San Diego – July 8, 2008 – Media Arts Center San Diego and Rick Najera will be hosting the 7th Anniversary Teen Producers Project Celebration and Student Scholarship Fundraiser on Wednesday, October 22nd at 5:30 p.m. at the Museum of Contemporary Art downtown at 1100 Kettner Blvd.

Writer-actor-director and producer Rick Najera will present a screening of the Teen Producers Project’s award-winning work from the past year. The films to be screened will include an exploration in the importance of AP courses in the African American community and a spotlight on empowerment through participating in civic engagement and voting.

There will be a reception immediately before the screening where there will be celebrity guests, live music, a silent auction, the annual presentation of TPP scholarships and photo opportunities with TPP students, instructors, and community partners. Complementary cocktail, hors d’ouevres, and desserts will be served throughout the reception.

Ethan van Thillo, Executive Director of Media Arts Center San Diego, explains how teens in the TPP have gone above and beyond the projected goals of the program.

“We couldn’t be more proud of the astonishing achievement our kids have had within this program,” van Thillo said. “The students involved have exceeded our expectations with their grace, leadership, and talent.”

 Suggested donations for the event are $50 for a guest, $250 for a patron, $500 for a scholarship partner, and $1,000 for a corporate sponsor. A table and promotional opportunities are available for corporate sponsors. All proceeds of the event will benefit future TPP programs and youth scholarship funds.

Media Arts Center San Diego's Teen Producers Project was created seven years ago to provide underserved youth in the community a chance to express themselves through the media arts. TPP’s goal is to teach teens about community building, leadership and social change.

TPP’s recent documentary “I Want My Parents Back” was screened at the International Human Rights Festival in New York City.

Youth documentation of residents’ life histories strengthens communities by re-building intergenerational ties, training future leaders, preserving life stories, and offering a model to help other communities maintain their cultural survival.  

Abel, a TPP student, explains how his involvement in TPP has made an impact the community.

 "The documentary we did is positive," Abel said, "because we are showing the community how people have contributed to our society in a positive way that all the community is going to benefit from."

All TPP videos have been produced by local youth from the neighborhoods of Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, Sherman Heights, Downtown, El Cajon, Oak Park, City Heights and Escondido. 

The Teen Producers Project is made possible by The California Council for the Humanities, The Bravo Foundation, The California Arts Council, MAAC Project, Bank of America, The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, The Stuart Foundation, and Las Patronas.

If you are interested in becoming a partner of the 7th Anniversary Teen Producers Project Celebration and Fundraiser, please download our partnership packet for more information.

To donate or RSVP to atten the event, please click here.

For more information about the Teen Producers Program visit www.mediaartscenter.org or contact Ethan van Thillo, Executive Director at 619-230-1938 x 101.

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Media Arts Center San Diego, producer of the annual San Diego Latino Film Festival is a non-profit organization with a mission to promote access to film and video as tools for community self-expression and social change and supports the professional development of media artists.

- Photos & Video clips availble upon request -

 

Rick Najera

Rick is an award-winning writer-actor-director and producer with credits in film, television, theatre, and Broadway.Najera is a true pioneer of comedy and an innovator of humor in the U.S. and internationally as well.

He was honored twice by Hispanic Magazine as one of the "100 Most Influential Latinos in America." Most notably, his writing credits include "Latinologues" on Broadway, his newest comedic play "Sweet 15", and groundbreaking television comedies such as MAD TV and IN LIVING COLOR.

He just completed his latest work, "Nothing like the Holidays." A feature film starring John Leguizamo, Debra Messing, and Freddie Rodriguez