Dominique R. Draper was driving through West Oakland when he came upon a blue house on Mandela Parkway and Dr. Huey P. Newton Way. It had images of Black women with afros, and the words “The Women of the Black Panther Party” painted on the side. He went inside and found the first floor was a museum dedicated to the Black Panther Party.

“I’ve never seen a house, a museum, an exhibit dedicated to strictly Black women of this movement,” said Draper, a School of Cinematic Arts alum.

After an enlightening conversation with the owner of the house, who informed him that two-thirds of the Black Panther Party were women, Draper decided he wanted to tell one of these powerful women’s stories.

Draper directed “The Day You Find Your Name” as a project for SCA’s “New Media for Social Change” class. The short film chronicles the life of Afeni Shakur, an outspoken activist, member of the Black Panther Party and the mother of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur. It was one of seven student-made short films selected for screening at the inaugural The Next Frame film festival.

The festival showcased the films at Sony Pictures Studios on Monday to spotlight the next generation of storytellers. The event began with a red carpet, followed by screenings in the John Singleton Theater.

The festival was hosted by the CU International Film Festival in collaboration with the Marshall Entertainment Association. Max Libman, a sophomore majoring in business of cinematic arts, founded CUIFF and Next Frame and serves as the co-vice president of career development for MEA.

“I really wanted to create that Hollywood glamour experience, a place for USC filmmakers to celebrate their film and get to see it on the big screen,” Libman said.

The Next Frame welcomes submissions from all USC undergraduate and graduate filmmakers, including class projects as well as club and independent productions. Libman said the festival received about 200 submissions this semester and plans to expand next year into an annual showcase of student work featuring more films.

“These selected films stood out for their originality, creativity and voice,” Libman said during his opening speech. “While each film is unique in its genre, perspective and style, they all reflect the incredible talent and vision coming out of USC today.”

Other films in the graduate category included “Black Seeds Continue to Grow,” directed by SCA alum Laura Colbert, which tells the story of a young girl in foster care who bonds with her new teacher over their shared green thumbs and big hearts. “I Love You More Than Dinosaurs” (2025), directed by SCA alum Tyler Coon, features a young couple portrayed by child actors through the trials and tribulations of marriage as they heal their relationship and their own inner children.

In the undergraduate category, “The Thrilling Adventures of Amos Waters,” directed by Ella Janes, a sophomore majoring in cinematic arts, film and television production, follows a rambunctious kid with no parental supervision as he acts too old for his age and learns to find solace in prayer. “OH MY ‘GODE,’” directed by Pauline Forstall, a junior majoring in cinematic arts, film and television production, explores a complicated mother-daughter dynamic through the lens of sexual empowerment.

“Nuns with Guns,” directed by Rhys Zemeckis, a senior majoring in cinematic arts, film and television production, is a comedy about sisters trying to save their church from foreclosure by robbing a bank.

Owen Quirion, a sophomore majoring in cinematic arts, film and television production, wrote and directed “Stitched,” a genre-bending adventure blending part 1960s sitcom and part psychological thriller, shot primarily in black and white with dynamic puppetry and special effects.

Quirion said the film was inspired by “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “I Love Lucy.” He worked with the Trojan Filmmakers Club for a year to produce the film, and said the lengthy production process was worth it to see the result of their hard work screened at Sony Pictures — an “insane” opportunity, he said, to share the work with an audience.

“I’ve never been on a studio lot before, and just the walk over here was pretty surreal. I felt like it was real, like it was possible. That you can actually do this for a living,” Quirion said. “This was the moment that I worked for. Being here really is something special, and getting to see the film on this screen at the studio means the world to me.”