Modern Family star Ty Burrell visited Hillsides main campus in Pasadena to coach the teens in acting as part of the Kids in the Spotlight film-making program. He will be the host of a film festival on November 7 where the Hillsides teens films will be shown.
Lights! Cameras! Action! On Saturday, April 11, professional film crews will arrive at Hillsides Pasadena campus to shoot three short films written by and starring teens who live in the agency’s residential treatment program for children in the foster care system.
The films will be directed by three well-known Hollywood insiders: Salli Richardson-Whitfield, who has appeared in over 20 major motion pictures including I am Legend with Will Smith; producer Robert Munic, who created the A&E TV show “The Cleaner;” and writer/producer Beverly D. Hunter.
Hillsides is one of five local agencies creating films through Kids in the Spotlight, Inc., a non-profit organization located in Burbank that trains youth in the foster care system and other underserved youth to write, cast, and star in their own short films.
Fourteen youth from Hillsides are participating. The film shoot on April 11 is the culmination of 10 weeks of writing and acting workshops. The teens from Hillsides have penned three eight-page original scripts, called respectively Perfect Chemistry, Different Position, and The New Comers. The teens received writing and acting advice from industry professionals, including Ty Burrell, who plays lovable goofball dad Phil Dunphy on the hit comedy show Modern Family.
Before filming, the teens will host a casting session during which they will audition professional actors for roles in the film and cast themselves in roles.
The films will be shown on November 7 at a film festival competition, “Movies by Kids, for Kids,” tentatively slated to be held on the Fox studio lot. Burrell will emcee the festival for the second year in a row. Last year, Hillsides took home two awards at the festival, one for best supporting actress and another for best ensemble award.
For the film festival, the teens are given the red carpet treatment. They are fitted with donated gowns and suits, have their hair and make-up done professionally, and are whisked to the festival in limousines.
The other agencies participating in the Kids in the Spotlight program are Hathaway Sycamores, Penny Lane Centers, Maryvale, and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services summer camp.
Kids in the Spotlight, Inc. allows children to express themselves through the art of filmmaking and encourages interest in careers in the movie industry. For more information, please visit http://kidsinthespotlight.org/.
Hillsides is a premier provider dedicated to improving the overall well-being and functioning of children, youth, and families in need. Headquartered in Pasadena, it serves individuals throughout Los Angeles County, including Baldwin Park, Echo Park, Pomona, Pasadena, and South Pasadena. Its residential program is one of four programs serving vulnerable children and family.
Hillsides Pasadena campus is located at 940 Avenue 64, Pasadena. For more information on Hillsides, please visit https://hillsides.org/.
