auditorium
TEDx proudly returns to UCLA, celebrating UCLA students, alumni, staff, faculty, community, and impact. Please stay tuned for further details on the event! #Educational
TEDxUCLA 2026: Renaissance & Revival
Tue 5/26 • 6PM - 9PM PDT
UCLA Northwest Auditorium
TEDx proudly returns to UCLA, celebrating UCLA students, alumni, staff, faculty, community, and impact. Please stay tuned for further details on the event!
Wednesday May 27
CPT Webinars for F-1 Visa Students
Wed 5/27 • 10AM - 11AM PDT
UCLA F-1 visa students, do you want to know more about off-campus employment authorization? Join us on one of our weekly CPT webinars hosted by the Dashew Center staff to learn more!
#Undergraduate #GraduateProfessional #Educational #PreProfessional
Website Makers Meetup
Wed 5/27 • 11AM - 12PM PDT
These meetups are for people who make websites. Join us every other week, on Wednesday at 11am, to ask any questions you may have about making websites at UCLA.
SPRING ENGLISH LANGUAGE CIRCLE: MAY 27
Wed 5/27 • 12PM - 1PM PDT
Are you looking for a safe and supportive space to practice your English conversation skills? Check out Dashew Center's English Language Circle (ELC)! Here you will have an opportunity to practice your English with other language learners. The circle is led by a native English speaker, who will help you become more confident in your speaking skills and who can answer your language and grammar questions. All of our ELC sessions will take place on Zoom this spring 2026. Space is limited to 20 participants per session. Participants are welcome to enjoy their lunch during these sessions. The Zoom link will be shared via email upon registering. Please email us at intlprograms@saonet.ucla.edu with any questions.
Data Justice Research Series: Using Sociolinguistics to Address AI Fairness by Zion Mengesha
Canceled Wed 5/27 • 12PM - 2PM PDT RSVP
3312 Murphy Hall, DataX Impact Forum
Join us for a Data Justice Research Series talk presented by Dr. Mengesha. Lunch will be provided! Description: Over the past 60 years, sociolinguists have documented variation in African Americans’ speech. This work has resulted in a large body of literature detailing the complex relations among language, gender, sexuality, race, power, and class. The development language technologies, such as automated speech recognition (ASR) and large language models, has raised new questions about dialect fairness and accessibility, which sociolinguistics is apt to address. In this talk, Zion Mengesha present three case studies for the application of sociolinguistics to artificial intelligence. Using the dialect density measure, the first study shows that all five major speech recognizers misunderstood African American speakers up to two times more than white speakers, revealing how speech technologies reproduce standard language ideologies. The second study examines the psychological and behavioral consequences of dialect discrimination using video data collected over a 2-week diary study of African Americans’ interactions with voice technology. The final study shows linguistic consequences of ASR misrecognition, examining how African Americans modify their prosody and morphosyntax in order to be better understood. She concludes with a discussion on how to apply sociolinguistic insights about African American English (AAE) to artificial intelligence to advance technological justice for speakers of African American English and other minoritized language varieties.
#Undergraduate #GraduateProfessional #FacultyStaff #Educational #Research
Health & Wellbeing Drop-ins
Wed 5/27 • 1PM - 3PM PDT
RISE Center at Lu Valle Commons Basement Level
Feel free to drop by and chat with RISE Health and Wellbeing Coordinator! Whether you want to discuss campus mental health resources, get connected to CAPS, manage academic stress, or just need someone to talk to, we're here for you.
Practice and Play with EdTech: Active Learning in Modernized Classrooms
Wed 5/27 • 3:30PM - 5PM PDT RSVP
Powell 186
In this session, participants will explore how modernized classroom spaces can engage students and support meaningful active learning. Through guided practice and reflection, attendees will examine how flexible classroom layouts and integrated technologies support pedagogical goals. Participants will engage in hands-on experiences designed to foster collaboration, deepen content processing, increase student engagement, and promote inclusive participation. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for creating dynamic, student-centered learning environments in their own courses. This session is designed for graduate students, TAs, and postdocs. All instructors are welcome to attend. What is Practice and Play with EdTech The Practice and Play with EdTech series offers instructors a hands-on opportunity to explore teaching tools and strategies with TLC staff. Each session begins with a brief overview of a tool followed by a guided exercise and time to explore and apply the tool to participants’ own course
Queer Creative Writing Space
Wed 5/27 • 4PM - 5:30PM PDT RSVP
The Queer Creative Writing Space meets bi-weekly during the academic year. This space is for writers of all backgrounds and experience levels who would like to stretch their creative writing muscles and meet other writers!
Transfer Senior Celebration
Wed 5/27 • 4PM - 5:30PM PDT
James West Alumni Center
Join us to celebrate our graduating UCLA Transfers! Stop by anytime at the event to pick up and decorate your free transfer cords, customize your grad cap, and enjoy tacos & agua frescas! The dress code is semi-formal, but if you are coming from class feel free to come as you are.
Ace and Aro Space
Wed 5/27 • 4PM - 6PM PDT
LGBTQ Campus Resource Center
The Ace and Aro Space is a weekly dialogue and affinity space wanting to build community or learn more about the asexual and/or aromantic spectrums.
Your Next Degree: Graduate School
Wed 5/27 • 5PM PDT
Zoom
Careers and academic interests often evolve over time, and many people choose to pursue graduate education after gaining experience in the workforce or further exploring their fields. Whether you are considering a master’s or PhD, in an academic or professional program, graduate school can be a powerful step toward advancing your goals, shifting career paths, or deepening your expertise. This UCLA Alumni webinar will explore what it takes to apply to graduate school across a range of disciplines. The application process can differ significantly from other advanced degrees and depends on your individual goals and motivations. You will gain an overview of the process and timeline, hear from a representative from the UCLA Division of Graduate Education, and learn how to evaluate programs such as those offered through the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. A UCLA Career Center representative will also share insights on how graduate education can help unlock future career opportunities. Whether you are actively preparing an application or just beginning to consider graduate school, this session will help clarify the process and available pathways. ### **The panel of speakers includes:** * * *  ****Johanna Arias, M.Ed.**** _**Student Affairs Officer for the Executive Master of Public Health (EMPH) Program,** **Executive Programs, Department of Health Policy & Management,** **UCLA Fielding School of Public Health**_ A higher education professional, Johanna Arias is passionate about empowering the next generation of healthcare leaders. Johanna holds a Master of Education in Educational Counseling from the USC Rossier School of Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from the University of California, Riverside. Working closely with EMPH Program Director Dr. Isomi Miake-Lye, Johanna offers guidance to EMPH applicants and is the first point of contact for anyone with inquiries about the program or the admissions process. She works closely with EMPH faculty and students and is currently taking 1:1 meetings with prospective applicants to discuss their academic and career goals. UCLA's Executive Master of Public Health is a two-year graduate program in Health Policy and Management designed to equip working professionals with the essential knowledge, skills, and resources to navigate the complexities of the modern healthcare environment. This in-person, cohort-based program features a full-time curriculum that meets on the UCLA campus every other weekend, allowing students to balance rigorous academic training with their professional careers. With one start per year in the Fall, the program emphasizes leadership in health policy and management and provides students the opportunity to develop a practical business plan through their coursework. For the capstone project, all students conduct an applied consulting project beginning in the summer following their first academic year; working in two-person teams, students address policy development issues, management consultations, or mentored problem resolutions in coordination with sponsoring organizations or other health-related entities. Upon graduation, students earn an MPH degree and gain access to a robust and active alumni network, ensuring continued professional support and collaborative opportunities. For more information, please visit:https://www.exechpm.ucla.edu/ * * *  ****Maria José (MJ) Hidalgo Flores, M.S. (she/her/ella)**** _**Assistant Director, Undergraduate Career Education and Development**_ Maria José (MJ) is a two-time alumna of Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles, where she earned her M.S. in Counseling Psychology and B.A. in Psychology. As a first-generation Latina, her experiences shaped her passion for guiding others in finding their path. She is currently the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Career Education and Development at the UCLA Career Center, where she supports Humanities and Social Science students and collaborates with the First To Go and Transfer Student Center offices. MJ is dedicated to helping students build confidence and navigate their careers, grounded in her belief that self-awareness is key to fulfillment. * * *  ****Jenna Mendoza, MA**** _**Student Affairs Officer for the Online Master of Healthcare Administration Program,** **Executive Programs, Department of Health Policy & Management,** **UCLA Fielding School of Public Health**_ Jenna Mendoza holds a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Loyola Marymount University. Jenna began working in student affairs at UCLA in 2020, where she utilized the counseling skills she developed during her graduate studies and the experiences she gained while working with first-year students at LMU. Jenna has been working with the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health online MHA program since 2021 and is committed to assisting MHA students from around the globe in achieving their academic and professional goals. UCLA's online MHA program is designed to equip working professionals with the leadership skills to implement effective, value-based care strategies guided by both data and compassion. The program offers a fully online curriculum with asynchronous learning accessible from anywhere, supplemented by two intensive on-campus immersions. To accommodate diverse professional schedules, the program provides four start dates per year—Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer—with both full-time and part-time tracks available. With a core emphasis on healthcare management, the degree requirements include a comprehensive capstone project that allows students to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges. Graduates earn an MHA degree and gain entry into a robust and active alumni network, ensuring long-term professional connectivity and support. For more information, please visit:https://www.exechpm.ucla.edu/ * * *  ****Tiara Wair**** _**Assistant Dean, Recruitment, Outreach & Admissions, UCLA Division of Graduate Education**_ With more than 18 years of experience in higher education, Tiara is committed to expanding educational access and advancing student success. She holds a B.A. in Communication and an M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from Saint Louis University. In her current role as Assistant Dean for Recruitment, Outreach, and Admissions at the University of California, Los Angeles, she leads campus-wide strategies to recruit, admit, and enroll exceptional graduate students across more than 130 master’s and doctoral programs. A proud first-generation college graduate, Tiara has guided countless students and families through the complexities of the college search and admissions process. * * *
Getting Started on the Dissertation (Humanities, Social Sciences, and Related Fields)
Wed 5/27 • 5:15PM - 6:15PM PDT RSVP
This workshop gives an overview of organization, time management, writing process issues and writing strategies. Recommended for people in the early stages of the dissertation, but useful for all stages.
Mahjong Night with Asian Pacific Alumni of UCLA (APA) x Asian Business League of Southern California (ABL SoCal)
Wed 5/27 • 5:30PM PDT
Matriarch LA (formerly APT 503) • Los Angeles CA
Join us as we close out AAPI Heritage Month with an evening celebrating community, culture, and one of the hottest trends taking over Southern California. Asian Pacific Alumni of UCLA is excited to partner with the Asian Business League of Southern California for a special night featuring Mahjong Megachurch by Jared Eng and Eileen Foliente! We’re looking forward to bringing together Bruins, professionals, and friends for an energetic evening of mahjong, meaningful networking, food, and celebration.
What's Next - End of Year Celebration with the UCLA Latino Alumni Association (ULAA) and the Latinx Success Center
Wed 5/27 • 6PM PDT
Latinx Success Center • Los Angeles CA
As the academic year closes, we're hosting a panel discussion to support students navigating life's next chapter - whether that's entering the workforce, pursuing grad school, or returning home to serve their communities. This event celebrates their journey while providing practical guidance for the transitions ahead. Join us as we close out the year!
UAN Glamp Cozy
Wed 5/27 • 6PM - 8PM PDT
Tipuana Courtyard and Multi-Purpose Room
Join in on UAN’s End of Year Celebration for resources, games, snacks, prizes, and MORE!
Orange County: OC UCLA Book Club
Wed 5/27 • 6:30PM PDT
Come to discuss this month's free read, a book you choose to read and share with us to formulate our next booklist.
Thursday May 28
Bruin Professionals Westwood Chapter Meeting
Thu 5/28 • 8AM PDT
James West Alumni Center, Founders Room •
Join BP Westwood for their May Chapter Meeting! From Corporate General Counsel to Novelist, It’s Never Too Late to Follow Your Dreams!
Daily Bruin Alumni Network: L.A. Mixer at Boomtown Brewery
Thu 5/28 • 8AM - 5PM PDT
Boomtown Brewery • Los Angeles CA
Joing the Daily Bruin Alumni Network for a casual mixer at the Boomtown Brewery in Los Angeles. In addition to their taproom offerings, the brewery hosts different food trucks daily. This is a great opportunity for local Daily Bruin alumni to make new friends and expand their network!
Neurodiversity Empowerment Hour
Thu 5/28 • 10AM - 11AM PDT
Neurodiversity Empowerment Hour is a weekly virtual drop-in space where students can join a brief 10–15 minute session to receive support, learn about helpful campus resources, and explore ways to build skills for wellbeing and success.
Rez Metal Show - Rezisting Borderlands
Thu 5/28 • 10AM - 7PM PDT
Fowler Museum, Room A222
10:00–11:30 AM - Sound Rezistance Session Gregg Deal + Native Audio 11:30–1:00 pm - Lunch and Pedal Demo 1:15–2:15 - Rez Metal-Indigenous Punk Session 3:00 PM - Reception in the Courtyard 5:00 PM - Rez Metal Pop up show
Reflect with RISE: Preparing the Garden
Thu 5/28 • 11AM - 11:30AM PDT
RISE Center at Lu Valle Commons Basement Level
Join us for a beginner friendly guided meditation. Take some time to breathe, meet community, and practice mindfulness, spirituality, and stillness.
Health & Wellbeing Drop-ins
Thu 5/28 • 11AM - 1PM PDT
RISE Center at Lu Valle Commons Basement Level
Feel free to drop by and chat with RISE Health and Wellbeing Coordinator! Whether you want to discuss campus mental health resources, get connected to CAPS, manage academic stress, or just need someone to talk to, we're here for you.
Bruin Professionals Silicon Beach Chapter Meeting
Thu 5/28 • 11:30AM PDT
929 Colorado Ave • Santa Monica CA
Join BP Silicon Beach for our May Chapter Meeting!
How to Upgrade Your Course Content When Using a UCLA Template
Thu 5/28 • 1PM - 1:30PM PDT
Planning and Organizing a Systematic Review
Thu 5/28 • 1PM - 2PM PDT
This workshop will offer an overview on the entire systematic review process — from hypothesis to publication, and why it takes so long to conduct one! Attendees will leave with concrete steps to take to plan a systematic review, as well as an understanding of systematic review methodology and how it differs from other types of review articles. This workshop will be offered via Zoom. If you're registered, you'll receive the Zoom invitation information the day of the workshop. Instructor: Robert Johnson, Clinical and Research Support Librarian
Book Talk with Britt Paris - Radical Infrastructures: Building Possibilities for a People's Internet
Thu 5/28 • 2PM - 4PM PDT RSVP
DataX Impact Forum, 3312 Murphy Hall
About the book: What if we could start over and build the Internet from scratch? How could it be rebuilt or reimagined as more equitable and just? For more than eight years, Britt S. Paris investigated alternative Internet infrastructure projects, conducting interviews, site visits, and policy analysis. In this expansive and interdisciplinary study, Paris critically examines the myriad and contradictory promises, utility, and obstacles to building a completely new Internet. Radical Infrastructure locates and analyzes the boundaries of how people and groups imagine, build, deploy, maintain, and use the Internet as they survive—and even dare to thrive—in challenging political, economic, and environmental contexts. Ultimately, Paris encourages active reflection among scholars, policymakers, and activists and reveals more grounded imaginaries, tactics, and opportunities for future people-centered projects.
#Undergraduate #GraduateProfessional #FacultyStaff #Educational #Career
UCLA Social Enterprise Academy Venture Showcase
Thu 5/28 • 4PM PDT
Zoom
UCLA Alumni Affairs, the UCLA Department of Economics, and the Academies for Social Entrepreneurship invite you to the UCLA Social Enterprise Academy Venture Showcase. Three student teams representing local community organizations will pitch business ventures to a panel of industry experts, angel investors, and prominent members of the UCLA community.
Graduate Student and Alumni Networking Night
Thu 5/28 • 5PM PDT
James West Alumni Center •
The Graduate Student Association, UCLA Graduate Career Services, and the UCLA Alumni Association invite you to the Graduate Student and Alumni Networking Night. Connect with alumni and graduate students who share your area of study and build your network with Bruins in industry. This event offers alumni an opportunity to network among themselves from 5-6 p.m., then with current graduate students from 6 p.m. onward. Appetizers and drinks will be served. **Date:** May 28, 2026 **Alumni Time:** 5-8 p.m. **Student Time:** 6-8 p.m. **Location:** James West Alumni Center, UCLA Campus **Alumni RSVP:** [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScASDM5mL0prfKiYOTLz\_dygRTXu1WYa\_kGpWL3xGapqEpOUQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=108131488390618152229](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScASDM5mL0prfKiYOTLz_dygRTXu1WYa_kGpWL3xGapqEpOUQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=108131488390618152229) **Student RSVP:** https://ucla.joinhandshake.com/edu/events/1934655
Future-Proof Your Career: Navigating AI in Hiring and the Job Market - hosted by the Lambda (LGBTQ+) Alumni Association
Thu 5/28 • 6PM PDT
Zoom
Join the Lambda LGBTQ+ Alumni Association for an informative webinar exploring the evolving impact of artificial intelligence on today’s job market. This session will cover: • AI’s impact on hiring practices and job security • Navigating AI in the application and interview process • Strategies for positioning yourself in a rapidly shifting professional landscape
UCLA Affordability Workshop
Thu 5/28 • 6PM - 7PM PDT RSVP
Join UCLA Financial Aid & Scholarships for a one-hour interactive workshop designed to help newly admitted students and their families better understand their financial aid offer and estimated net cost of attendance. During this hands-on session, a UCLA financial aid expert will walk you through the key parts of your Bruin Financial Aid Letter, explain the different types of aid offered, and demonstrate how to calculate what attending UCLA may actually cost after grants, scholarships, and other support. Please complete the RSVP form below to join us!
Bay Area Bruins and Asian Pacific Alumni of UCLA - Golden State Valkyries vs. Indiana Fever WNBA Basketball
Thu 5/28 • 7PM PDT
Chase Center, San Francisco, CA • San Francisco CA
Join the UCLA Bay Area Bruins for an unforgettable night of WNBA action as the Golden State Valkyries take on the Indiana Fever! After an incredible inaugural season that ended with a historic playoff appearance, Asian Pacific Alumni (APA) of UCLA, in partnership with the UCLA Bay Area Bruins, are excited to host an even bigger UCLA group night this year. Why This Game? \* EXCLUSIVE POST-GAME CHALK TALK WITH COACH NATALIE NAKASE, UCLA Class of 2003! Golden State Valkyries Head Coach Natalie Nakase is known for her rise from a walk-on to a three-year starter and three-time team captain. After UCLA, she built an impressive coaching career, first overseas and then in assistant coaching roles with the NBA Los Angeles Clippers and the WNBA Las Vegas Aces, and is now the first Asian American head coach in WNBA history. \* EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTED GROUP PRICING: Tickets are $98 each, approximately 50% below public pricing, with no additional taxes, surcharges, or fees through our UCLA group link \* STAR POWER ON THE COURT: This matchup features the Indiana Fever and rising phenom Caitlin Clark, known for her deep three-point range and electrifying performances. The Fever also features UCLA alum Monique Billings (UCLA Class of 2018), whom we cheered on last season as a member of the Valkyries \* ELECTRIC, HIGH-ENERGY ATMOSPHERE: Chase Center, dubbed “Ballhalla” by fans during Golden State Valkyries games, sold out nearly every home game last season. The vibe has been compared to the legendary “Roaracle” era of Golden State Warriors basketball Additional details about the meetup and other logistics will be shared with registered attendees a few days prior to the event.
Friday May 29
The Creative Reset
Fri 5/29 • 11AM - 12PM PDT
RISE Center at Lu Valle Commons Basement Level
Looking for a calm and creative way to end your week? Grab a cup of tea and join Creative Reset, a weekly hour of creative wellness, to slow down, enjoy arts and crafts, and recharge before the weekend. Each week may include a guided art or craft activity, open time to create, journal, draw, or color at your own pace, and occasional reflective writing prompts to spark creativity and support your wellness. No experience is needed, and all UCLA students are welcome!
Somatmospheres: Atoms, Ambiance, and Nascent Sky Bodies
Fri 5/29 • 12PM - 1PM PDT
Katharina N. Piechocki, Associate Professor in the Department of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies at The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, presents "Somatmospheres: Atoms, Ambiance, and Nascent Sky Bodies in the Work of Athanasius Kircher, María de Jesús de Ágreda, and Sor Juana." This Zoom talk brings into a Transatlantic dialogue three seventeenth-century writers who explored sky bodies through the joint lens of science, poetic thought, and religion, recurring to what was then a relatively new vocabulary, such as “atmosphere” or “ambiance”.
Film Friday
Fri 5/29 • 12PM - 2PM PDT
LGBTQ Campus Resource Center
Join the UCLA LGBTQ CRC every Friday at noon to watch queer films and TV! Snacks and art supplies will be provided. No RSVP required!
Health & Wellbeing Drop-ins
Fri 5/29 • 1PM - 3PM PDT
RISE Center at Lu Valle Commons Basement Level
Feel free to drop by and chat with RISE Health and Wellbeing Coordinator! Whether you want to discuss campus mental health resources, get connected to CAPS, manage academic stress, or just need someone to talk to, we're here for you.
QTBIPOC Space
Fri 5/29 • 3:30PM - 4:30PM PDT RSVP
LGBTQ Campus Resource Center
The QTBIPOC Space is an intentional space for all folks of different and similar lived experiences to build community, decompress, and practice collective care.
Seattle Network: Dinner with Seattle Bruins
Fri 5/29 • 6:30PM PDT
ROCCO'S • Seattle WA
Join the UCLA Alumni Seattle Network for an intimate dinner designed to bring Bruins together over great food, thoughtful conversation, and new connections. Whether you are new to Seattle, looking to expand your alumni circle, or simply want a fun night out with local Bruins, this dinner is a chance to meet 11 other alumni in a welcoming and casual setting! This event will include light guided conversation and a simple networking activity: GAN — Give, Ask, Network.
Picture Start Verticals Panels & Showcase
Fri 5/29 • 6:30PM - 10:30PM PDT RSVP
James Bridges Theater
Join the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television for an engaging look at the future of vertical storytelling. This event features an industry panel on the creative and business dimensions of vertical content, from evolving audience engagement to new storytelling approaches in a mobile-first world and showcases the verticals made by UCLA TFT students as part of the Dean’s PICTURE START initiative, which touches new genres with our signature approach of independence, innovation and impact. Be part of the conversation shaping the next generation of content. 6:30 PM PANEL 1: THE BUSINESS OF VERTICALS Moderated by Celine Zen, RealReel Speakers: ALEX MONTALVO/Co-founder & CCO – GAMMATIME JOHN LEWIS/Founder – MUVPIX TOMMY HARPER/Founder & CEO – VEYOU 7:30 PM PANEL 2: THE CREATIVE OF VERTICALS Moderated by Dean Celine Shimizu, Dean UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Speakers: HAN CHOI – Us Content Lead – VIGLOO ROBIN TANG – Adviser, Content & Strategy – COL GROUP DJ AZUL – Writer – DRAMA BOX, REELSHORTS ASHLIN YU – Head of Development, SHORTIES STUDIOS 8:30 PM PANEL 3: STUDENT SHOWCASE – VERTICAL PILOTS Screening of 3 student Vertical pilots with discussion Moderated by George Huang, UCLA FTVDM 9:30 PM Reception
Black Girl
Fri 5/29 • 7:30PM PDT
Billy Wilder Theater
Part of the 2026 UCLA Festival of Preservation. Free admission. No advance reservations. Your seat will be assigned to you when you pick up your ticket at the box office. Seats are assigned on a first come, first served basis. The box office will open one hour before the event. Introduction by Archive Director May Hong HaDuong. Q&A with writer J. E. Franklin. Screening 1 of 2 Hearst Metrotone News: "Porgy & Bess Opening" (excerpt) Year: 1959 Country: U.S. Runtime: 2 min. Digital. B&W. Silent. Screening 2 of 2 Black Girl Year: 1972 Country: U.S. Language: English Runtime: 97 min. Digital. Color. West Coast Premiere of New Restoration Named by Film Comment as one of the best restorations of 2025, director Ossie Davis’ third feature is finding its audience more than 50 years after its original release. The play on which the film is based, Black Girl, by J. E. Franklin, who wrote the screenplay, was already a landmark of Black theater after a record-setting off-Broadway run in 1971 that earned Franklin the Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Playwright. Actor-turned-director Davis was coming off the box office success of his Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970), an adaptation of Chester Himes’ politically charged detective novel that helped spark the Blaxploitation wave of the 1970s. In a contemporaneous interview, civil rights icon Davis nevertheless lamented the lack of films about the “trials and tribulations of the Black middle class.” For the family in Black Girl, the personal and cultural politics of upward mobility are central to the conflicts among three generations of Black women. The youngest, Billie Jean (Peggy Pettitt), strives to become a dancer, earning taunts from her half-sisters (Gloria Edwards, Lorette Greene). Their mother, Rose (Louise Stubbs), still stinging from her own mother’s indifference, has seemingly given up on her own children, placing her hopes in Netta (Leslie Uggams), a neighborhood girl she took in now studying for law school. Every member of the ensemble cast — including a swaggering Brock Peters as Rose’s ex — rises to the occasion as their characters clash in a cramped Venice, California, home, prompting Variety to declare Black Girl the best depiction of Black family life “since Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun.” The film’s distributor, however, gave it an exploitation-style release, booking it in action houses with posters promising the same, leading the trade paper to complain the strategy would “keep away serious filmgoers who would have been rewarded by the fine directing and acting.” Black Girl now stands ready for rediscovery.—Paul Malcolm DCP. Production: Marconlee. Distribution: Cinerama Releasing. Producer: Robert H. Greenberg. Director: Ossie Davis. Screenwriter: J. E. Franklin. Based on the play by J. E. Franklin. Cinematographer: Glenwood J. Swanson. With: Brock Peters, Claudia McNeil, Leslie Uggams, Louise Stubbs, Peggy Pettitt. Restoration funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation. Restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation from 35mm acetate original picture and track negatives. Laboratory services by illuminate Hollywood, Audio Mechanics, Simon Daniel Sound, Fotokem. Special thanks to J. E. Franklin, Malika Nzinga.
And Beautiful
Fri 5/29 • 10:15PM PDT
Billy Wilder Theater
Part of the 2026 UCLA Festival of Preservation. Free admission. No advance reservations. Your seat will be assigned to you when you pick up your ticket at the box office. Seats are assigned on a first come, first served basis. The box office will open one hour before the event. Introduction by Josslyn Luckett, Associate Professor, Cinema Studies Tisch School of the Arts, New York University ...& Beautiful Year: 1969 Country: U.S. Language: English Runtime: 60 min. Digital. Color. World Premiere of New Preservation With original commercials Hosted by comedian Redd Foxx, …& Beautiful was the first syndicated television special produced for African American audiences to be sponsored by a Black-owned company (Johnson Products, makers of Afro Sheen). Directed by trailblazer Mark Warren, the first African American to win an Emmy Award in a directing category (for his work on Laugh-In), the groundbreaking music-variety special offered viewers a rare primetime showcase foregrounding Black excellence and pride. Dynamically stylized with Afrocentric and psychedelic designs and costuming, the vibrant production represents an invaluable late-’60s audiovisual time capsule documenting the joy, liberation and empowerment of the Black Is Beautiful movement.—Mark Quigley DCP. Syndicated. Production: Western Video Production. Executive Producer: Richard Gottlieb. Producer: Mark Warren. Director: Mark Warren. Writer: Cal Wilson. With: Redd Foxx, Della Reese, Donald McKayle Dancers. Preservation funding provided by the John H. Mitchell Television Preservation Endowment. Preserved by the UCLA Film & Television Archive from an original 2 in. videotape. Engineering services by CBS Media Exchange.
Saturday May 30
Adventures of Casanova
Sat 5/30 • 10AM PDT
Billy Wilder Theater
Part of the 2026 UCLA Festival of Preservation. Free admission. No advance reservations. Ticketing is on a first come, first served basis. The box office will open 30 minutes before the screening. Seats will not be assigned. Introduction by animation historian Jerry Beck and Senior Film Preservationist Miki Shannon. Screening 1 of 3 The Mouse of Tomorrow Year: 1942 Country: U.S. Runtime: 6 min. Digital. Color. World Premiere of New Restoration Riffing off Fleischer Studios’ successful feature-length animation Superman (1941), Terrytoons Studio debuted the first film in the Mighty Mouse series, The Mouse of Tomorrow, the following year. While Terrytoons was known as the “budget” studio or the “Woolworths” of animation, Mighty Mouse lifted the studio into Oscar-nominated status. The animation earned a “swell” from the Showmen’s Trade Review upon debut. While many saw Mighty Mouse’s first flick on black-and-white, 8mm home reels from Castle Films or on CBS television reruns, the Festival presents a restoration of the beautiful color original.—Jackie Forsyte DCP. Production: Terrytoons. Distribution: 20th Century Fox. Producer: Paul Terry. Director: Eddie Donnelly. Writer: John Foster. Restoration funding provided by ASIFA-Hollywood. Restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive from 35mm nitrate successive exposure positive and nitrate print. Laboratory services by Roundabout Entertainment, Inc., Audio Mechanics, Simon Daniel Sound. Special thanks to Paramount Pictures Archive. Screening 2 of 3 Copy Cat Year: 1941 Country: U.S. Runtime: 6 min. 35mm. World Premiere of New Restoration Although a pioneer in the animation field, here Dave Fleischer played the role of the smaller “copycat” to MGM’s Hanna-Barbera team, creators of another cat-and-mouse duo first seen in Puss Gets the Boots (1940). Copy Cat was distributed by Paramount Pictures in the Animated Antics series, just a year before Paramount bought Fleischer Studios. On display is Fleischer’s characteristic rotoscoping technique, patented by Max Fleischer in 1915. The lively technique of painting over motion pictures, frame by frame, creates smooth and compelling movements. When the patent expired in 1934, competitor animation studios, including Disney, adopted the process.—Jackie Forsyte Production: Fleischer Studios. Distribution: Paramount Pictures. Director: Dave Fleischer. Animation: Myron Waldman, Willian Henning. Writer: Bob Wickersham. Restoration funding provided by ASIFA-Hollywood. Restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive from 35mm nitrate original picture negative and 35mm safety prints. Laboratory services by the PHI Stoa Film Lab, Roundabout Entertainment, Inc., Audio Mechanics, Simon Daniel Sound. Special thanks to Paramount Pictures Archive. Screening 3 of 3 Adventures of Casanova Year: 1948 Country: U.S. Runtime: 83 min. Digital. B&W. West Coast Premiere of New Restoration Who do you call when you want to liberate Sicily? Who else but Casanova? Spanish-English-language cross-market leading man Arturo de Córdova and Lucille Bremer of Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) star in this swashbuckling B-movie that has extraordinarily little to do with the real-life Giacomo Casanova. Summoned by a band of insurgents to lead a Sicilian rebellion against the Austrian Empire, Casanova seduces, swordfights and twists romantic complications into revolutionary intrigue. You can expect plenty of adventure, high romance, some light cross-dressing, production design that rivals major Hollywood studios, and George Tobias’ unmistakable thick Brooklyn accent. From a historical perspective, Adventures of Casanova is more than the sum of its rather shlocky parts. The film represents a major step in collaboration between the Mexican and American film industries at the height of their respective power and prestige, a level of partnership possibly unmatched until the Nuevo Cine Mexicano movement of the 1990s and 2000s. Adventures of Casanova was also among the first films to make use of Mexico City’s Estudios Churubusco, one of the last legacy Mexican production studios still operating today. Although critics at the time cited budget outlay as the motivation behind the partnership, Adventures of Casanova does stand in contrast to the Mexploitation usually served up to the Anglo-American audiences of the period. Roberto Gavaldón, an icon of Mexican cinema, was perhaps the first Mexican director hired to lead an American crew outside the United States. Gavaldón would go on to make one more English-language feature, The Littlest Outlaw (1955), before returning fully to Mexican cinema. His film Macario, another work shot at Estudios Churubusco, would compete at Cannes in 1960 alongside La Dolce Vita and earn a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at that year's Academy Awards.—Noah Brockman DCP. Production: Bryan Foy Productions. Distribution: Eagle-Lion Films. Producers: Bryan Foy, Leonard S. Picker. Director: Roberto Gavaldón. Screenwriters:
Sacramento Network: Sac Bruins Casual Family-Friendly Hike
Sat 5/30 • 10AM PDT
Sociology Coffee Bar • Folsom CA
Join us for a chill morning walk along Folsom Lake near Lake Natoma Inn! The “hike” is honestly more of a stroll — mostly flat and totally family-friendly. You don’t need to be a hardcore hiker to join, and little ones are more than welcome! The entire loop takes less than half an hour (we could probably go twice!). There’s an optional coffee hang after for anyone who wants to stick around, but we’ll aim to hit the trail around 10ish before it gets too hot. It’s an awesome ~1-mile loop right by the water, mostly shaded and mostly paved. Hope to see you there!
Lorna Doone
Sat 5/30 • 11:55AM PDT
Billy Wilder Theater
Part of the 2026 UCLA Festival of Preservation. Free admission. No advance reservations. Ticketing is on a first come, first served basis. Seats will not be assigned. Introduction by Associate Motion Picture Curator Steven K. Hill. Screening 1 of 4 Hearst Metrotone News: “Famous Wind-jammer Wrecked on British Coast” Year: 1936 Country: U.S. Language: English Runtime: 30 sec. Digital. Screening 2 of 4 Hearst Metrotone News: “U.S. Ambassador Has John Bull All Excited” Year: 1938 Country: U.S. Language: English Runtime: 1 min. Digital. Screening 3 of 4 Hearst Metrotone News: “??Town Criers’ Championship” Year: 1953 Country: U.S. Language: English Runtime: 1 min. Digital. Screening 4 of 4 Lorna Doone Year: 1922 Country: U.S. Language: English Runtime: 81 min. Digital. B&W and tinted/toned. Silent. World Premiere of New Restoration French-born director Maurice Tourneur’s adaptation of R. D. Blackmore’s 19th-century novel Lorna Doone offered audiences a romantic drama of love and revenge set amid the picturesque landscapes of Exmoor in southwest England. Influenced by his background in painting and illustration, Tourneur approached filmmaking with a pronounced sensitivity for pictorial design, treating the frame as a carefully organized visual field that could convey mood and meaning. After moving to the United States in 1914, he firmly established his reputation through works such as The Wishing Ring (1914), The Poor Little Rich Girl (1917), The Blue Bird (1918) and The Last of the Mohicans (1920), all admired for their visual sophistication and cinematic storytelling. Lorna Doone is supported by a cast aligned with Tourneur’s preference for naturalistic, non-theatrical performances. Madge Bellamy’s spirited portrayal of Lorna proved to be one of the defining roles of her career and showcased her distinctive, luminous presence, earning her the nickname “the exquisite Madge.” She would later star in the John Ford epic The Iron Horse (1924) and the cult-classic White Zombie (1932), the latter of which has been restored by UCLA. John Bowers, one of the top leading men in early 1920s Hollywood, imbues the hero John Ridd with a quiet physicality and sincerity. Anchoring the drama are strong supporting turns by Frank Keenan as the fallen-nobleman-turned-outlaw Sir Ensor Doone, and Donald MacDonald as the brutal Carver Doone, whose menacing physique and explosive intensity lend weight to the film’s central conflict. While much of the production was shot at the Thomas H. Ince Studio in Culver City (reportedly with four cameras, instead of the customary two), Tourneur supplemented the studio-bound sets with outdoor location photography to heighten the film’s sense of authenticity. A critical success when released, Lorna Doone remains one of the most visually and dramatically accomplished American silent films of the early 1920s.—Steven K. Hill. DCP. Production: Thomas H. Ince Corp. Distribution: Associated First National Pictures. Producer/Director: Maurice Tourneur. Screenwriters: Katherine Reed, Cecil G. Mumford, Wyndham Gittens. Based on the novel by R. D. Blackmore. Cinematographer: Henry Sharp. With: Madge Bellamy, John Bowers, Frank Keenan, Donald MacDonald, May Giracci. Restoration funded by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation. Restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation from a 35mm dupe picture negative, 35mm nitrate fine grain sections and 16mm prints. Laboratory services by Roundabout Entertainment, Inc., FotoKem. Special thanks to Academy Film Archive, Kevin Brownlow, Dan Bursik, Jere Guldin, National Film Preservation Foundation.
BUS End Of Year Celebration
Sat 5/30 • 12PM - 3PM PDT RSVP
Tom Bradley International Hall Room 300
The Bruin Underground Scholars (BUS) End of Year Celebration is a gathering to honor and celebrate the accomplishments, resilience, and leadership of formerly incarcerated and system-impacted scholars at UCLA. This event brings together students, campus partners, families, and community members to recognize the journeys and achievements of our scholars throughout the academic year.
The heart of the matter
Sat 5/30 • 2:30PM PDT
Billy Wilder Theater
Part of the 2026 UCLA Festival of Preservation. Free admission. No advance reservations. Ticketing is on a first come, first served basis. Seats will not be assigned. Introduction by Head of Preservation Jillian Borders and Women’s Film Preservation Fund co-chair and restoration consultant Kirsten Larvick. Q&A with co-director Gini Reticker. the heart of the matter Year: 1994 Country: U.S. Language: English Runtime: 56 min. Digital. Color. West Coast Premiere of New Restoration Shot on 16mm by an all-women crew, the heart of the matter is a tender portrait of AIDS activist Janice Jirau and a landmark in feminist documentary history. The film traces Jirau’s transformation from devoted wife to fearless public health advocate after she contracts HIV from a husband who refused to practice safer sex, a story told with devastating clarity. Her journey is braided with a Greek chorus of HIV-positive women from diverse backgrounds whose testimonies dismantle the comforting myth that only “certain kinds” of women are at risk. In a pivotal scene, Jirau delivers a poignant account of surviving abuse from the pulpit of a Black church, and directors Gini Reticker and Amber Hollibaugh linger on the congregation’s embrace — an image that cuts through the stigma and stereotypes that defined the era. Completed at the edge of feature length, the production itself was a political struggle, shaped by a protracted fundraising battle in a culture that routinely devalued women’s stories, and people with AIDS. That tension gives the film its palpable urgency. It is direct and unafraid to ask viewers to reflect on their own relationship to HIV transmission risk, a conversation the filmmakers also carried into public screenings. The collaboration brought together a remarkable team, including cinematographers Ellen Kuras and Maryse Alberti early in their careers, whose camera work gives the film both tenderness and resolve. Premiering at Sundance, where it won the Freedom of Expression Award, and later broadcast on PBS in 1994, the heart of the matter ultimately helped change policy through a grassroots impact campaign — and became a model for activist filmmaking for generations to come.—Beandrea July Directors: Gini Reticker, Amber Hollibaugh. Producers: Gini Reticker, Amber Hollibaugh. Cinematographers: Ellen Kuras, Maryse Alberti. Editor: Ann Collins. With: Janice Jirau. Restoration funding provided by Women’s Film Preservation Fund of New York Women in Film & Television and the UCLA Film & Television Archive. Restored by Women’s Film Preservation Fund of New York Women in Film & Television and the UCLA Film & Television Archive from 16mm A/B original negative rolls, D2 and U-Matic tapes. Laboratory services by Colorlab, Endpoint Audio Labs. Special thanks to Gini Reticker, Kirsten Larvick.
Merrily We Live
Sat 5/30 • 4:10PM PDT
Billy Wilder Theater
Part of the 2026 UCLA Festival of Preservation. Free admission. No advance reservations. Ticketing is on a first come, first served basis. Seats will not be assigned. Introduction by animation historian Jerry Beck and Senior Film Preservationist Miki Shannon. Screening 1 of 3 Way Back When a Triangle Had Its Points Year: 1940 Country: U.S. Runtime: 8 min. Digital. B&W. West Coast Premiere of New Restoration Way Back When a Triangle Had Its Points was the first of 12 in Fleischer Studios’ Stone Age cartoons. It features a fabulous Betty Boop-style, Stone Age working girl on the hunt for a typist job. Paramount Pictures announced the series in the Miami News in June 1939, saying, “it will be based on the absurdity of modern life and modern inventions.” A rock-solid attempt, it wasn’t quite the smash the studio was looking for. However, Dan Gordon, one of the Fleischer animators on the project, later joined Hanna-Barbera and was a key creator of The Flintstones.—Jackie Forsyte DCP. Production: Fleischer Studios. Distribution: Paramount Pictures. Director: Dave Fleischer. Animation: David Tendlar, Thomas Golden. Writer: William Turner. Restoration funding provided by ASIFA-Hollywood. Restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive from 35mm nitrate original picture and track negatives. Laboratory services by Roundabout Entertainment, Inc., Audio Mechanics. Special thanks to Paramount Pictures Archive. Screening 2 of 3 The Nutty Network Year: 1939 Country: U.S. Runtime: 6 min. Digital. Color. World Premiere of New Restoration Just a year earlier, the 1938 radio broadcast of H. G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds stunned the public, convincing many that Martians were invading Earth. Terrytoons’ The Nutty Network cleverly spoofs the radio play, transforming public anxiety into slapstick comedy. The short exemplifies animation’s ability to respond quickly to contemporary culture with a playful critique of mass communication at a time when radio dominated American media. Although Terrytoons adopted Technicolor later than other studios, this short’s vibrant use of color showcases the expressive power of the technology, even in humorous satire.—Jackie Forsyte DCP. Production: Terrytoons. Distribution: 20th Century Fox. Producer: Paul Terry. Director: Mannie Davis. Writer: John Foster. Restoration funding provided by ASIFA-Hollywood. Restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive from 35mm nitrate successive exposure positive, acetate track negative and track positive. Laboratory services by Roundabout Entertainment, Inc., Audio Mechanics. Special thanks to Paramount Pictures Archive. Screening 3 of 3 Merrily We Live Year: 1938 Country: U.S. Runtime: 95 min. Digital. B&W. World Premiere of New Restoration Debuting near the end of the screwball comedy trend, Merrily We Live is one of the zaniest. When novelist and ladies’ man Wade Rawlins’ (Brian Aherne) car breaks down he seeks help at a mansion inhabited by a family of eccentrics. Mistaken for a tramp by the well-meaning matron of the house, Mrs. Kilbourne (Billie Burke), Rawlins finds himself hired as the family chauffeur. His protests fall on deaf ears, and the handsome young man soon becomes embroiled in romantic encounters and family crises. Throw in a large white rabbit, reproducing goldfish, a raucous parrot and two rambunctious Great Danes, and you have another hit from Hal Roach Studios, “Laugh Factory to the World.” Based on the 1924 novel The Dark Chapter: A Comedy of Class Distinctions and often compared to My Man Godfrey (1936), this spoof of social conventions never takes itself seriously; as one reviewer wrote, “Insanity runs rampant!” Roach, director Norman Z. McLeod and cast members Burke, Constance Bennett and Alan Mowbray from the hit Topper (1937) team up once again and, as a poster proclaimed, Merrily We Live “tops Topper by a hundred howls!” Best known for short comedies starring Laurel and Hardy and the Our Gang kids, Hal Roach Studios earned accolades when this film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Burke, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Music, Original Song, and won for Best Sound Recording. Roach would further prove his prowess the next year, receiving critical acclaim for Of Mice and Men (1939). Cinematographer Norbert Brodine and art director Charles Hall give the film a stunning look with depth of focus, shades of gray and an overall visual style not often seen in a comedic production. And we’d all like to know how many takes were needed to film the opening ensemble song!—Miki Shannon DCP. Production: Hal Roach Studios. Distribution: MGM. Producer: Milton H. Bren. Director: Norman Z. McLeod. Screenwriters: Eddie Moran, Jack Jevne, E. J. Roth. Cinematographer: Norbert Brodine. With: Constance Bennett, Brian Aherne, Alan Mowbray, Billie Burke, Patsy Kelly. Restoration funding provided by the Century Arts Foundation. Restored by the UCLA Film & Television Arch
The Magnificent Matador
Sat 5/30 • 7:30PM PDT
Billy Wilder Theater
Part of the 2026 UCLA Festival of Preservation. Free admission. No advance reservations. Ticketing is on a first come, first served basis. Seats will not be assigned. Introduction by Head of Preservation Jillian Borders. The Magnificent Matador Year: 1955 Country: U.S. Language: English Runtime: 95 min. Digital. Color. World Theatrical Premiere of New Restoration Trained as a matador in Mexico, director Budd Boetticher frequently returned to the topic of bullfighting in his films, from his start in Hollywood as a technical advisor on Rouben Mamoulian’s Blood and Sand (1941) to his first major film, The Bullfighter and the Lady (1951). Unsatisfied with the final editing of that film, Boetticher revisited his toreador past with The Magnificent Matador. In Boetticher’s words, “the story … isn’t just bulls. It’s really a love drama about a man on top who falters through fear, and an American woman who restores his faith in himself.” Mexican-born star Anthony Quinn was a natural to play “El Numero Uno,” having prior experience portraying matadors in Blood and Sand and The Brave Bulls (1951). Maureen O’Hara plays opposite him as his wealthy pursuer who becomes a possible means to his redemption. Acclaimed cinematographer Lucien Ballard (The Wild Bunch, 1969) brought his well-trained eye to the striking vistas and big action in the ring. Filming entirely on location, Ballard utilized the large CinemaScope format in its full width to capture Mexico’s countryside, bustling Mexico City and its giant arena in vibrant Eastmancolor. Legends of Mexican bullfighting are featured in the corrida, including Jesús “Chucho” Solórzano, Antonio Velásquez and Jorge “El Ranchero” Aguilar. Action sequences were staged to avoid any gore (to man or bull) to satisfy the Production Code, with ballet-like choreography and masterful passes that Variety called “some of the best bullfight scenes yet captured on film.” Prominent matador Carlos Arruza offered technical advice as well as the shooting location of Pastejé, his bull-breeding ranch. Boetticher would later direct the documentary Arruza (1971), narrated by Quinn, chronicling the matador’s life and tragic death.—Jillian Borders DCP. Production: National Pictures Corporation. Distribution: 20th Century-Fox. Producer: Edward L. Alperson. Director: Budd Boetticher. Screenwriter: Charles Lang. Based on a story by Budd Boetticher. Cinematographer: Lucien Ballard. With: Maureen O’Hara, Anthony Quinn, Manuel Rojas, Richard Denning. Restoration funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation. Restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation from the 35mm color separation master positives and a 35mm Cinemascope print. Laboratory services by Roundabout Entertainment, Inc., FotoKem, Audio Mechanics, DJ Audio, Inc. Special thanks to George Eastman Museum, Ignite Films.
Si muero antes de despertar (If I Should Die Before I Wake)
Sat 5/30 • 9:25PM PDT
Billy Wilder Theater
Part of the 2026 UCLA Festival of Preservation. Free admission. No advance reservations. Ticketing is on a first come, first served basis. Seats will not be assigned. Introduction by Eddie Muller, founder and president of the Film Noir Foundation. Si muero antes de despertar (If I Should Die Before I Wake) Year: 1952 Country: Argentina Language: Spanish with English subtitles. Runtime: 72 min. Digital. B&W. A complex father-son relationship is at the center of this Argentine film noir directed by Carlos Hugo Christensen. Originally meant to be included in a noir trilogy with No abras nunca esa puerta (Never Open That Door, 1952), previously restored by UCLA, the Grimm’s fairy-tale-like Si muero antes de despertar was instead released as a stand-alone feature. In this suspenseful adaptation of a Cornell Woolrich short story, the disappearance of several young girls, presumed to be victims of a sexual maniac, has the local population on edge. Police inspector Santana (Floren Delbene, a popular leading man in Argentina through the 1950s) is stymied by a lack of clues, while his wife (Blanca del Prado) simply says, “Those monsters ... They should leave them to us mothers.” Unknown to either parent, their obstreperous son, Lucho (Néstor Zavarce, who for an earlier Christensen film had earned the title of a “Child Prodigy of Venezuelan Cinema”), has vowed to keep a secret that might be of vital importance. Plagued by guilt, Lucho suffers through a feverish nightmare, courtesy of production designer Gori Muñoz, as surreal as the one concocted by Salvador Dalí in Hitchcock’s Spellbound (1945). The climax of the film, eerily lit by cinematographer Pablo Tabernero (a German émigré), with aspects too strong for North American censors, is nothing short of terrifying and was likely responsible for many sleepless Argentine nights. Archivist Fernando Martin Peña, responsible for finding the original complete version of Metropolis (1927), has championed Argentine films for decades. In 1969, a large fire destroyed most of the country’s nitrate negatives, and it is hoped that a cinematheque can be built to house their remaining treasures. We have Peña, our collaborators at the Film Noir Foundation and Eddie Muller to thank for this restoration made from scant surviving materials nearly lost to decomposition.—Miki Shannon DCP. Production: San Miguel Studios. Distribution: San Miguel Studios. Director: Carlos Hugo Christensen. Writer: Alejandro Casona. Adapted from a short story by Cornell Woolrich. Cinematographer: Pablo Tabernero. With: Néstor Zavarce, Blanca del Prado, Floren Delbene, Homero Cárpena. Restoration funding provided by the Film Noir Foundation and Eddie Muller. Restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive from a 35mm acetate composite print. Laboratory services by Roundabout Entertainment, Inc, Audio Mechanics, Simon Daniel Sound. Special thanks to Argentina Sono Film, Luis Scalella; Malba Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires; Fernando Martin Peña.
Screenings: The Computer-Laser-Videos of Raphael Montanez Ortiz (1996-7)
Sat 5/30 • 10:45PM - 11:30PM PDT
Billy Wilder Theater, UCLA Hammer Museum
World premiere of new preservations! Part of the 2026 UCLA Festival of Preservation led by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. These four selected works are Ortiz’s final computer-laser-videos, marking a significant point in his career as an interdisciplinary artist and pioneer of the Destructivism movement. Introduction by UCLA distinguished professor Chon Noriega, School of Theater, Film and Television, and processing conservator Yesenia Perez.
The Computer-Laser-Videos of Raphael Montanez Ortiz
Sat 5/30 • 10:55PM PDT
Billy Wilder Theater
Part of the 2026 UCLA Festival of Preservation. Free admission. No advance reservations. Ticketing is on a first come, first served basis. Seats will not be assigned. Introduction by UCLA Distinguished Professor Chon Noriega, School of Theater, Film and Television, and Processing Conservator Yesenia Perez. Co-presented by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center. World Premiere of New Preservations In his piece Destructivism: A Manifesto (1962), artist and filmmaker Raphael Montañez Ortiz states: “The art that utilizes the destructive processes will purge, for as it gives death, so it will give to life.” A key figure in the Destruction in Art movement of the 1960s, Ortiz is best known for his object-based work and performance art, most notably his piano destruction concerts. However, his expansive oeuvre of time-based media art also merits revisiting. Ortiz experimented with film starting in the late 1950s, creating found-footage films that deconstruct/reconstruct conventional Hollywood, newsreel and instructional films as a means of combating the xenophobia, classism and repression manifested within them. Decades later, Ortiz revisited this practice of partition and random reassembly; 1984 to 1997 was a fruitful period resulting in over 50 works Ortiz termed “computer-laser-videos.” The rise of consumer video formats and new technologies brought renewed opportunities for deconstruction — this time, in a realm that merged analog and digital. These videos were made by using films on laserdiscs (mainly titles from the 1930s to 1940s), selecting segments ranging from one to 10 seconds, editing and distorting clips via computer, and using joysticks to move footage back and forth at various speeds. Once it was finalized, Ortiz would transfer the footage to 3/4 in. videotape. This practice resulted in a new visual landscape of disjointed movement that was further heightened by the use of a wave-form generator to alter sound, creating a cacophony of words, music and disembodied noises. In expanding the length of these clips, Ortiz dissects and scrutinizes the whiteness, hegemony and gendered behaviors presented on-screen, reconstructing them as satire, performativity and artifice. These four selected works are Ortiz’s final computer-laser-videos, marking a significant point in his career as an interdisciplinary artist and pioneer of the Destructivism movement.—Yesenia Perez Screening 1 of 4 That's Too Much Year: 1996 Country: U.S. Language: Swedish with English subtitles Runtime: 6 min. Digital. B&W. DCP. Director: Raphael Montañez Ortiz. Source: Dollar (1938), directed by Gustaf Molander. Preservation funding provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Digitally preserved by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center from the director’s Betacam master. Laboratory services by The MediaPreserve. Special thanks to Raphael Montañez Ortiz, Chon Noriega. Screening 2 of 4 Ring Ring Ragtime Year: 1996 Country: U.S. Language: Italian with English subtitles Runtime: 12 min. Digital. B&W and color. DCP. Director: Raphael Montañez Ortiz. Sources: unidentified Italian film, undated footage from the Olympics. Preservation funding provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Digitally preserved by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center from the director’s Betacam master. Laboratory services by The MediaPreserve. Special thanks to Raphael Montañez Ortiz, Chon Noriega. Screening 3 of 4 Busy Bodies Year: 1997 Country: U.S. Runtime: 9 min. Digital. B&W and color. DCP. Director: Raphael Montañez Ortiz. Sources: A Night at the Opera (1935), directed by Sam Wood; Gone With the Wind (1939), directed by Victor Fleming. Preservation funding provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Digitally preserved by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center from the director’s Betacam SP master. Laboratory services by The MediaPreserve. Special thanks to Raphael Montañez Ortiz, Chon Noriega. Screening 4 of 4 It's Coming Up Year: 1997 Country: U.S. Runtime: 5 min. Digital. B&W and color. DCP. Director: Raphael Montañez Ortiz. Sources: unidentified exercise video, c. 1930s; The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), directed by James Whale; unidentified footage of a volcano eruption. Preservation funding provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Digitally preserved by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center from the director’s Betacam SP master. Laboratory services by the UCLA Film & Television Archive. Special thanks to Raphael Montañez Ortiz, Chon Noriega.