Choi Auditorium (Johnson Hall 200)

Old growth, native forests are disappearing, pulling the rug out from under local biodiversity and releasing noxious carbon dioxide that compounds climate change.

Jamila Woods is an award-winning poet, musician, and interdisciplinary artist from Chicago. Her writing has been published in POETRY, Poets.org, The Offing, and several anthologies. She has received fellowships from Hedgebrook, The Poetry Foundation, and Civitella Ranieri. Her three solo albums, HEAVN (2017), LEGACY! LEGACY! (2019), and Water Made Us (2023) were released by JagJaguwar Records to critical acclaim.

On the 50th Anniversary of the September 11, 1973 military coup in Chile that ushered in 17 years of dictatorship and continuing struggles to address its aftermath, Chilean American visual artist and writer Francisco Letelier offers insight into the use of culture as a tool for building solidarity and advancing justice and democracy. In the half century since the coup, Chilean exiles have created a new home in the US; through solidarity and exchange, efforts for justice in Chile have joined efforts to advance social justice and memory in the United States. 

SPEAKER BIOS

Zak Stoltz ’10 returns to discuss his role as leader of the visual effects team on this year’s acclaimed film Everything Everywhere All at Once. Stoltz will be joined by the film's writer/directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (the Daniels) for a post-screening Q&A moderated by Prof. Amanda Tasse. 

Visiting Professor Jonathan Wysocki will screen and discuss his feature film debut Dramarama, a nostalgic, funny love letter to drama nerds, late bloomers, and the intense friendships that mark our youth.

Gabriela Cowperthwaite ’93 will screen and discuss her latest feature documentary The Grab, which continues her tradition of changemaking media demonstrated by Blackfish (2013). In The Grab, Cowperthwaite follows journalist Nathan Halverson and his team at the Center for Investigative Reporting as they lay bare the mechanisms through which wealthy corporations and government forces are grabbing up land and water rights globally.

Prof. Broderick Fox will screen and discuss the cultural implications of his feature documentary, fresh off a global festival tour including BFI Flare London and LA's own Outfest. The film won Best Documentary at Reel Q Pittsburgh, and Edge Media Network writes "In the process of combing through the insights his three subjects offer around grooming, body hair, gender identity, and gender presentation, Fox’s film uncovers some poignant—and even startling—revelations about social roles, common spaces, and the breadth and depth of masculinity."  Prof.

For 22-23, the theme is “Oxy Creates!” the first time the series has focused solely on media produced by MAC faculty and Oxy alumni. All events take place in the Choi Auditorium and are free and open to the public, with first come, first served seating.

Prof. Aleem Hossain will screen and discuss his sci-fi dramatic feature set in a near-future Los Angeles. The film garnered the Best Film Award at Sci-Fi London, and Film Threat calls it “A shining example of indie filmmaking at its finest.” Hossain will be joined by cinematographer Julie Kirkwood, lead actor Brian Silverman, VFX supervisor Blaise Hossain, and composer Chanda Dancy in a post-screening Q&A moderated by Prof. Jonathan Wysocki. Note the film is rated R for violence and language. 

Doors open at 6:30pm. Film begins at 7pm. Running time: 94min. 

Panelists include:

Baktash Ahadi: Executive Producer of Retrograde, survivor of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Peace Corps veteran, and former combat interpreter and cultural advisor for the US military, Baktash is a tireless storyteller and advocate for conflict refugees and underrepresented communities.