Students learn Scary Lessons About Having a Pirate for a Mate
The Los Angeles Harbor Film Festival Continues Sunday



Hundreds of students from around San Pedro –coming from both private and public schools— swarmed into the Warner Grand Theatre this week to take advantage of a free film and literary lessons at the ongoing LA Harbor International Festival.
The festival continues through Sunday.
More than 700 students flocked to the festival’s event, which showed the movie, “Treasure Island,” as well as handing out a free copy of the book before the event so students could discuss and entertain their ideas about the story. The program is called: "Read the Book, See the Movie."
The 18th century pirate novel evolves around a youngster named Jim Hawkins, who receives an unexpected pirating lesson when a dark stranger shows up at his mother’s inn, then plunging him into a swirling world of black marks and undesirable relations with the notorious pirate, Long John Silver.
“This was overall our best year yet,” said Stephanie Mardesich, festival director. “Students were responsive and very well behaved. They enjoyed the experience from reading the book to going to the movie theater.”
Under the program, festival organizers were able to pass out 750 the “Treasure Island” books to different schools for students to read prior to the event. About 60 students attended from San Pedro High; 40 from Mary Star of the Sea High School, 100 from Dana Middle School, 30 from Rolling Hills Renaissance; 60 from Seventh Street Elementary; 140 from Barton Hill Elementary; and 245 from Port of Los Angeles High School.
In addition, at least 30 students from San Pedro Adult Learning Center attended; 120 more were expected Saturday when the movie aired again. Students were provided tasty snacks, popcorn, granola bars and Capri Suns, the organizer said.

Literacy Coach Sylvia Perry from Dana Middle School said she was extremely pleased by the entire event and is enthusiastic about what’s coming up next year – Swiss Family Robinson.
“The program is really neat,” the coach explained. “All the kids enjoyed it so much and they had a discussion afterwards. Most of our students read the work before going. I enjoyed it myself.”
The festival will continue through Sunday, ending with the finale film, which starts at 5 p.m. today. “The Lost Village of Terminal Island” details the story of a tight knit Japanese American community who were extracted from the island and sent by the hundreds to interment camps after the outbreak World War II.
Costs are $10 for this film and include a free hot dog.
Also on Sunday, the film “I Build the Tower” will begin at 1:30 and recounts the story of Italian immigrant Simon (Sam) Rodia, who took 30 years to build his beatific mosaics and towering spirals – leaving behind a much touted gift to Watts – the Watts Towers.
The film costs $5.
For more information, visit http://www.warnergrand.org/. Tickets can also be bought on Williams Book Store on Sixth Street, across from the theater, and at the box office. The theater is located at 478 West Sixth Street.