Emerson VMA

Written and directed by SOF Professor Cristina Kotz Cornejo, with cinematography by SOF affiliated faculty member Bear Secunda and produced by Emerson alumna Priscila Amescua Méndez ’07, Woman Who Lives at the End of Time screens September 10 as part of the Shorts México Official Selection at Cineteca Nacional.

As Priscila shares, “I believe it is important to continue creating projects that raise awareness about these realities and encourage meaningful conversations.”

We’re proud to celebrate the creative work of our Emerson faculty and alumni reaching audiences beyond campus and across borders.

In Mexico City? Join SOF Professor Cristina Kotz Cornejo in person at the Cineteca Nacional for the September 10 screening! 🎬

We asked, you answered 📚

CINEMA EMERSON PRESENTS
an advance exclusive Emerson community screening of

Alireza Khatami’s 2025 thriller THE THINGS YOU KILL
Questioning the suspicious death of his mother, a university professor and his enigmatic gardener descend into a hypnotic maze of mirrors and memories.

THE THINGS YOU KILL premiered in the World Cinema Competition at Sundance, where it won the Best Director Award, and has been selected by Canada as its official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/EJDh_VvKhi8?si=mdbKIn7YLm3NnR3w

Writer-Director Alireza Khatami will be tuning in virtually for a post-screening Q&A moderated by Emerson Associate Professor Rashin Fahandej

Bright Family Screening Room (Paramount Theater, 559 Washington St)
7pm to 10pm, doors open at 6:30pm
FREE for Emerson community ONLY, seats first come first served

CINEMA EMERSON PRESENTS

Owen Egerton’s BLOOD FEST (2018)

Thursday October 30 in the BRIGHT (FAMILY) SCREAMING ROOM
Paramount Theater, 559 Washington St, Boston 02111
7pm start, doors open at 6:30pm
Free and first come, first served, open to the public!

Fans flock to a festival celebrating the most iconic horror movies, only to discover that the charismatic showman behind the event has a diabolical agenda. As festival attendees start dying off, three teenagers - more schooled in horror-film cliches than practical knowledge about neutralizing psycho killers - must band together and battle through various madmen and monstrosities to survive.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTxvJbSD7rc

Writer/Director/Actor Owen Egerton is an award-winning writer/director of the films Follow, Blood Fest and Blumhouse’s Mercy Black. He’s also one the writers of the animated hit Free Birds and a number of other films including Whistle directed by Corin Hardy which recently premiered as the closing night film of the 2025 Fantastic Fest. Owen has written comedy and horror for Fox, Warner Bros. and Disney and is also the author of several books including The Book of Harold, The Illegitimate Son of God, How Best to Avoid Dying, and Hollow, which was named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR. He and his wife Jodi Egerton co-author the creative writing guide This Word Now. Owen is also one of the talents behind the Alamo Drafthouse’s long running comedy show Master Pancake Theater. In 2023, Owen joined Emerson College as an Assistant Professor of Screenwriting.











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CINEMA EMERSON PRESENTS
an Emerson community only screening

Sarah Friedland’s acclaimed 2024 debut feature film FAMILIAR TOUCH

Best Debut Film, Best Director, Best Actress ~ Venice Horizons Award, 2024 Venice Film Festival
Somone to Watch Award ~ 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards
Winner, New Directions Competition ~ 2024 São Paulo International Film Festival
John Schlesinger Award, Best Director of a Narrative Film ~ 2025 Provincetown International Film Festival
Bronze Horse, Best Film ~ 2024 Stockholm Film Festival

A sensitive coming-of-old-age film that follows an older woman’s transition into assisted living as she navigates her relationship with herself, her caregivers, and her family amidst her shifting memories and desires.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/NY7qpocVWZE?si=XI29q45i3pQo0ZtJ

Writer-Director Sarah Friedland in attendance for a post-screening discussion moderated by Emerson Associate Professor Mike Ryan

Bright Family Screening Room (Paramount Theater, 559 Washington St)
7pm, doors open at 6:30pm
Free and first come, first served

After being cast for a one-liner in the sitcom English Teacher, Triniti Fong ‘26 turned said one line into appearances in 6 episodes of the show’s second season. Travelling from Boston to Atlanta, she juggled her spring semester, learning lines, and preparing for each shoot. She said the producers liked her and kept calling her back and giving her a slightly larger role each time. Fong hopes that her opportunity will show that even if it is just a one-liner, one should always give it all they’ve got. The season aired on September 25th, 2025 on Hulu and Disney+.

CINEMA EMERSON PRESENTS

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

Writer-director-producer Danny Turkiewicz ’16 in person with his 2024 comedy debut feature film STEALING PULP FICTION

STEALING PULP FICTION follows a group of enterprising wannabes and their eccentric therapist as they concoct a plot to steal Quentin Tarantino’s personal 35mm print of his famous 1994 film from his movie theater. What begins as a simple heist quickly spirals into a chaotic misadventure filled with unexpected twists and mishaps. From Tribeca Films.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgdXpx9I6sc

Post-screening discussion moderated by Emerson Assistant Professor Owen Egerton

It’s the ultimate heist for the ultimate collector’s edition 🎞️ STEALING PULP FICTION, the feature comedy debut from director Danny Turkiewicz ‘16 starring Jon Rudnitsky, Karan Soni, Cazzie David ‘16, Taylor Hill, Oliver Cooper, Matt Adams ‘16, and Jason Alexander. Co-producer Elise Kalani ’16, Associate Producer Matt Adams ‘16, Executive Producers Alex Morand ’16 and Carly Kaplan ’16

Bright Family Screening Room (Paramount Theater, 559 Washington St)
7pm start, doors open at 6:30pm
Free and first come, first served, open to the public!
Sponsored by the Emerson College School of Film, Television, & Media Arts

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Alumni Spotlight: Alexander Freeman ’14 confronts the barriers people with disabilities Face in his new documentary, True Value.

Narrated by Academy Award–winner Chris Cooper, the film follows Freeman and others as they search for meaningful work, asking a larger question: who decides a person’s worth?

Now streaming on YouTube.

CINEMA EMERSON PRESENTS
the opening film of the Boston Palestine Film Festival

an EXCLUSIVE Emerson community only screening

Laila Abbas’ debut feature length film THANK YOU FOR BANKING WITH US

“When their father dies, two sisters must get their hands on the inheritance before their brother finds out and claims half of the money.”
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXqMOFsoLGc

LIVE Q&A with Abbas to be moderated by Emerson Assistant Professor Hanadi Elyan

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT:
“A heist film? A thriller? A familial drama? A comedy? The film is all of these.
Mariam and Noura may not actually exist, but in my mind, they’re alive, breathing, and constantly arguing. They’re not polished or glamorous, they’re average women with real-life qualities. They’re honest and politically and religiously incorrect. I feel very close to them because they remind me a lot of myself and my sisters.
I grew up in a family of women with my father being the only outcast because of his gender. He didn’t have what it takes to be one of us; he didn’t gossip enough, wasn’t attentive, and couldn’t tell a story properly.
This sense of gender superiority was shaken when I was faced with a society that doesn’t see women as superior or even equal. Religion in my country still casts its shadows on how we perceive life and how we set our codes of conduct and laws.
In this particular story, inheritance laws are put under the microscope. In families with both sons and daughters, the male gets double what the female gets, that’s why the women in this story have to take matters into their own hands. Many real women lost inheritance battles to their brothers and male relatives and they simply couldn’t fight the system. If real women can’t beat the system at this point, let fictional women lead the way.
This story is about womanhood and the need for women to stay close emotionally and physically to triumph. Even against the harshest winds and their own disagreements, these sisters need each other. It’s a story about sisters who, having gone through their respective tragedies and heartbreaks, bond together to become stronger. This life-changing adventure feels immediate, urgent, and intense.”

CINEMA EMERSON PRESENTS

Dr. Alfred L. Martin, author of “Fandom for Us by Us: The Pleasures and Practices of Black Audiences” among other books, will deliver a talk on Black and gay fan practices surrounding the legendary series THE GOLDEN GIRLS, with episodes to be screened at the start and a Q&A moderated by Associate Professor Dr. Ken Feil to follow

Co-sponsored by the School of Film, Television, and Media Arts; Cultural Engagement Center; EBONI; and the Pride Coalition

In honor of NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY and LGBTQ+ History Month

Bright Family Screening Room (Paramount Theater, 559 Washington St)
Doors open at 6:30, talk at 7pm, free and first come first served. Emerson community only.

Beforehand, join the Emerson community dinner in honor of National Coming Out Day!
with remarks from Professor Dr. Deion Hawkins
Thursday, October 16, 5:00 p.m.
Owens Multipurpose Room, 172 Tremont St.