Three student films from California State University, Northridge have been selected to be finalists in the 26th season of PBS SoCal’s FINE CUT Festival of Films.

The series received a record-breaking 430 film submissions from students across 53 schools in California, with only 33 films becoming finalists.

“This speaks to the quality of our work. We’re competing against hundreds of entrees with only a handful picked,” said Nate Thomas, CSUN professor in the Department of Cinema and Television Arts.

Two of the three CSUN films were documentaries, “Invisible Symphony-CicLAvia: Heart of Los Angeles” and “We are Dancers,” and one is a narrative film, “Fitna.”

“Invisible Symphony-CicLavia: Heart of Los Angeles,” directed by Briana Walden, follows the story of a local non-profit’s effort to create a car-free day in Los Angeles. It explores the barriers of human disconnections and the culture and communities within Los Angeles. It will broadcast on Wednesday, Oct. 8.

“Fitna,” directed by Musaid Abdullah, will be broadcast on Wednesday, October 15. is about U.S. citizens being taken hostage in Iraq. A Muslim U.S. Army chaplain’s duty is to offer spiritual guidance to Muslim service members. He is then faced with the decision of choosing between serving his country or faith.

“We are a diverse program, and we provide the tools to ensure our students are in the same playing field as everyone else, and we are.” said Thomas, who is the advisor for CSUN narrative films. “The director has a story to tell, and we allow anyone in this program that has a story to tell it.”

“We are Dancers,” directed by Aung Kyway, is about the lives of strippers and how they navigate their careers in today’s society, now that it is seen as acceptable. Viewers can also learn about the hardships and struggles that these workers face, to help understand why these dancers made these career choices. It will broadcast on Wednesday, Oct. 22.

“It’s good to be considered among the best, for FINE CUT is for the best,” he said.

Viewers can see the FINE CUT films broadcasted on PBS SoCal Plus, or for streaming on pbssocal.org/finecut and on the PBS app.

CSUN’s CTVA department, part of the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication, brings professional experience to the classroom, studios and labs. They are committed to providing insights and experienced faculty to allow students to achieve their goals in the fields of television, film and new media.