University of La Verne Student Films to Be Featured at 909 Festival

Three films produced by six University of La Verne seniors and alumni will be included in the 909 Film Festival in Claremont on September 30.

The films are “Finding a Home, Pomona’s Homeless Crisis,” about homelessness in Pomona; “Rush,” a film about street racing; and “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Hidden War,” which profiles war veterans.

“They put their heart and many hours of hard work into producing these documentaries, which are thoughtful and insightful treatments on aspects of life in the Inland Empire and are deserving of the recognition,” said Valerie Cummings, associate professor of broadcast journalism.

Alums Tiphanie Autran-Hayward and Russell Silva produced “Rush” to take viewers inside the world of drifting and street racing. The film illustrates the illegal and sometimes deadly nature of both sports.

Alumna Bianca Zapata ‘16 created “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Hidden War,” because a friend suffered from the condition. She co-produced the film with alumna Crystal Villegas ’16.

Senior broadcast journalism major Humberto Fabian created “Finding a Home” to provide an in-depth look at lost funding and the decline of homeless shelters in Pomona.

“We would get up sometimes at 5 a.m. to meet with the homeless, exposing ourselves to dangerous situations because we wanted to capture the realities of homeless life,” said Sommer Garcia, a senior public relations major who co-produced the film with Fabian.

The festival bears the name 909 in reference to the inland Southern California area code. It features short films that have an Inland Southern California theme.

The festival will be at 7 p.m. in Benson Auditorium at Pitzer College, 1050 N. Mills Ave.