Legacy on the Muir

A film by Max Buschini, Cinema Studies Class of 2017

From the Cottage Grove Sentinel: 

Daughter of So Latino Soul boutique owners and UofO student offers bilingual tours at Natural and Cultural History Museum

Kat Sincur Alvarez is in her fourth year at the University of Oregon, set to graduate in June with a major in Cinema Studies, and a triple minor in Cultural Anthropology, Folklore, and Latinx Studies. Sincur Alvarez has a strong focus to work hard toward all of life’s rewards, a philosophy and ethic she adopted from her parents, Edgar Sincur and Annie Alvarez, owners of So Latino Soul on Main Street.

The Sincur-Alvarez family's journey to Oregon from Miami, Fla. is a migratory fairytale all on its own. Kat Sincur Alvarez documented their touching story in an engaging short film titled, “Y el amor triunfo (...and love triumphed)” posted on the University of Oregon’s website. Watching Sincur’s film, the narrative is told in Spanish, through the eyes of her parents, her brother Joey, and Sincur Alvarez herself.

Cinema Studies Asst. Professor Masami Kawai continues to receive accolades for her latest fiction film project, VALLEY OF THE TALL GRASS. The film was recently selected for the 2023 Sundance Screenwriters Lab from more than 2000 submissions!

Fran–a Cinema Studies and Business Administration major–attended the Ireland Study Abroad Program last summer and recommends the experience to other students.

“This program is a great opportunity to meet people in the major and make connections with students who have the same career interests. Ireland is a beautiful country with a lot of history, nature, and places in and around Dublin to explore. After spending 5 weeks in Dublin, you really get to learn what the city is all about. My favorite moment was definitely the weekend trip to Galway. It was a great chance to really connect with the group and spend more time with everyone.”

The Ireland Study Abroad Program allows students to take a deep dive into Irish culture and history, immerse themselves in cinema studies and filmmaking, and make lasting memories.

Samuel Matsuzaki is a Cinema Studies major with a minor in East Asian Studies and shared about his experience studying filmmaking and cinema in the Ireland Study Abroad Program last summer.

On November 25, 2022, Associate Professor Dong Hoon Kim taught a masterclass at the University Institution of Spanish Cinema of the University Carlos III of Madrid, Spain. Professor Kim was invited to deliver a lecture on North Korean cinema as a part of "Reflexiones sobre la cultura asiática" ("Reflections on Asian Culture"), a special film studies course funded by Eurasian Foundation from Asia.

Cinema Studies Assoc. Professor Erin Hanna recently participated in a panel discussion at Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery in Seattle about "See You at San Diego: An Oral History of Comic-Con, Fandom, and the Triumph of Geek Culture.”

Masami Kawai's latest fiction film project, VALLEY OF THE TALL GRASS, was selected for Film Independent’s 2022 Fast Track Film Finance Market. 

The program is an intensive, four-day film-financing market where participants eager to push their projects forward are connected with established financiers, production companies, agents, managers, and other film industry professionals who can really elevate their project to the next step.