A big boost for young filmmakers

WASHINGTON -

President Obama said the film festival he hosted at the White House on Friday is probably the only one to ever feature a director with a loose tooth.

The 15 films featured at the second annual event were made by students age 6-16 who were chosen from among some 1,500 entries on this year's theme of giving back.

The young filmmakers were joined in the East Room-turned-movie theater by entertainment-industry leaders, including Academy Award-winning actress Hilary Swank and Steve McQueen, director of the Oscar-winning "12 Years a Slave." The masters of ceremonies were actors Kal Penn and Terrence J.

The loose tooth belonged to the youngest featured artist - 6-year-old Noah Gue, of Bozeman, Mont., the son of a wildland firefighter father and photographer mother. His film was inspired by the changing climate and landscape in his hometown.

Obama used the event to announce a new mentoring program for aspiring artists. The American Film Institute and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists have pledged to provide 1 million hours of mentoring over the next three years.