THE SHORT FILMS OF FIVE NEW YORK HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO HIT THE BIG SCREENS OF L.A. FOR A SECOND TIME.

PET STORE, IF THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD - WHO NEEDS GOD,
AND HARMONY WILL SCREEN AT THE LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL AGAIN ON JUNE 26TH.

Filmmakers Mark Sanders, Thomas Schuster, Laura Caccavo, Carly Wolff, and Ashish Amin might be in their teens, but when it comes to filmmaking they are talented beyond their years.

This weekend they inspired L.A. moviegoers when their films screened at the 11th Annual Los Angeles Film Festival alongside the works of filmmakers twice their age. The films will screen again this coming Saturday.

Out of 260 submissions by other high school students, they are part of a group of only 32 accepted to the prestigious festival.

Their latest achievement is getting the media's attention. In the past week they have had several on-air radio interviews, and had articles written about them in such online publications as studentfilmmakers.com and directorsworld.com.

They are part of the Clarkstown North High School TV Studio, which has screened 12 films in 20 venues in 12 states since September, and their efforts have earned the students almost $10,000 in awards and prizes in the last twelve months. Producing documentaries, narratives, and animations, they hail from New City, New York, a suburb 25 miles northwest of New York City. All of them love their small community, but aren't shy to admit that Hollywood is on their minds.

At the age of 17, Carly Wolff and colleague Laura Caccavo, are already veterans of five films that have garnered acclaim and earned awards across the country. In their latest documentary project, "If This is the Will of God...Who Needs God?" they confront some serious political issues. The film recently won the National Student Television Award for Excellence in Documentary at the annual New York Regional Emmy® Awards. "We nurture young filmmakers because they are--or will soon be--us”, says Bill Hanauer, Executive Director of the New York Chapter of the National Television Academy. Wolff and Caccavo's film tells the story of a student at their school whose work of art was removed from its display because it apparently offended another student.

"The message we hope that our film portrays is that all students have a voice, and should stand up for themselves if they feel that they, or someone around them is being treated unfairly", says Wolff.

“Pet Store” is an animated film with a comical perspective on the preparation of dog food. It's part of a cartoon series in which many stick figures experience many kind of "misfortune".

Its creators, 17 year old Mark Sanders and Thomas Schuster, who were recently selected as “Best Youth Filmmakers” at the Syracuse International Film Festival, use a computer program known as Toon Boom Studio to bring their characters to life.

"It's exciting to see the final product of all your hard work, knowing that all you used to create it was a keyboard and mouse," says Schuster.

‘Harmony” takes a look at racism from the perspective of several high school students. It's the product of over seven hours of interviews, and was edited by Ashish Amin.

All students are extremely dedicated to their projects. Sanders and Schuster are close to completing their latest animation entitled "Annoying Dog". Although the final version is only five minutes long, they've already been working on it for eight months. Wolff's and Caccavo's entry took them seven months to complete.

The young filmmakers all work on a zero-dollar budget. They all have access to tapes, equipment and software programs from their school's studio, where the students play an integral role in maintaining the computer network and working cooperatively.

Some of their fellow students are even pitching in to help promote the films. Fellow student Deep Shah serves as one of three festival coordinators. He's already used his talents with Microsoft Publisher to design and create the VHS and DVD covers for all the films.

But the students are quick to acknowledge that without their teacher, David Kaminski, they wouldn't have been able to get as far. "He’s a great motivator," says Sanders.

Kaminski, an English teacher by training, started the school's digital video and media program eight years ago. "I read all the manuals twice and spent every waking moment for four years working to create content and learning how to make everything run smoothly", says Kaminski.

Kaminski encourages students to find their own voice, their own passion, whether it be in animation, video, or scriptwriting. "My only requirement is that they work hard on a project they enjoy, and keep working on it until it is done to the best of their ability".

At least two of the students have their minds set on film school. But Wolff, who has also worked as a summer camp counselor for children with development disabilities, is also considering a career as an Occupational Therapist.

And with all those rewards, exciting film projects and a chance to take part in a major film festival in America's entertainment hub, is the celebrity feeling catching on?

"My peers all joke that I'm going to be rich and have a supermodel girlfriend ten years from now, says Sanders. "Obviously that’s far fetched, but my friends have always been pretty impressed."

“Pet Store”, “If This is the Will of God…Who Needs God”, and “Harmony” are official selections of the 2005 Los Angeles Film Festival. Their next screening is June 26th at 3:00 pm at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) 7920 Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90046


You can view the films at:

"If This is the Will of God...Who Needs God?" http://www.ccsd.edu/north/tvstudio/students/carly.html
http://www.ccsd.edu/north/tvstudio/students/laura.html

"Pet Store"
http://www.ccsd.edu/north/tvstudio/misfortunes.html


"Harmony"... see the last video, by Ashish Amin http://www.ccsd.edu/north/tvstudio/harmony.html