Lucas Donates $100,000 to Film Program

"Star Wars" creator George Lucas donated $100,000 to California State University, Long Beach, for film department scholarships and equipment.

Lucas donated the money at the request of the Department of Film and Electronic Arts. Although Lucas attended the University of Southern California, director Steven Spielberg, his close friend, went to Cal State Long Beach.

The university needed the money to fix or repair equipment damaged by an October storm. A satellite dish on the department's building fell through the roof during the storm, allowing water to seep into the building.

The department may not have been able to restore damaged cameras, projectors and videotape machines without the Lucas donation, department chair Craig Smith said recently.

The university's two-year undergraduate film program is popular among aspiring filmmakers. Alumni include John Dykstra, who won an Oscar for visual effects for "Star Wars"; David Twohy, who wrote and directed "Pitch Black" and "The Chronicles of Riddick"; and Mark Steven Johnson, writer and director of "Daredevil."