Retired Hollywood producer seeks support (House Bill 385) for Montana program – Media Arts in the Public Schools

A retired Hollywood producer whose credits include a film education program he established five years ago in a Montana school expects to broaden and relaunch the program this fall, now that he’s taken time off to run for the Legislature.

Peter Rosten retired to Montana’s Bitterroot Valley in 2002 and soon began teaching Corvallis High School students to direct and film movies and public service announcements, instruction supported with grants and donations. In preparing for his Democratic legislative campaign last year, Rosten put Media Arts in the Public Schools
http://matr.net/click.php?id=1063&url=http://www.mediarts.org/ , or MAPS, on hold until this fall, knowing that if he won election he’d be in Helena for the 90-day lawmaking session now under way. He lost to a Republican, 66 percent to 34 percent.

Now Rosten, whose 30 years as a producer included the 1989 movie “True Believer” with James Woods and Robert Downey Jr., and the 1983-87 TV series “Scarecrow and Mrs. King,” wants the Legislature’s help as he prepares to roll out the new MAPS.

House Bill 385 seeks $200,000 in state grants for the kind of media arts instruction he intends to offer. Rosten says the support is merited because of growing workplace demand for people capable in areas such as film and Web-based design.

By SUSAN GALLAGHER of the Associated Press

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/articles/2009/02/08/bnews/br54.txt

More about MAPS http://matr.net/news.phtml?cat_id=84&catlabel=MAPS%99+%3A+Media+Arts+in+the+Public+Schools