Preserving the past, investing in the future

Alexandra Seros understands that the moving image history entrusted to the UCLA Film & Television Archive is fragile, irreplaceable and essential to our collective memory. For her, the countless challenges of preserving this cultural heritage are less obstacles than invitations to give, solve problems and invest in the next generation.

A screenwriter, author, philanthropist, double UCLA alumna and member of FTVA’s Board of Advisors, Seros has underwritten film preservation and restoration, an enduring Archive priority, while also addressing needs as they arise. Her recent Archival Projection Continuity Fund, for example, ensured a retiring projectionist passed on his increasingly rare expertise in screening nitrate and safety film, benefiting the Archive’s
beloved public programming.

Seros and her late husband Walter Ullua have a long and impactful philanthropic history across UCLA and beyond and have supported the Archive for decades. “We have always believed in the understanding and efficacy of visual history to contextualize our diverse pasts,” she said.

She also knows the Archive’s value from personal experience. Returning to UCLA to complete her PhD, Seros immersed herself in UCLA Library Special Collections and the Archive Research and Study Center while completing her dissertation. That research became the book Ida Lupino: Forgotten Auteur, which she celebrated last year at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum with a book signing and Q&A in advance of the Archive’s screening of Lupino films she helped preserve.

Head of the Archive Research and Study Center Maya Montañez Smukler says her lasting impact on the Archive stems from her unique perspective as a donor, distinguished professional and recent graduate.

“Her invaluable support for the Film & Television Archive and Library Special Collections comes from understanding the value of studentled research, the necessity of making our materials accessible and
supporting staff in the work we do.”

Seros’s recent gifts to UCLA, including funding a coordinator to expand research and access to the Archive, and providing state of- the-art camera equipment to the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, reflect her greatest priority: ensuring students are “prepared, technically and creatively, to become the next generation of leaders in media.” The coordinator role puts that vision into action, connecting scholars with Archive resources, weaving moving image history through UCLA curriculum, and nurturing future archivists and curators through fellowships and hands-on training.