Middle School Students Invited to Join Film Fest Essay Contest
Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet is looking to give eight lucky Coachella Valley middle school students the opportunity of a lifetime -- an invitation to attend the 21st annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala as his special guests -- and he’ll do it by inviting them to write an essay explaining why they should walk down the red carpet on Jan. 5 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
For the past two years Mayor Pougnet has selected middle school students from the City of Palm Springs, but this year he decided to extend an opportunity to students from all over the Coachella Valley to attend the star-studded Awards Gala hosted by Entertainment Tonight’s Mary Hart.
“Our film festival is the premiere event of the season and I think it’s important that students from all of the Coachella Valley cities get a chance to attend,” Pougnet said. “They’ll get to meet movie stars and mingle like adults in an amazing setting -- and the kids love every minute of it!
“I’m thrilled I can give them this once in a lifetime opportunity and perhaps even inspire a future actor or filmmaker.”
Judges for the essay contestinclude Darryl Macdonald, Executive Director of the Palm Springs International Film Festival; Jerry Patton, President of College of the Desert; Maggie Downs, columnist and features reporter for The Desert Sun and mydesert.com; Brooke Beare, news anchor for KPSP Local 2 News; Barbara Roberts, Director of the Palm Springs Public Library; Sharon Heider, Director of Palm Springs Parks and Recreation; and Amy Blaisdell, Communications Director for the City of Palm Springs.
A ceremony announcing the winners will be held sometime before Christmas in the Council Chamber at Palm Springs City Hall.
Essay guidelines contest are as follows:
• Students must be enrolled in 6th, 7th or 8th grades in Palm Springs, Desert Sands, or
Coachella Valley Unified School Districts – or they can be enrolled in a private school inside
those boundaries.
• In addition, students must illustrate in their essay an interest in someday working in the
film and entertainment industry – and explain why they feel they would be a good candidate to
attend this year’s Awards Gala.
• Essays must be 500 words or less, typed and double-spaced and emailed in a word document to
Mayorpougnet.essaycontest@palmspringsca.gov.
They can also be dropped off at the reception desk in the lobby of City Hall, 3200 E. Tahquitz
Canyon Way. Deadline for all essays submissions is 5 p.m. on Dec. 10. No exceptions!
This year’s star-studded Awards Gala, a precursor to the Academy Awards, will once again honor a host of glamorous Hollywood celebrities for their work in film – including Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman, who will receive the Career Achievement Award, and newcomer Anna Kendrick who will accept the “Rising Star Award.”
Founded in 1990 by then Palm Springs Mayor Sonny Bono, the festival features a lineup of more than 200 films from 60 countries and is one of the largest in North America. Seen by American distributors as one of the best Academy Award campaign marketing tools in the country, the Festival runs from Jan. 5 – 18.
For more information or a list of films and ticket prices, visit the City’s Web site at www.palmspringsca.gov and click on Palm Springs International Film Festival -- or go to the festival’s Web site at www.psfilmfest.org.