Student-created short film about the Filipino food culture to screen at UNLV May 14th
More than 60 students from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Cinematic Arts (UNLV CinArts) are gaining hands-on, real-world production experience through “Domino,” a short film about three Filipino cousins on a mission to find the stolen knife of the family patriarch, a chef, in order to receive their inheritance
The film was created as part of a three-semester, faculty-led program developed by Professor Andi Isaacs, a Hollywood production executive.
The film will premiere at UNLV’s Magic Hour, a showcase of UNLV CinArts projects from the Spring 2026 semester, on May 14th, 2026, 6 p.m. inside UNLV’s FDH 109. Currently in post-production, “Domino” is a 20-minute narrative short that was entirely developed, greenlit, cast, and produced by students under Isaacs’ mentorship.
“I wanted to create a project where students would learn every aspect of production from development to delivery…I am incredibly proud of their work, and excited to bring the film to the community!”
Written by former UNLV student CR Sherman, the screenplay was selected through an anonymous, juried competition. “Domino” is the story of three Filipino cousins, who meet for the first time when they are summoned by a lawyer to Las Vegas after the death of their family patriarch, renowned Chef Domino Dimalanta. The cousins are instructed to recover his stolen chef’s knife within 24 hours in order to receive their inheritance. What starts as a wild good chase turns into a quest for family, food and belonging.
Rooted in themes of food, Filipino traditions, and found family, “Domino” highlights culturally driven storytelling while offering students the opportunity to bring a deeply personal narrative to life. The official tagline of the film is: Cook with heart to feed the soul… cook with soul to feed the family.
Sherman states, “I centered the story of ‘Domino’ around three young chefs because I am fascinated with how dining becomes unique at the intersection of cuisine and culture. I chose Filipino culture because of the many friends that I have within this vibrant community that makes up so much of Southern Nevada.”
The film also highlight’s UNLV’s culturally diverse population – with UNLV consistently ranking among the top five most diverse universities in the United States of undergraduates. The university has over half of its student population identifying as racial or ethnic minorities, with high numbers of first generation students. It is a designated Minority Serving Institution (MSI), including Hispanic-Serving and Asian-American/Native American/Pacific Islander-Serving designations. There is a significant portion of Filipino students currently enrolled in the UNLV School of Cinematic Arts, with numerous professionally-working Filipino alumni proudly representing as well.
Many of the participating students are working on a film set for the first time. Sherman also shares “The production team and the talented Filipino actors bring the concepts of independence finding family from the page to life in a truly authentic way. As an aspiring writer, the exposure to an industry experience like this has been invaluable.”
With “Domino,” Isaacs and her students continue to demonstrate the power of hands-on education – creating meaningful, culturally rich stories while equipping emerging filmmakers with the tools and experience needed to succeed in a competitive industry. – UNLV School of Cinematic Arts press release
