Lewis Cole passed away on Friday, October 10, due to complications from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. We hope to have an article in the next Newsletter commemorating his accomplishments as a faculty member and former Chair of the Film Division and as a community leader.

If you would like to contribute to the Facebook group "Lewis Cole, in memoriam" click here.

For those who are not Facebook users, you can also use this email address. Lewis' family will have full access to this mailbox.

Welcome to the Autumn edition of your Newsletter — it's the start of the new school year, the premiere of the TV season, the beginning of the onslaught of Oscar-worthy movies and the craziness of the rollercoaster ride of the Presidential Election. In the midst of all of this comes exciting news and updates from our distinguished pedagogues and alumni.

CUE is what you make of it. The more you engage the community, the more you will get out of it, from artistic collaborators to business partners to just good old friends to hit the town with. I encourage you to take advantage of our CUE community. And keep on keeping on, because we all know how tough this endeavor can be and having support from your alumni peers can make all the difference in the world.

- NaRhee Ahn SOA Film '99

Hi Everyone - We hope you had a great summer! CUE was happy to kick it off with the 2nd Annual Alumni Film Festival Gala on June 6th at the 86 Speakeasy in Hollywood with generous support from the Columbia University School of the Arts Dean's Office. Our special thanks to Associate Dean of Student/Alumni Affairs, David Beeman; Associate Director of SOA, Stephanie Cook; Columbia University Film Festival Director, Lydia Cavallo; and Film Division Chair, Jamal Joseph. We would also like to thank our Events Chair, Scott Foster and his Events Committee for pulling together such a great party. If you missed it, you missed a good one with open bar, buffet, passed hors d'oeuvres, DJ and live music. Here's a link with photos of this wildly successful event with over 250 of your Columbia peers: http://www.slide.com/r/zKpx53po4D9iTRV8nZtxHKPKdtaRu-3s?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original.

The CUE Board is committed to working tirelessly to bring you great networking events and industry panels in the future. But we can always use some help. So, if you want to lend a hand and get involved with the CUE Board, please join us at our monthly board meeting. Our meetings take place the first Tuesday of every month @ 8pm in Koreatown. The address is Sanjang Coffee Garden, 101 S. Virgil Ave. @ 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90004.

Hope to see you there!

Ricardo Acuna, CUE Co-Chair
Edward McGinty, CUE Co-Chair

MY "DATE" WITH SIMON KINBERG -
by Paul Francis, SOA Film '99

I didn't know much about Simon Kinberg before I met him. All I knew was that he wrote MR. AND MRS. SMITH and other very high-profile studio pictures and was considered "a success story" of Columbia's MFA Film program. I knew he was active in Columbia Alumni Affairs and was well liked, but there were the requisite spurious rumors:

"Isn't he British?"

"Dude, that guy totally c*** blocked me at a party the other night."

"Oh, that guy is so part of a massive conspiracy engineered by The Masons."

Going into the interview, I brought many preconceptions to bear — thinking of other "high profile" writers and directors I have met. These other meetings have always proven bittersweet as I've detected a mix of pride, relief and a pervasive tinge of panic caused by the often unpredictable mood swings of the studios. Sometimes there is a sense of partying it up in Pompeii with soft rumblings in the distance.

Simon's office didn't disappoint... READ MORE...

Miloš Forman receives the Directors Guild of America Honor - our very own Professor and Co-Chair Emeritus has been recognized for his achievements as a director as well as being an advocate for filmmaker's rights to preserve final cut. We all know that Miloš directed One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus, both of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Director. Amadeus won eight Oscars and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is the second film in history to have won the top five Academy Award categories, a rare feat indeed. Other notable Forman films include Hair, Ragtime and The People vs. Larry Flynt. Miloš and his many films have received numerous additional accolades including Golden Globes, BAFTA and Cesar awards.

Perhaps less well known but no less important is Miloš as activist. After his film version of Hair was edited without his authorization, Miloš worked to educate politicians about artist's rights of redress against misrepresentation and censorship. Miloš was awarded the John Huston Award for Artists Rights in 1997 and the Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award in 2006.

Want to know what's been going on with your fellow alumni? - Here's your chance to make your announcements, ask for assistance and network. Keep sending these in; we'd love to know what you've been working on.

James Latham SEAS '88 writes - I am working for Mini Movie Channel, an online distributor of short films. We offer free unlimited viewing of hundreds of well-produced short movies, primarily comedies and genre films. I'm working to raise awareness of the site as a destination for viewers and a distribution venue where filmmakers receive up-front licensing fees. For more details, check out the Mini Movie site or contact me directly.

Annette Apitz SOA Film '98 and Bertha Bay-Sa Pan SOA Film '98 write - Fighting Fish, written and directed by Annette and produced by Bertha's production company Slew Pictures, is in post-production. The other two producers are Derrick Tseng and Jim Chu. The film is about a brother and sister in upstate New York who have to overcome their troubled past. It stars Val Emmich (Ugly Betty, 30 Rock), Anna Moore (Law & Order), and Halley Feiffer (The Squid and the Whale, Margot at the Wedding). For more info, you can go the the imdb page.

Alfredo de Villa SOA Film '98 writes - Here's a trailer for a new film I directed called Nothing Like the Holidays coming soon to a theater near you.

Jaxon Ronin Jarrod (aka "J.R.") SOA Film '98 writes - I have two feature screenplays and I'm seeking representation. Let me know if these interest you: The Accursed, Supernatural Horror/Thriller (cross between The Exorcist, Apocalypto, From Dusk 'Til Dawn) and October, Crime Thriller (Ransom, The Usual Suspects) Phone: 818-415-4123; Email me.

Mary Prendergast, SOA Film '98 writes - I was a co-Post Production Supervisor for Bill Maher/Larry Charles' Religulous, which premiered at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival, and opened nationwide October 3rd. More info: IMDB, Entertainment Weekly, Review.

Jack Siegel SOA Film '98 writes - Friends, Family, and Colleagues: I got back from the Toronto International Film Festival, where American Swing finally had its World Premiere. Needless to say, it was a great experience after a long hard slog. I want to share some of the great press we just received and thank all of you for your support over the past 2 1/2 years. Check out reviews by Entertainment Weekly, The NYTimes' Michael Cieply, The NYPost and The Hollywood Reporter and New York magazine.

Amy Talkington SOA Film '99 writes - My feature film The Night of the White Pants which stars Oscar-nominee Tom Wilkinson, Nick Stahl and Selma Blair was released on DVD on October 14, 2008. I'd like to encourage you all to order a copy of the movie from Amazon and/or add it to your Netflix or Blockbuster queue now! Also, please spread the word to all your friends and family who you think may enjoy the comedy!

Steve Fife SOA Film '88 writes - Come see my play Savage World. "In 1975, Sol Eisner was a young journalist determined to prove the innocence of the African-American boxer Calvin "Savage" James, convicted of killing a Jewish couple during the riots in Newark." Tickets are $15 during previews and $20 for the run. Reservations and group sales. 323.960.7788 For more info check out the website. The Met Theatre, 1089 North Oxford Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90029.

Hector Ceballos CC '00 writes - I am humbly seeking donations to shoot my USC thesis film Remember Me In Red about a transgender male-to-female Latina woman, who dies and is being buried as a man despite her friend's efforts to honor her life as a woman. Contributions are tax-deductible through fiscal sponsor Filmmakers Alliance. Make a donation on our website. Phone: (323) 547-4167. Email me.

Rick Gifford SOA Film '03 writes - Enjoy! Laugh! Take 3 minutes! I would SO GREATLY APPRECIATE if you could forward this to others. Please take a sec and vote "FUNNY" at the end (heck, leave a comment) that'd be ultra cool, too. I'd love your feedback: The Speeding Ticket.

Chris Erric Maddox SOA Film '03 writes - I finished my first screenplay Andre's Prayer and wanted to share a brief synopsis: In a boarding school outside of Boston, a 14 year-old African-American boy faces the daunting challenge of reconciling his past with his future in deciding who he wants to be. Email me for more info.

Suzi Yoonessi SOA Film '06 and Jonako Donley, CC '05 write - We just completed production on our first feature film Dear Lemon Lima, a family comedy about a half Yup'ik girl who navigates her way through her first heartbreak at a prep school in Fairbanks, Alaska by rediscovering the spirit of the World Eskimo Indian Olympics. The film was shot in Seattle, WA and is currently in post-production in Los Angeles.

Submit Your Announcements!

Having a screening, show, reading or other event planned in Los Angeles? Let us know! Email
editor@cue-network.org, be sure to include the event name, date(s) and times, alumni involved, a short description and a hyperlink to your website (if applicable).We will be posting event information on our website and including condensed announcements in our newsletters.

Check out our website: http://www.cue-network.org/.

CUE is a committee of Columbia University Alumni Association of Southern California, Inc. (Columbia Socal)

Please submit editorial suggestions to NaRhee Ahn at editor@cue-network.org. If you have suggestions about the site itself, please email us at info@cue-network.org. Thanks!