Pasadena Teens Win 'Bear Aware' Film Contest

PASADENA (CBSLA.com) — Two Pasadena high school students have been named the winners of a youth film contest aimed at raising awareness about bears in the San Gabriel Valley.

Jose Nuno, 17, and Alex Burgos, 18, were awarded a first-place prize of $500 in the second annual Bear Aware Youth Film Contest for their video, "Smarter Than The Average Bear".

The students from John Muir High School shot their two-minute video with a cell phone camera, and said they plan to use their winnings to purchase a bigger camera.

Students from Clark Magnet School in Glendale claimed the runner-up winnings, with the second-place prize of $300 going to Hasmik Djoulakian and a $200 third place award going to Chase Baker, Erik Bakhshi and Boris Kitapszyan.

The winners were announced on the heels of several bear sightings in the foothills in and adjacent to the San Gabriel Valley, including one in La Cañada Flintridge that sent a group of swimmers at a pool in a nearby residence running after spotting the bear.

The contest was funded by donations from Sierra Club and Bass Pro Shop in Rancho Cucamonga.