Cy Kuckenbaker, student, MFA 3, Film Directing Program, School of Film/Video had a short film titled 'Toshininkyste', in English 'The Barker' picked up by UNESCO. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) will give the film patronage which means they want they're name on the film itself, and they've already put it up on their UNESCO Lithuania website, unesco.lt.

Rahul Das, alumni '05, Film Directing Program was invited to screen his film "The Intruder" in the Santa Clarita Independent Film Festival which took place November 12, 2005 held at the Canyon Theater Guild, Santa Clarita, CA

Lou Florimonte, creator and former program director (retired May 2005) of the Film Directing program received the 2005 City of Santa Clarita Film Excellence award, presented jointly by the IFFF and the city’s Film & Tourism Office. Jason Crawford, the city of Santa Clarita’s Film/Tourist administrator and, not entirely coincidentally, one of Florimonte’s former students, introduced the honoree as a man who’s had a huge influence on many professionals now creating movies and TV shows seen around the world. The awards ceremony was Oct. 1, 2005 at the Valencia Hyatt.

The Sesame Street Internship/Scholarship has been awarded to Dominic Bisignano and Evelyn Lee, MFA 2's, Experimental Animation program. This opportunity includes working with Sesame Street Productions and also provides a scholarship.

Henry Selick, alumni, Experimental Animation has been awarded the prestigious IFFF Friz Award (named after the late Warner Bros. animation legend Friz Freleng), October 1, 2005 at the Valencia, Hyatt, honoring Mr. Seick's enormous contribution to animation and filmmaking. Henry Selick presented the world premiere of his latest production, the all-computer-generated animated short "Moongirl" at the 11th Annual Family Film Festival

Si-Hun (Shon) Kim, alumni, MFA Experimental Animation program was selected to screen his film Latent Sorrow
at the Avanto Media Art Festival; World-wide HIV/Aids Art competition, 1st prize, the Orange County Contemparary Art Center; Experimental Film and Video Festival, Seoul 2005; 53rd Colombus International Film and Video Festival, student division winners, Ohio; Chicago Underground Film Festival 2005; New Media Festival, Seoul 2005; Juan Media Festival 2005, work collected by Yonsei University Moving Images Anchorage Archive, Korea.

Thom Andersen, faculty, Program in Film and Video screened his film Los Angeles Plays Itself at ExperimentaDesgin Bienal de Lisboa, Sept. 2005, Monterey Design Conference, Pacific Grove, CA, Sept. 2005, Modern Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, Sept.. 2005, Roxie Cinema, San Francisco, October 2005, University of California at San Diego, October 2005, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, November 2005, Detroit Art Institute, November 2005.

Nina Menkes, faculty, Program in Film and Video Has been invited to screen her films in Israel. The jerusalem cinematheque in conjunction with the tel aviv cinemateque and the haifa cinematheque will present a touring program of all her films. The date has not been firmly set as yet, but likely in June 2006. Additionally, as part of their program on essential films from the American avant-garde, UCLA-Melnitz and Film Forum screened Nina's film The Bloody Child (1996/35mm/color) at the Egyptian Theater, Sunday, November 20, 2005. The film series was based on David James new book, "The Most Typical Avant Garde" (Berkeley, University of California Press 2005), which positions Los Angeles as a key site for radical filmmaking from the 20"s thru the present. This major seven program retrospective gave the audience of Los Angeles an unparalleled opportunity to view the range of truly radical film work that has been produced in our city over the last 85 years.