Community involvement has helped one UC Merced student fulfill one of his top goals , putting on a film festival.
David Cheng, a founder and president of the UC Merced
Film Association, has teamed up with
The D magazinepublisher Tom Price Jr. and the
Merced County Arts Councilto organize the ”
Independent Film Showcase,” which will be from 5-9:30 p.m. this Saturday (April 10) at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center on Main Street.
The festival features the Coen brothers’ latest film, “A Serious Man,” along with other short films from the Sundance Film Festival, including one that won an Oscar. This will be the first time this Coen brothers’ movie will be shown in Merced.
“It’s a joy to share my passion with the community, my friends and my classmates,” Cheng said, adding he hopes the festival is a way for students to interact with members of the community.
The film festival reflects the opportunities for UC Merced students to leave a mark on the community. Cheng, an
economicsmajor, is just one of the university’s students who are willing to put in extra effort during college to create events that benefit fellow students and the area.
Price said he was looking for some students from UC Merced to help with the festival. Cheng’s name and his film association kept coming up, so Price reached out.
“When I decided to bring this showcase to downtown, I knew we needed to have somebody like David and the others from the UC Merced Film Association to make it work,” Price said. “Cheng is a dynamic kid, who knows a lot about film and how to create a presentation that will appeal to anybody. Those guys (at the film association) are a driving force behind this event.”
Price said the film showcase has led to him creating a monthly event at the arts center that will feature music, writing and film which will be held the second Saturday of the month beginning in May.
For more information:
Independent Film Showcase.
