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KCET's 'Fine Cut' Festival of Films Announces New Southern California Student Showcase at the 23rd Annual Newport Beach Film Festival

Four regional student filmmakers to present films on Oct. 20 during largest international cinema event in Southern California.
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Press Contact for KCET & Fine Cut

JP Shields
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747.201.5886

Press Contact Contact for NBFF

Ron Hofmann/Chelsea Brandon
Ron.Hofmann@scenariopr.com
Chelsea.Brandon@scenariopr.com

USC’s Afton Quast Saler, USC’s Kay Niuyue Zhang, UCLA’s Myra Aquino and Cal Arts student Adam Musa Othman accept their awards at KCET’s FINE CUT Festival of Films at The Montalbán Theatre on September 15, 2022.
(Left to Right) USC’s Afton Quast Saler, USC’s Kay Niuyue Zhang, UCLA’s Myra Aquino and Cal Arts student Adam Musa Othman accept their awards at KCET’s FINE CUT Festival of Films at The Montalbán Theatre on September 15, 2022. Photo courtesy of KCET. Download

kcet.org/finecut

Select programming will also be available to stream on PBS.org and the free PBS App. Members of PBS SoCal | KCET get extended access through PBS Passport.

Los Angeles, Calif. Sept. 20, 2022KCET, showcasing the best of PBS and the leading source for arts, culture and news in Southern California, announced today plans to collaborate with Southern California’s largest international cinema event, the 2022 Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) by giving the winning 2022 FINE CUT Festival of Films Southern California student filmmakers the unique opportunity to have their short films screened as part of a student showcase on Thurs., Oct. 20 from 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. at the Lot in Fashion Island. For 23 years, the Newport Beach Film Festival has strived to connect Orange County audiences with the best in independent and international films while hosting events where the Newport Beach and filmmaking communities can gather. This year’s festival will run from October 13-20. PBS SoCal and KCET are proud partners in this year’s event. For Festival passes and tickets to the student showcase, visit NewportBeachFilmFest.com.

After receiving a variety of prize packages valued to be over $30,000 at a private awards event for the FINE CUT student filmmaker finalists on Sept. 15 at The Montalbán Theatre rooftop in Hollywood, four honorees were informed that their films would screen as part of the NBFF. The 23rd season of FINE CUT is made possible by a generous grant from The Bridges / Larson Foundation as well as the National Endowment for the Arts. The FINE CUT student finalists’ films will be broadcast as a series of six one-hour episodes starting Wed., Sept. 21 at 10 p.m. on KCET in Southern California with many films available for streaming at kcet.org/finecut and on the FREE PBS app.

UCLA’s, Myra Aquino, director of the short film “Beauty Queen” was presented with The Jack Larson Southern California Student Filmmaker Award which recognized exceptional storytelling. Other winners included Cal Arts student Adam Musa Othman for his animated film “Horned Cook, Gola,” University of Southern California (USC) film school student Kay Niuyue Zhang for her Narrative film “Mother in the Mist” and USC’s Afton Quast Saler for her Documentary short film “Neurodivergent.

The films are described as follows:

  • “Neurodivergent” directed by Afton Quast Saler (University of Southern California)  - In a personal and insightful mixed-media experience inside the ADHD mind. A 35-year-old film student is diagnosed with ADHD leading to questions about her past and future, while trying to make sense of this misunderstood disorder.  
  • “Horned Cook, Gola” directed by Adam Musa Othman (California Institute of the Arts) -  A dragon enters his living room struggling to remember something important...He then goes to work.  
  • “Mother in the Mist” directed by Kay Niuyue Zhang (University of Southern California) - Following Wuhan’s Coronavirus lockdown, a rural single mother embarks on a dangerous journey in search of her preemie newborn baby stranded in Wuhan City Hospital.  Joining her path is a mysterious eight-year-old girl who shares the same determination to reunite with her mother in the city.  
  • “Beauty Queen” directed by Myra Aquino (University of California, Los Angeles) - Set in the Philippines during World War II, a young woman struggles to find purpose after losing her father. 

Attracting nearly 60,000 attendees to Orange County, the Newport Beach Film Festival is the largest international cinema event in coastal Southern California, connecting its audience with the very best in US and international films. Spotlighting over 300 films, the Festival presents nightly parties and events featuring more than 60 culinary partners with their finest tastings. The Festival will also hold its annual Honors and Variety’s “10 Actors to Watch.”

Funding for FINE CUT is generously provided by The Bridges/Larson Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Join the conversation on social media using #FineCut and #NBFF

About KCET

KCET is part of the donor-supported community institution, the Public Media Group of Southern California, which was formed by the merger of PBS SoCal and KCETLink Media Group. As one of Southern California’s two flagship PBS stations, KCET is on-air, online as well as in the community, and plays a vital role in the cultural enrichment of Southern California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. Throughout its 55-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions and its website, kcet.org. For additional information about KCET’s original productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org. KCET Originals and PBS programming are available to stream on the FREE PBS App on iOS and Android devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, and Chromecast. KCET is also available to watch live on YouTube TV.

About Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF)

Recognized as one of the largest luxury lifestyle film festivals in the United States, the Newport Beach Film Festival brings an international curated collection of films and vibrant cultural gatherings to the beautiful Southern California coast. Committed to championing the work of original storytellers from around the globe, the Festival celebrates contemporary screen culture as well as cinematic excellence and engages the community in compelling conversations with filmmakers and artists. The Newport Beach Film Festival is sponsored in part by UCI Health, Los Angeles Times, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Fashion Island, Aston Martin and the City of Newport Beach. For Festival passes and tickets, visit www.NewportBeachFilmFest.com.

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