07 Nov 2022 UCA hosts filmmaker Todd Solondz today

CONWAY — Award-winning filmmaker Todd Solondz will be an artist-in-residence at the University of Central Arkansas on Tuesday, Nov. 8. 

Presented by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Solondz will host a film screening of “Welcome to Dollhouse,” a feature film he wrote, produced and directed in 1995, at 6:30 p.m. in Reynolds Performance Hall. After the screening, Assistant Professors of FIlm at UCA Keith Corson and Emily Railsback will host a question-and-answer session with Solondz after the screening. This event is free and open to the public. 

In 1996, “Welcome to the Dollhouse” won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and many other awards. 

“There is absolutely no denying that Solondz makes films with an urgent love for his characters, allowing them to be funny, absurd, offensive and tragic all in the same film. In other words, he seems to me to really love people,” said Mark Thiedeman, lecturer of film at UCA. “That’s probably the simplest way to explain why I think he’s a great artist.”

For students, Solondz will hold a screenwriting workshop from 12:05-1:30 p.m. in Stanley Russ Hall, room 216G. He will also present on writing and directing an independent feature film at 4:05 p.m. in Stanley Russ Hall, room 103. 

A New Jersey native, Solondz won the International Critics Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay in 1998 for “Happiness,” another film he wrote and directed. His other film, “Storytelling,” premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival and was named one of the ten best films of the year by the New York Times. 

“Palindromes” premiered in competition at the 2004 Venice, Telluride, New York and Toronto film festivals. “Life During Wartime” won best screenplay at the 2009 Venice Film Festival and many other awards. “Dark Horse” premiered at the 2011 Venice Film Festival, and “Wiener Dog” premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. 

Currently, Solondz teaches film writing and directing at the Tisch School of Art at New York University. 

The artist-in-residence programs are funded by the UCA arts fee. All events are located on the UCA campus and are free to UCA students and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Tickets are not required unless specified. For more information, contact Gayle Seymour, associate dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at 501.450.3293 or [email protected] or visit CAHSS artists-in-residence.