Cristian Mungiu’s Palme d’Or-winning second feature, “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” an intimate drama of two friends forced to seek extralegal abortion under Communist rule, played better as a thriller than a message movie. The same curious quality informs Mungiu’s follow-up, “Beyond the Hills,” a gripping depiction of a remote Romanian monastery that similarly falls short of making a statement. Read more...

Kimberly Townes, a 2012 graduate of the UCLA theater department’s graduate directing program, said her motto for her first year at UCLA was to apply for everything with the perspective of trying, working and hoping. Read more...

Photo: School of Theater, Film and Television alumna Kimberly Townes had her thesis film “Zero” premiere on Feb. 16 on HBO. It was a finalist submission in the 2012 HBO Short Film Award competition, as part of the American Black Film Festival.

Gone are the days of fake IDs and getting turned away at the bar. The big 2-1 has finally arrived for Jeff Chang (Justin Chon), a straight-A student whose birthday falls on the eve of his medical school interview. Read more...

Dressed as her character Red Riding Hood, Santefort said she learned playing dead is one of the hardest aspects of acting. Read more...

Photo: UCLA alumna Lindsey Santefort stars in a new short film “The Takeover,” a body-swap film in the vein of Freaky Friday.

As Anne Hathaway accepted her award for Best Supporting Actress at the 85th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, UCLA’s own Tatenda Mbudzi was there to hand off her golden statuette. Read more...

Photo: Tatenda Mbudzi prepares for the Oscars during rehearsal at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. He handed over the golden statuette to Anne Hathaway.