Far from the suburban nothing of Valencia, California Institute of the Arts, the self-proclaimed “premier college for the study of the moving image,” is using its Downtown Los Angeles theater to present three nights of specially-chosen live-action works by students in school’s Film and Video and Film Directing programs.

The showcase kicks off on Friday at the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater with an evening of long-form shorts and continues through the weekend with shorts from the best student directors and filmmakers in the school. Now in its fifth season of supporting emerging performance and visual artists, REDCAT, nestled in a street-level annex at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, continues to encourage and celebrate artistic risk.

CalArts’ film students are known for form innovation and idea-challenging works, so don’t miss out on this semester-ending event.

Admission is free for all three nights, so go early and check out the current gallery exhibition (Dave McKenzie: Screen Doors on Submarines, through June 15) or stay after in the lounge and discuss the night’s show over a Cat-a-tonic, the theater’s signature cocktail.

REDCAT is located at 631 W. 2nd St., Downtown. For more information, call (213) 237-2800 or visit www.redcat.org.