Film & TV
Film and Photography Society at UCLA brings community to the screen
(Christine Rodriguez/Daily Bruin staff)
Oct. 14, 2026 8:48 p.m.
Hollywood may be known as cutthroat, but at UCLA, a student club is rolling out the red carpet for everyone.
The Film and Photography Society at UCLA offers hands-on experience to creatives, making three short films, one photoshoot and two other media projects per quarter, said Mali Szerwo, FPS’s director of external affairs. According to the FPS <a href="https://www.fps-productions.com/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>website, these media projects can range from music videos to comedy sketches. Members can try different roles, she added, such as modeling in a photoshoot and working as technical crew on a film set. Szerwo, a fourth-year art history student, said the club’s inclusivity stood out at a school with many highly competitive clubs that require tedious applications.
“What makes us special is just that we’re so open,” Szerwo said. “You can join no matter where you are in your academic journey or your experience in film.”
Szerwo added that the flexible schedules of FPS productions make the projects accessible to students.
Kobe Geyer, a second-year English student and FPS’ media director, said he sought out a film club to find people with a shared interest in film. When shooting a media short titled “At the Beach, in Every Life” last fall, Geyer said he stepped into a new role working with the grip and electric crew.
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“I wanted to learn a lot, and they (FPS members) were willing to help me learn,” Geyer said.
Geyer said FPS is a multifaceted club, with filmmaking only being one of its focuses. The club’s social aspect is another integral part of the club, he added. FPS fosters community, Geyer said, and at times he has felt stronger ties to the club than to UCLA as a whole.
“Coming to college, it goes a long way when people are nice, and they remember certain things and are willing to talk to you,” Geyer said.
FPS president David Quintana, a fourth-year mathematics for teaching student, joined the club during his first year at UCLA. Quintana said he had a special connection to an FPS project he worked on in 2024 – a short film titled “Memora” – because he was able to learn from the president at the time while working as an assistant in the lighting department. Fostering hands-on experiences, he added, is exactly what FPS still tries to do.
Quintana’s introduction into a leadership role arrived when he produced the short film “Pass From Sight,” he said. His position required him to know how each department functioned and be able to answer any questions, he added.
“I felt really connected to it (the production) because I got to know – very personally – every single person that was working on the crew,” Quintana said.
This year, Quintana said he hopes to gain more recognition for the club both by increasing its social media presence and by submitting more FPS films to festivals.
“What you put into FPS is what you get out,” Geyer said. “There’s no heavy commitment if you don’t want it. But if you want to put a lot into it, it will reward you.”
