Monroe & Eastwood Teach School Hollywood Project

West Potomac Academy in Fairfax County, Virginia is readying to receive some impressive guests on February 4th. Hollywood Casting Director Pixie Monroe, and Celebrity Make-Up Artist/ Actress Kimber Eastwood (daughter of Clint Eastwood), will be on hand to mentor students of educator Nancy Mantelli and her Television Production Class.  Monroe and Eastwood will share their professional experiences with the students about the Hollywood entertainment industry.

Monroe, a long-time supporter of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, gave the Television students a challenge: "Come up with a 30 second Public Service Announcement (PSA) about a charity of your choice."  Fourteen entries were judged on overall concept and production value by a panel of eight Hollywood insiders. "If we're going to instill a positive change in the entertainment industry, we need to begin by teaching social responsibility in our schools," states Monroe, who spearheaded the project. "I'd love to bring this concept to as many classrooms as possible nationwide."  The challenge winner was Marcus Clarke, a Hayfield High School Senior who created a PSA supporting Best Buddies.

While the event in Washington will honor Ed Petros, an original founding supporter of St. Jude's, Clarke will get his own fifteen minutes of fame on the opposite coast. His winning PSA will be screened for producers, actors and directors at the Annual Cinema City International Film Festival (CCIFF) in Los Angeles in March. Founded by Suzanne De Laurentis, CCIFF is honored to have Ed McMahon on their advisory board, and continues to be dedicated to giving young filmmakers an opportunity to hone their talents through education.

Two more area students, Cory Jones from Mt. Vernon High School and Kathleen De La Flor from Hayfield High School, will be given the chance to intern for the Entertainment Industries Council (EIC), a non-profit committed to encouraging and rewarding accurate depictions of health and social issues in entertainment. Based on the strength of their PSA's, these teens will be working alongside Hollywood icons on educational resources, industry publications, and even the distinguished PRISM Awards.  These wonderful opportunities could be the beginning of bright futures for these talented teens.