Culver City Observer -

Students from Culver City High School 's Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (AVPA) Film Department, along with their parents, are sponsoring a Giant Garage Sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 21, at the corner of Garfield and Elenda, across the street from Culver City High School . For information about how to donate items to the Garage Sale or to make a monetary contribution to the AVPA Film Program, contact AVPA Foundation Film Rep Jean Ballantine at 310-398-4200 or j.ballantine@ca.rr.com, or the Film Department’s Creative Director, Alexis Butler, at 310-842-4200 ext. 3306 or alexisbutler@ccusd.org.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will be used to fund production and post-production of the AVPA Film Department's Fall Films, the Frost Film Festival, and their annual Spring Films. Film students are currently in production with five “Fall Films” which will be completed in mid-December and will premiere at the 12th Annual AVPA Frost Film Festival in January 2010. This is a change from tradition. In past years the students have produced only one or two “Fall Films,” but with a recent surge in enrollment in AVPA’s acclaimed film program, expanding to five films will allow more students to participate in the hands-on experience of student filmmaking. The directors of this year’s Fall Films are CCHS seniors Duncan Ballantine, Jade James, and Jeana Linstrot, and juniors Justin Kelly and Ben Mullen. The Frost Film Festival invites entries from high schools throughout the greater Los Angeles area, including Venice , Santa Monica High, Pacifica Christian, Harvard Westlake, Torrance , Beverly Hills , and many more.

For more information about the AVPA Film Department and their production schedule check out www.avpa.org.

About the Academy of Visual and Performing Arts

The Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (AVPA) at Culver City High School has been inspiring and empowering students to build a compassionate, creative community through innovative and challenging arts education since 1996. AVPA enjoys tremendous support from Sony Pictures Entertainment and other area businesses as well as from the Culver City community. For more information about the Academy, go to http://avpa.orgor contact Tony Spano at 310-842-4200 x6094 or Kristine Hatanaka at 310-842-4200 x6001.