News
2023-2024
Congratulations, Jared Palomares! Your project Scent of Ivory has been selected to screen at the 45th CineFestival San Antonio, scheduled for July 11 to 14, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
Well done Jared!
Peter Mikolasky, MFA
UTRGV Green Captains receive Pollinator Day Award from The Office for Sustainability for promoting sustainable practices in theater!
A short film made in partial fulfillment of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Theatre, Film & TV department. Adv Film and Video Production.
Directed by award-winning filmmakers Jared Palomares & Andrew Perez comes the multi-award-winning short film Hit Astray. Synopsis: In the summer of 2008, Santi lives a carefree lifestyle with his hometown friends. Over their long friendship, Santi has become more infatuated with his best friend, Dylan. However, an unexpected tragedy changes the trajectory of their lives. Leaving Santi struggling with his sense of reality and self-acceptance.
Directed by: Jared Palomares & Andrew Carlos Perez Gonzalez
Written by: Jared Palomares
Produced by: Jared Palomares & Andrew Carlos Perez Gonzalez
Edited by: Andrew Perez
Director of Photography: Andrew Carlos Perez Gonzalez
Music by: Joseph Golez
Sound: Ramiro Castro Jr.
"Know You Less" - Lost In Limbo
Adrian Rodriguez-DiBella as "Santi" Aaron Guerrero as "Dylan" Alondra Gonzalez as "Natalie" Diego Garza as "Marco"
Hit Astray flyer
https://youtu.be/OeEicEmLsQw?si=n5lF5AvmJ8lMex7U
Armando Ramirez Cardenas' short film 3:00 AM THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT won the Billy the Kid Film Festival's Best College Latino Short award.
The film was previously nominated for Best RGV Short Film and Best South Texas Director at the South Texas International Film Festival.
Instructor: Ferenc Moldovanyi, Associate Professor
Hit Astray (directed by Andrew Perez, and Jared Palomares,) won the Matthew Shepard Memorial Award for Best Student Film at San Antonio Q Fest LMBTQ International Film Festival.
Matthew Shepard Memorial Award: Best Student Film
“Matthew Shepard was a student at the University of Wyoming in 1998. One night at a bar two men pretended to be gay and offered him a ride home. On the way they brutally beat him and left him tied to a post to die. He was discovered 18 hours later by a cyclist. The brutality of the attack incited his mother, Judy Shepard, to become a fierce LGBTQ advocate. She worked tirelessly to get ratified Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act which was signed into law in 2009. She also created the Mathew Shepard Foundation which funds anti-violence education, outreach, and advocacy programs.”
Instructor: Ferenc Moldovanyi, Associate Professor
2022-2023
News Release
Aug. 21, 2023
Contact: Armando P. Ibanez
UTRGV Grads’ Film on Winning Streak:
Jose and Mario Zamarripa, who graduated from UTRGV in the Spring 2023, wrote, produced
and directed a film short, entitled A Long Way to Go, which has won seven awards this year.
The awards are:
• Best Performance, Thriller/Suspense Festival, Toronto, Canada
• Best Cinematography Awards, Los Angeles Cinematography Awards
• Best Thriller, Monthly Future Film Awards, Kej Makedonija, Macedonia
• Best Thriller and Best Directors, Birsamuda International Film Awards, Ooty, India
• Best Thriller, Gothamite Monthly Film Awards, New York, NY
• Best Thriller, 1st Monthly Film Festival, Serbia.
News Release
Aug. 21, 2023
Contact: Armando P. Ibanez
South Texas International Film Festival
Selects Six Films by UTRGV Students and a Professor
The South Texas International Film Festival judges designated six films by UTRGV students, a professor and graduates as Official Selection, and awarded them four nominations in a number of award categories.
“STIFF is a competitive film festival that showcases the work of visionary filmmakers from all over the world,” states the festival’s posting on Film Freeway, a clearinghouse for film festivals.
Congratulations! Hit Astray, a 17-minute short narrative film directed by Jared Palomares and Andrew Perez, produced in Dr. Ferenc Moldovanyi's Advanced Film and Video Production class, was selected for the Luleå International Film Festival in Sweden and has been chosen as finalist film in the Panorama Film Festival: A Film Festival For Queer and Trans Youth.
From UTRGV Theatre stage to commencement stage, graduating senior says ‘It’s all worth it’
Thursday, May 11, 2023 — UTRGV graduating senior and mother of two Dalia Emanuel this weekend will walk the stage to accept her degree in Theater with a concentration in Design.
Follow UTRGV’s Department of Theatre to the ‘End of Days’
Monday, April 17, 2023 — Science fiction meets fantasy and cottagecore (rural aesthetic) meets the apocalypse in the last production of the Spring 2023 season for UTRGV’s Department of Theatre.
French playwright, Molière, inspires UTRGV Theatre’s next production
Thursday, November 17, 2022 — The UTRGV Theatre Department is following up its three nights of horror with three nights of commedia dell'arte, love, trickery, mistaken identities, mayhem, farce and fun.
UTRGV Theatre brings the ‘mad scientist’s monster’ to life with its ‘Frankenstein’ production
Thursday, October 13, 2022 — The UTRGV Theatre Department has conjured a truly ghoulish production of “Frankenstein,” adapted by UTRGV graduate student Joshua Kennedy, also playing the titular doctor, and directed by UTRGV associate professor Dr. Brian Warren.
2021-2022
UTRGV film student wins two awards for documentary short
Friday, February 25, 2022
UTRGV student Brenda Patricia Garza has garnered two awards for a documentary short film based on her husband’s experiences as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.
Friday, October 22, 2021
UTRGV’s Theatre department is getting into the Halloween spirit with a production of “The Weird,” a play by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and directed by Peter (Trey) Mikolasky, associate professor of Theatre. “The Weird” ...
University Productions theatre season opens with ‘Tomás and The Library Lady’
Thursday, September 30, 2021
UTRGVs Department of Theatre opens its 2021-2022 University Productions theatre season on Friday with Tomás and The Library Lady, based on the life of Mexican American author and educator Tomás Rivera.
Congratulations Ferenc Moldovanyi for his National Museum of the American History Tuesday Colloquium announcement of his Human and Children's Rights in Documentary Film.
A huge shout out to Assistant Professor, Dr. Ferenc Moldovanyi who has had several of his photos chosen for the Images of Light II Exhibit in Hungary!
Many congratulations on this amazing accomplishment Dr. Moldovanyi!
Four of photographs of Dr. Ferenc Moldovanyi have been invited to be exhibited at the prestigious annual photo exhibition in Hungary:
Images of Light II. | 2nd National Salon of Photography 2021, which takes place from April 24th to September 26th, 2021 at Műcsarnok - Kunsthalle - Hall of Art in Budapest.
Photos are the following:
- Chiaroscuro I.,
- Quincy,
- Smoke I.,
- Vertigo I. (shown below)
http://www.mucsarnok.hu/exhibitions/index.php
About Műcsarnok | Kunsthalle | Hall of Art, Budapest:
"Ever since its establishment at the end of the 19th century, Kunsthalle has been the center of contemporary Hungarian fine art and a key institution in canon formation. It is a national institution with the mission of exhibiting the most significant trends of both contemporary Hungarian and international fine art in Budapest. The art center at Heroes’ Square in Budapest is open to the whole spectrum of Hungarian visual culture. It operates strictly according to the principle of aesthetic value, without any constraint of ideology or age. Besides organizing exhibitions, programs involving other art forms, and academic conferences, Kunsthalle’s publishing activity is significant as well."
2019-2020
A Series of Windows from UTRGV Theatre and Film on Vimeo.
Congratulations Joann Gonzalez! Film "A Series of Windows" directed by Joann was successfully selected for 40th International VGIK Festival, Moscow. It is a very famous student film festival. “Applications for participation came from 52 countries and about 140 different film schools from all over the world. This year we received 345 international applications, which is 30 more than last year”
(Source: https://www.vgikfestival.com/eng)
Dr. Ferenc Moldovanyi, Assistant Professor
Film director, producer
A Series of Windows
a film by Joann Gonzalez
Synopsis:
This film was filmed during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic for a Summer Documentary TV/Film Workshop. Its aim is to resonate with anyone who is also experiencing the current pandemic or undergoing through similar circumstances. Meant to transport the audience so that it feels like they are standing behind the same windows in the film.
Happy fall to everyone! The theatre department is pleased to present to you the UTRGV Halloween Showcase! This was open to submissions of all branches of fine art from all UTRGV students, staff and faculty.
Please enjoy the submissions as our students, faculty and staff have worked hard to bring together these wonderful projects to be shared with the community. We wish you and your families a safe and happy fall season! 👻 💀 🎃
Halloween Showcase - Original Artworks and Stories:
https://vimeo.com/showcase/7678959
Halloween Showcase - Costumes:
https://vimeo.com/showcase/7722275
Halloween Showcase - Films:
https://vimeo.com/showcase/7722281
Halloween Showcase - Audio Plays:
https://vimeo.com/showcase/7722294
Congratulations! Our UTRGV - COFA short film, Metamorphosis, directed by Johnny Rodriguez, won the BEST FILM AWARD in the Non-Fiction Category at Y Frames International Short Film Festival in India.
Click below to see his film!
Congratulations Dr. Ferenc Moldovanyi, Assistant Professor Film director, producer of the Theater TV Film Department! Seven of his students' films have been selected and will be screened at Y Frames - Short Film Festival in India. The screening will take place online on October 3rd and 4th.
The films are the following:
- A Series of Windows by Joann Gonzalez,
- While I Lay There Awake by Gerson Salinas,
- Metamorphosis by Johnny Rodriguez,
- Luis Esquivel - El Lobito by Stephanie Saucedo,
- Expect the Worst, Make the Best! By J. Alexis
- In God's Hands by Marco Rodriguez,
- Un dernier souffle (One Last Breath) by Ed Castañeda
The UTRGV Department of Theatre is now accepting all entries and submissions for the
Halloween Showcase of Shocks and Tales of Terror! 👻 💀 🎃
Open to all UTRGV students!! ✌️
Rules: Any group projects must be created via social media. Any face to face contact with anyone will need to follow UTRGV Guidelines of masks and social distancing. 😷
What can I submit?: Whatever you want! It can be film, music, artwork, stories, etc.
Themed Categories:
Chilling Children’s Stories: Spooky Stories, Children’s DIY crafts,recipe & costume videos
Local Legends, Customs and Costumes: La Chusa, La Llorona, The Chupacabra, El Cuco, Day of the Dead, etc.
Original Work: Scary Stories, Songs, Art, Poems, Videos
Submit all entries by Oct. 19th to: bianca.ramirez01@utrgv.edu
# utrgvcofa # utrgv # universityproductions # wewill # utrgvtheatre # supportlocaltheater
It’s officially the first day of Autumn, and with that we thought it would be great to share with everyone our first online departmental viewing of 2020-2021!
Please enjoy the Film Showcases as our students have worked hard to bring together these film projects to be shared with the community. We are so incredibly proud of our students and all of their amazing work during the summer and fall semesters so far!
https://vimeo.com/showcase/7581913
https://vimeo.com/showcase/7582127
If you’d like to support the department please follow the link below to donate:
https://www.utrgv.edu/theatre/donate/index.htm
Bianca Boyd, a theatre design major within the UTRGV College of Fine Arts, has helped sew hundreds of masks for the UTRGV School of Medicine. "So often when I mention that I’m a theatre major, I get scoffed at like it’s not a viable career choice, but now I’ve become somewhat of a 'hometown hero,'" she said. "... It’s solid proof that my hands are capable of doing everything from putting on a musical to helping save lives." Bianca is this week's PiE student and designated as a "Front Lines" student in her efforts to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
UTRGV Theatre Department and Associate Dean of Clinical and Translational Research, Dr. Jay Morrow, delivered more Personal Protection Equipment to clinics in the Rio Grande Valley.
Friday, May 1st, the Theatre department delivered 150 gowns, 50 face shields and 50 cloth masks to EL Milagro Clinic. Shown in the pictures above are Mateo Ramirez, a theatre student from Brownsville, who helps make PPE equipment from his home during the Covid-19 Crisis. Also shown are Laura Pizano, medical coordinator for the clinic, Marisol Resendez, Executive Director of El Milagro Clinic and Dr. Morrow.
Monday, May 4th, we visited Hope Family Health Center in McAllen and donated 125 plastic gowns, 50 face shields and 30 cloth cover masks for their doctors and staff.
Photo by Peter Mikolasky.
CHECK OUT OUR PHOTO ALBUMS BELOW!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!
- Xpress Printing, for their laser cutting fabric for face mask patterns, and the use of a sealer and electric fabric cutting machine
- Stephanie Block, creating and donating plastic gowns
- J.B Garza, Donating supplies for face shields and 3D printing supports
- Professor Noe Vargas, UTRGV Department of Mechanical Engineering, initiation of a collaboration with Engineering department for 3D printing of face shield supports and other PPE
- Jeannette Zallar- Fabric Donation
Emergency PPE Materials have been distributed to:
UTRGV School of Medicine
UTRGV Child Development Center
UTRGV Police Department
UTRGV testing sites across the valley
Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen; with the help of School of Medicine Assistant Professor, Dr. Jose Campo Maldonado.
Our department hopes to continue to get these materials to where they are needed most!
HOW TO MAKE A CLOTH FACE MASK
This past weekend the UTRGV Theatre Department teamed up with the School of Medicine to craft much needed face shields, face mask covers and plastic gowns as the UTRGV School of Medicine has officially begun drive by testing for COVID-19 in the community. All of our costume shop and scene shop staff and faculty have been hard at work to help with the preparation for this.
Drive thru testing is located on both Edinburg and Brownsville campuses. If you or someone you know would like to get tested please contact the School of Medicine. Please remember you MUST complete a phone screening prior to visiting the screening site.
To receive a phone screening and/or schedule drive-thru appointment:
1-833-UTRGVMD (1-833-887-4863)
Monday - Friday from 8:00 am - 7:00 pm
For additional information visit:
https://uthealthrgv.org/coronavirus/
If you would like to help craft face masks or mask covers to donate to the School of Medicine check out some of the links below! Please be sure to contact the UTRGV School of Medicine as well in regards to donation and drop off information at (833) 887-4863.
Face Masks:
https://www.sewthecurveflat.com
https://www.joann.com/make-to-give-response/
https://www.ecommunity.com/giveppe/homemade-mask-instructions
Face Shields:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noehwkOKYvc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxIOFz0kWj4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsU3wyLELlI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owiAiM03DJE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNnxoXNScSA
If you would like to donate to the department to help us purchase supplies as we continue our efforts to support the school of medicine please visit:
https://give.utrgv.edu/up
2018-2019
Student Interns - Summer 2019
- Zachery Da Silva, Shakespeare & Company, photography and video intern
- Aimee Ambriz, Shakespeare & Company, graphic design
- Olivia Garza, Hill Country Theatre costume intern
- Desery Pacheco, The Theatre At Monmouth, stage management intern
- Rosa Cano, The Illinois Shakespeare Festival, electrics intern
Student Experience - Profiles in Excellence - Zoe Sesin
Why UTRGV?Initially I chose to attend UTRGV due to the convenience of being close to home. Originally, I was going to transfer to another school, but ended up staying at UTRGV. I realized that the relationships I had made with others, as well as my involvement in the theatre department, was irreplaceable.
Alumna says UTRGV’s Latino Theatre Initiatives helped set her career path
The stage is home for the UTRGV theater alumna, a place where she can express her love for the performing arts.Alvarado, of Edinburg, is originally from Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico, and graduated from UTRGV in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and a concentration in Performance. Read more about Alumna says UTRGV’s Latino Theater Initiatives helped set her career path!