Producer Rogelio Gazga’s SPI-TV Media and Andres Lombana’s Mas Communications have launched a high school film production contest to encourage kids, especially minorities, to “get their creative juices flowing,” Gazga said.
The program, called “From Pitch-to-Screen: A DV Film and Screenwriting Competition,” was initiated with the cooperation of the Chicago Board of Education at 10 Chicago high schools with TV studios on campus. Next year, said Gazga, “Pitch-to-Screen” will become part of a school-wide Education to Careers Program that exposes students to various career opportunities.
Deadline is July 23 for “Pitch-to-Screen” submissions. Student storytellers can submit a one-to-two page treatment of a short film idea that will be produced as a short film during the summer.
“We expect to get several hundred submissions,” noted Gazga. Finalists will be judged by a panel of film professionals and members of SPI-tv and Mas Communications will select the grand prize winner whose story will be professionally produced as a DV project during the summer.
“We’ll show the kids what it’s like to be behind-the-scenes of a large production. Hopefully, we’ll pique their interest to want to go into a creative field,” Gazga said. In addition to various local showings, the winning film will premiere at the Latino International Film Festival in late October.”
Funding and/or service support has been garnered from schools and colleges, local broadcasting outlets and vendors.
SPI-tv Media Group’s phone is 773/525-5546. For entry details see www.frompitchtoscreen.com.
