Event Information:
Monday, February 25, 2008, 2:00 p.m.
Cleveland City Hall (Rotunda)
RSVP to epike@atfgc.org< mailto:epike@atfgc.org >
Media: Earl Pike at 216-235-3446


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Story, Play & Scriptwriting Contest Winner to be Publicly Announced February 25, 2008 in Cleveland City Hall

Cleveland, OH—On February 25th, an extraordinary script, and an extraordinary young person, will be publicly recognized in the rotunda of Cleveland City Hall.

Each year, the New York-based organization Scenarios USA selects two American communities to host a contest inviting local youth to submit scripts on issues—such as gender, race, friendship, drug and alcohol use, HIV/AIDS, and sexuality—that young people struggle with on a daily basis.  The writers of the winning scripts are paired up with professional Hollywood production crews and directors.  To date, over 10,000 youth across the United States have been involved, 16 movies have emerged from the process, and nearly 15 million people a year view Scenarios USA films on TV and the internet, at film festivals, and in classrooms.

Last year local education officials learned that Cleveland, along with New York City and the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, had been selected for this year’s Scenarios USA scriptwrighting contest.

Throughout the fall, workshops and seminars were held in schools throughout Cuyahoga County, and young people began writing, confronting this year’s Scenarios USA theme: “What’s the Real Deal about Masculinity?”  Over 1,000 students, 28 schools, and dozens of community groups participated in the process, and in the end, 200 youth, ranging in age from 12 to 20, submitted scripts or stories.

Over the past several weeks a panel of judges has reviewed the finalist entries, and will soon select one script written by a Cleveland youth.  The winning script will be produced in Cleveland, with on-site involvement by a Hollywood director and crew.  The resulting film will premiere at a special showing in New York City, and will then be broadcast on TV and shown in schools across the U.S.