Hope For Our Own: An LA Story was accepted to the Santa Monica Teen Film Festival! There were only 42 films selected from over 300 submissions worldwide. In addition, filmmaker Riley Beres received a prestigious Service Award from President Obama. Riley recently spoke to the Parent Connect Group at Toberman Neighborhood Center in San Pedro. She shared her film and encouraged the group to participate in a service project for homeless shelters.
Both Harbor Interfaith Services and Rainbow Services will incorporate parts of the film into their training programs. A Long Beach theatre will also be hosting a special screening and fundraiser for local shelters.
Please continue to support Riley by attending the Santa Monica Teen Film Festival on June 7th and 8th, and THANK YOU for aiding in her success! She is a teenager making a huge difference in the lives of others.
Here's how it all started...
Hi Friends!
This fall, my student Riley Beres comes to me and says, “Hey, Mr. A. I made a movie this summer.” I think my response was, “Of course you did. You’re Riley Beres.” And then she said, “I have a problem.” She told me she would like to submit the documentary to different film festivals, but she can’t because she’s only 16.
I can sort of understand this. I’m in my thirties and I am not sure I can make a documentary, and that’s not for lack of trying. So I could see people my age being really upset about going to a film festival and being blown out of the water by a 16-year-old. I asked what I could do, and she told me I could sponsor the film. I just had to screen it as a Port of Los Angeles High School project. She told me that the film is 58 minutes, and as a minor, the only contest she could enter without the support of school was the 10-minute short film festival.
So I spoke with Lee Sweet at The Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro and he agreed to host the first private and public screenings of the film. The movie is called "Hope For Our Own: An LA story" and it's a documentary about homelessness in Los Angeles. If you want to see photos from the evening, search your social media for #HopeForOurOwn or #polahsdrama.
Thanks for your support!
Mr. Aspinwall,
POLAHS Drama Instructor, 2014 Teacher of the Year