President Barack Obama is exhibiting the work of students around the nation who has produced short films about service and giving back for a White House contest. The promising film-makers are inclusive of a 6-year-old from Montana who is distressed about climate change and a team of high-school kids from Chicago who spin a hip-hop yarn in support of fellows facing adversity.
A 17-year-old from California has came up with a “sockumentary” for helping the homeless with a pair of sock at a time and an 18-year-old from Arizona is using his films for raising awareness on issues about Navajo water rights. An 18-year-old from Texas who was born with a cerebral palsy campaigns on getting wheel-chair accessible doors installed at his school.
The films are amongst 15 shorts which shall be screened on Friday at the 2nd White House Film Festival held in an East Room.
In this event the President will announce a new initiative via the Corporation for National and Community Service in helping to inspire and mentor young artists. 1 million hours has been pledged by the American Film Institute and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artist for mentoring kids in the upcoming 3 years.
Obama will not be handing out any trophies and no “winners” shall be announced. Although, apart from just having the recognition which comes hand in hand for having an opportunity of a person’s amateur film being shown at the White House in a event especially held for these artists, the makers of these 15 selections will get the chance to spend Saturday working aide by side with actors and directors at workshops held at the Newseum.
Actors and directors are also expected to be present at the festival on Friday, including Hillary Swank and Steve Mcqueen, director of the Oscar-winning movie “12 Years of Slave.”
The White House said that the 15 films were selected adjoining with the American Film Institute and were picked out from around 1,500 entries.
The filmmakers are ranging in age from 6 years to 8 years of age belonging from 12 different states.
The president of SAG-AFTRA, actor Ken Howard said that the members of the union are eager to help the upcoming generations of actors and filmmakers.
