UC Davis will be rolling out the red carpet for their 13th annual Film Festival, produced by the Theater and Dance, Cinema and Technocultural Studies, Design, and Art departments. The festival will be held at the UC Davis Varsity Theatre on Wednesday, May 22nd, and Thursday, May 23rd. Film screenings begin nightly at 8:30 p.m. This year’s festival will feature short films created by UC Davis graduate and undergraduate students from various fields of study. According to student producer Jessica Philipps, a communication major, the visual and content quality has increased so much this year that the judges will have a difficult decision on their hands when it comes time to choose a winner.

Dance through the lives of choreographers Iu-Hui Chua and Christine Germain with MFA Thesis Choreographies presented by UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance. The production runs at Mondavi Center’s Vanderhoef Studio Theatre from Thursday, Feb. 21 to Sunday, March 3. The performance is rated R for nudity and adult language. Tickets are $17 in advance or $19 at the door and are available at the Mondavi Center. Jarrell Iu-Hui Chua presents “Liglio” in collaboration with Bobby August Jr., traveling through the worlds of memories, dreams and present realities to investigate touch and its effects on relationships. Christine Germain presents “Transmutation,” in collaboration with Andrea del

On Wednesday the holiday season officially began at the UC Davis Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. “An Nollaig in Éirinn,” or “Christmas in Ireland,” was the theme for the evening of entertainment by award-winning Irish ensemble, Danú. The performance was all about sharing Irish Christmas traditions – both those that include music and those that don’t.  Christmas in Ireland must be a whole lot of fun. The six-member group shared the stage throughout the night, each taking the mic on different occasions to introduce a song, story or joke to educate and amuse the Jackson Hall audience. Lead vocalist Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh had a voice that was powerful, smooth and entirely enchanting.

Jogja Hip Hop Foundation thundered with bangin' beats and mad flow this past Thursday at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. Hailing from Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the politically and socially conscious Jogja Hip Hop Foundation reinvents Javanese rhythms and poetry with a modern hip hop flare. With a Javanese swag that any hip hop enthusiast would appreciate, it was unfortunate that there weren't many said enthusiasts in the crowd. The Mondavi Center's swanky, royal blue-draped tables and crimson-brimmed chalices abruptly contrasted the urban street vibe emanating from the performers; nonetheless, Jogja overwhelmed the audience with sublime passion and creativity. The Jogja members

‘Nectare,’presented by the UC Davis ITDP, is a journey in dance through time and space, emotion and narrative; a juxtaposition of vignettes choreographed by UC Davis Master of Fine Arts candidates Jarrell Iu-Hui Chua and Christine Germain blurring the boundaries between viewer and performer. These experimental explorations, a prelude to the choreographers’ Master of Fine Arts theses, play Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the Nelson Gallery, UC Davis. ‘Nectare,’ open to the public and free of charge, is rated R for mature content including nudity. Chua and Germain present examples of their own choreography which they worked together to arrange throughout the gallery, creating a movement i

UC Davis ITDP presents “Fractalicious!” a production that engages the senses in unexpected ways, mounting as it progresses into an outburst of sensation and feeling. The show combines various forms of media working together interdependently, answering the question, “How does speed, scale and proximity influence value, desire and feeling?” The show runs Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 5-6 in Lab A, Wright Hall. It is rated R, open to the public with limited seating and free of charge. This production combines five main elements: a professor’s multiple sensibilities that reveal themselves within the presentation of a lecture; a dancer and actor playing multiple subjectivities competing for the space o

Those prepared for a fright this Halloween season should look no further than “The Haunt at Wright Hall,” a performance-based haunted house and costume dance put on by the students and faculty of the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance. “The Haunt at Wright Hall” marks the commencement of the department’s 2012-13 season, and takes place Thursday-Sunday, October 25-28, and Tuesday-Wednesday, October 30-31. The haunted house, with its theme of A Twisted Fairy Tale: The Handless Maiden, offers viewings every half hour from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and the dance runs from 7:30 p.m. to midnight. Not for the faint of heart, the production is rated PG-13. Tickets are $15 or $10 for the danc

Calling all country music fans and history enthusiasts…this Thursday evening beginning at 7 p.m., the Center for Sacramento History -- in collaboration with the Sacramento History Foundation and the Crocker Art Museum -- proudly presents OPEN COUNTRY, a live cinema presentation by Glenda and Jesse Drew that includes live music performances by local honky-tonk favorites The Alkali Flats. The engaging special live cinema presentation offers a challenging and provocative look at California’s country music, that is vastly different than in other parts of the United States. OPEN COUNTRY also examines the social, political and historical roots of country music through the unearthing of archival

While it might never be the subject for a reality TV show, the Stockton Boulevard Partnership (SBP) has nevertheless implemented a “makeover” that has had a noticeable positive impact on the PBID (Property Business Improvement District) as well as the adjoining neighborhoods. Since its launch in 2002, the Partnership has taken substantial steps to enhance their image, increase security and promote economic development. "It's great to see the shared vision of the board of directors' and my efforts come to fruition," said Terre Johnson of The Stockton Blvd. Partnership, "Reducing crime has had a direct effect on the desirability of our commercial corridor.” As Executive Director since 200

The Sacramento Area Technology Alliance (SARTA) and UC Davis today were notified by the federal Economic Development Administration (EDA) that they are receiving a $1 million i6 Challenge Grant to create an AgTech Innovation Center that will help farmers and ranchers grow their businesses. SARTA and UC Davis received one of only six grants awarded nationally. It is the only grant awarded in California. SARTA, one of 12 California Innovation Hubs, will create and manage programs and deliverables accounting for nearly half of the total scope of the grant. As part of its deliverables, SARTA will create AgStart, the third of its industry-cluster-focused programs, joining the already establis

More than two months after her disappearance, friends and family of 19-year old UC Davis student Linnea Lomax are still searching for clues to find her. Lomax disappeared from an outpatient clinic on Howe Avenue in Sacramento June 26, leaving her wallet, cell phone and much-needed medication – but no clues as to where she was headed or why she vanished. Nearly 90 people gathered Sunday in Placerville to show support and raise community awareness of the search, according to a press release from search organizers. The crowd wore yellow to symbolize their longing for Lomax’s return and passed out missing posters and yellow ribbons to residents of the teen’s home town, the release said. Lo

UC Davis student Linnea Lomax has been missing since June 26, and her family and friends have put out a call for help in their continued search for her this weekend. Lomax, 19, was last seen in Sacramento in the 800 block of Howe Avenue and is in need of medication, according to Helpfindlinnea.org, a website established by volunteers and friends of the Lomax family to organize search efforts. The family is asking for volunteers to join in any of six search shifts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the American River area where Lomax was last seen. According to the website, there will be two search shifts each day. The shifts run from 7 a.m. - noon and 2 - 7 p.m. To volunteer in the sear

What’s with the news: By now you’ve probably heard about the controversy Daniel Tosh caused at the Laugh Factory in LA recently. If you haven’t, I’d first like to thank you for pulling your head out of the sand long enough to read my column. Really means a lot. There are a couple different accounts of what happened. One has Tosh bringing up the issue of rape himself and then outright suggesting that audience members gang rape a heckler. The other has a different audience member responding to Tosh’s call for joke ideas by suggesting rape, followed by Tosh pontificating on a female audience member’s experience with rape based on her aversion to the idea of a rape joke. Since then you canno

Capital city music lovers, rejoice! Sacramento and the surrounding areas are a hotbed for incredible music talent and excellent venues.  Sacramento’s collection of venues includes notable venues such as Harlow’s, Ace of Spades, the Crest Theatre, the Memorial Auditorium, and Power Balance Pavilion.  Add Thunder Valley, Folsom’s Three Stages, UC Davis’ Freeborn Hall and Mondavi Center, and seasonal outdoor venues such as Wheatland’s Sleep Train Amphitheatre and Cal Expo’s stages during the California State Fair, and there are so many places to go for a great show.  And no, I haven’t forgotten about Midtown favorites like The Distillery, Blue Lamp, and Marilyn’s.  I also never forget about

Anthony Swofford’s newest book, “Hotels, Hospitals, and Jails,” (Twelve 2012) returns to the memoir form that brought America “Jarhead” and catapulted Swofford into a life of flying to Paris, Madrid, Istanbul, or Ho Chi Minh City for a meal; flying women to London, Tokyo, or Oakland for dinner or sex; buying and losing a home and sports car; and led to him and his father traveling the country together in a Winnebago. While Swofford’s book is not for everyone, it is solidly written about sex, loss, and his understanding of what being a father means. There are some difficult passages, some eloquently written ones, and writing that is always direct. “If I lied to a lover about what neighbor

Davis residents were invited to participate in a flashmob-style dance with “Dance Dance Davis” on Wednesday evening. The event site was kept secret until the actual event took place at Davis’ Central Park. The flashmob dance was held during the Davis Farmers Market. Central Park in Davis hosts the weekly Farmers Market and Picnic in the Park every Wednesday in the spring and summer, this year from March 21 to Oct. 24. Jenny Lynn & Her Real Gone Daddies performed Wednesday for the all-ages crowd. With their brand of rockabilly and bluegrass music, they had several people dancing near the stage. “Dance Dance Davis,” is a community project presented by the UC Davis Institute for Explorati

It is fitting that during Earth Week, and a week before the Whole Earth Festival, the city of Davis will host the region’s largest professional art function that embraces earth —literally. That is earth of the ceramic variety. The John Natsoulas Art Gallery is hosting the 23rd annual California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art (CCACA) in downtown Davis April 27-29. Pronounced “caca,” like the natural fertilizer that animals drop to the earth, the CCACA’s festivities will showcase ceramic art from three Los Rios District colleges, CSU Sacramento, UC Davis and more than 40 West Coast colleges, universities and high schools. Of the 5,000 who attend, 2,000 students will exhibit

University of California, Davis Picnic Day 2012 came and went, and for the most part, both Davis and outside participants “handled their shit,” much to the pleasure of the Davis authorities. While much of the Picnic Day coverage focuses on crime statistics, it is well worth noting that for the vast majority involved, Picnic Day was a lovely day spent out-of-doors. Events were spread around the town and on campus this past Saturday and included enormous variety in terms of entertainment. The day started off with crowds flooding into Downtown Davis for a morning parade. From there, locals and visitors spread throughout the area looking to get their fix of sunshine, music and food. The UCD

High-solid anaerobic digestion system provides power to American River Packaging In Collaboration with Clean World Partners, American River Packaging opened the nation’s first commercial high-solid organic waste conversion facility at their Sacramento headquarters. The Clean World Organic Waste Conversion Center (developed by Clean World Partners) is based on anaerobic digestion technology developed at UC Davis. It converts food waste, agricultural residue and other organic waste into renewable energy, fertilizer and soil enhancements. Each day the anaerobic digester will convert 7.5 tons of food waste from Campbell Soup and other Sacramento regional food producers, along with a half-to

Details of what the future will bring for U.S. Bank on the UC Davis campus are still hazy after the bank announced the branch’s closure in the wake of the Occupy UC Davis movement, but a school official said he is hopeful that the partnership can be restored. “The biggest impact if this relationship can’t be salvaged is that student programs won’t earn the money they were slated to earn,” university spokesman Barry Schiller said Tuesday, adding that the best-hope figures put those earnings at $3 million over 10 years. “In the last year, I believe that it was something on the order of about $167,000 for student programs,” Schiller said. The money was channeled to the student programs as