ABOUT US!
Em Weiss
Em is a international student from California in the U.S.! At her home university, Chapman Uni, she's majoring in Broadcast Journalism and Documentary Filmmaking, and minoring in History. She studied abroad in Spring of 2026 and took MFCO 216 for a film class credit.
Some of Em’s favorite films include “Pixels”, “La La Land”, “Gladiator”, and “Top Gun” (see her Letterboxd for more!) Em is very passionate about international cinema and women's rights activism. In her free time, she likes to write poetry, watch movies, bake, cook, and dance! Check out her film account on instagram!
Minami Uchida
Minami is a local University of Otago student, born and bred in Dunedin and majoring in Anthropology with a minor in Sociology. She has always loved the behind-the-scenes elements of film, and used to make stop-motion animation dramas with her toys.
Minami's favourite film is Sing Street (John Carney, 2016), and she even went to Dublin in 2024 to check out some of the filming locations. Activism and the arts are very important to Minami, and in her free time, she loves to paint, watch movies, and spend time at the beach!
11,355 kilometers between our home cities of
San Diego and Dunedin!
