Coming Home

Don Hertzfeldt, a UCSB alumnus and Oscar-nominated director of animated short films returns to campus to discuss his work

Sunday was a big night for Academy Award-nominee Don Hertzfeldt, whose 2015 movie “World of Tomorrow” was competing in the category of Best Animated Short Film. His Oscar appearance marked the second of his career: His short film “Rejected” was similarly honored in 2000.

On Tuesday, March 1, Hertzfeldt will trade his tuxedo for Santa Barbara casual for a screening of “World of Tomorrow” at UC Santa Barbara’s Pollock Theater. The event, part of the Pollock Theater’s Script to Screen series, begins at 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

“We are so thrilled to have Don Hertzfeldt for our Script to Screen series,” said Matthew Ryan, director of the Pollock Theater. “He’s a quintessential guest due to his involvement in every aspect of the development, production and distribution of his remarkable films. It is an honor for students to interact with such a respected alum whose creativity was fostered by the film and media studies department during his time at UCSB.”

Hertzfeldt, who graduated from UCSB in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in film and media studies, will participate in a Q&A session following the screening. In a discussion led by Ryan, he will share lessons learned over the course of his career, which spans a dozen films and more than 250 awards.

The UCSB Script to Screen program examines the screenplay and its transition to finished movie from the perspective of the writer, director, producer and actor.

“World of Tomorrow” is the story of a little girl taken on a mind-bending tour of her distant future. In addition to the Oscar nod, the film received the Grand Jury Prize for Short Film at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Seven of Hertzfeldt’s films have been screened in competition at Sundance, and he is the only filmmaker to have twice won the overall Grand Jury Prize for Short Film.

Seating is limited, and reservations are suggested. Complete information is available at http://www.carseywolf.ucsb.edu/pollock/events/script-screen-don-hertzfeldt-world-tomorrow

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