Fine Cut Festival of Films Announces 2023 Student Finalists and Episode Schedule

The Los Angeles-based pubcaster KCET has revealed its student finalists and episode lineup for the 24th season of Fine Cut Festival of Films, an annual showcase and celebration of Southern California’s young filmmakers. The six one-hour blocks on KCET will broadcast collections of short films from the student finalists beginning at 10 p.m. PT on September 22 through October 27.

More than 40 Southern California universities, including the University of Southern California, Chapman University, Loyola Marymount University, the American Film Institute, and the California Institute of the Arts, submitted over 350 short films this year. Among the chosen finalists, themes ranged from animated shorts about cowboys to documentaries regarding Latino and Latina representation in Hollywood.

Of these finalists, three winners will be awarded prizes in the animation, narrative, and documentary categories, along with the Jack Larson Southern California Student Filmmaker Award. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on September 13, hosted by Variety’s Michael Schneider and Angelique Jackson.

Industry experts James Lee Hernandez, Kelly Younger, Elizabeth Ito, Michael Herrera, Alison Kelly, Yemisi Brookes, Karissa Valencia, Everett Downing, and Tina Mabry were among the nine judges who assisted in choosing the 2023 Fine Cut finalists and winners.