To go green, Christopher Boehm turned to black-and-white illustrations for his smart and award-winning film, "Thoughts: The Environment and Me."

The Brashear High School senior was named grand-prize winner of the fifth annual C.A.U.S.E. Challenge High School Film Festival last night at the Carnegie Science Center.

Boehm, who served as director, editor, illustrator and writer, was awarded $1,000, a digital video camera and case, Pittsburgh Filmmakers' class voucher, director's chair, science center passes and Three Rivers Film Festival tickets.

Brashear took home $1,500 to support its science and media programs, along with a trophy for its display case.

Boehm's film, which features the voice of Steve Scoville, emerged from 37 submitted by Pittsburgh teens on the theme "Mutual Impact: the Environment and You."

Some contrasted old smoky Pittsburgh with the clean, modern skyline, and many emphasized the importance of unplugging electronics, appliances or chargers ("energy vampires") when not in use and acting now for the sake of future generations. The quality and quantity of entries has exploded with each passing year.

Other winners at the C.A.U.S.E., which stands for Creating Awareness and Understanding of Our Surrounding Environment, Challenge:

• Narrative Award: "License to Conserve," by Hampton High School seniors Ben Kepner, Sarah Miller and Bryan Seelnacht and freshman Nancy Kepner.

• Documentary Award: "Voices of Our Future" by Quaker Valley High School senior Jessica Johnson.

• Communicating Science Award: "A Global Mission" by Moon Area High School junior David Korotky.

• Abstract Award: "Is It Worth It?" by Mt. Lebanon High School seniors Julie Nascone, Alex Trivilino and Matt Ulrich.

Each award carries a $300 cash prize (shared if a team), director's chair, Carnegie Science Center passes and Three Rivers Film Festival tickets. In addition, each prize-winning school receives a trophy and a $1,500 check.

Dr. Mae C. Jemison, the nation's first African-American female astronaut and Bayer Corporation's "Making Science Make Sense" spokeswoman, joined the filmmakers and guests on the red carpet and at the ceremony.

Bayer is one of the sponsors, along with the Carnegie Science Center's Regional SciTech Initiative and Pittsburgh Filmmakers.

Since the event started, 141 films from 203 students have been submitted. More than $10,000 has been awarded to winning students, with another $24,000 to schools.

To mark the fifth anniversary, three special Partner's Choice Awards were given to: Dr. Robert Rosen, a media teacher at Mt. Lebanon High School; CAPA and its digital media instructor, Dennis Childers; and the students of Chartiers Valley High school, for their independent spirit and dedication to filmmaking.

Go to SciTechSpec.org for more information.

The producers of "Bottle Shock" have optioned a comedy screenplay, "Kill Bassi!" written by Crafton's Greg Rempel.

It's based on a story by Rempel and North Huntingdon's Mark Fallone, who came up with the title in the fall. Toying with an idea along the "Kill Bill" lines, he said, "Why not, 'Kill Bassi'? A Polish tragedy."

The pair invented a low-rent Polish thug named Ivan "Bassi" Bassikovich, and Rempel wrote "Kill Bassi!" while consulting with Fallone.

Fallone met former Pittsburgher Marc Lhormer and his wife, Brenda, at a local screening of "Bottle Shock," which the couple produced. He submitted the screenplay to them, and they later optioned it.

Rempel and Fallone have proposed shooting it in Pittsburgh, with nearby towns substituting for Polish villages. "We're hoping that between Marc and Brenda's efforts on the West Coast, combined with some interest from local people, we may be producing this comedy in our own backyards."

If the films are as good as the weather, it should be a winning event tonight at Carnegie Mellon University.

CMU's Filmmaking Club will hold Rack Focus: A Bike-In Outdoor Film Festival today from 7 to 11 p.m. with a theme of "technology-driven nostalgia."

In a move designed to allow festivalgoers to bike in and enjoy the films, the fest will be outdoors on campus. Suggested donation is $5, with bikers admitted for free.

"Rack Focus" will showcase student works, along with performances, speeches, art collections and more. It is open to the public and will be held on the lawn in front of the College of Fine Arts. In the event of rain, it will shift to tomorrow in McConomy Auditorium in the University Center.

See rackfocusfest.com for details.

Callers and e-mailers have asked why the Post-Gazette is omitting ads from the AMC-Loews at the Waterfront. It is not.

The AMC chain, based in Kansas City, Mo., has decided to bypass the Post-Gazette and spend its advertising dollars in other ways and suggests moviegoers use Web sites and phone numbers to find showtimes.

A grid that appears every Thursday in Weekend Mag shows where movies are playing, but the Post-Gazette does not have the space to list times for every movie and venue.

Justin Scott, director of corporate communications for AMC Entertainment in Kansas City, said in a statement: "The expense required to maintain 365-day per year showtime ads limits our ability to advertise other important information, like value programs and promotions.

"In an era when many moviegoers are using alternative resources to access showtimes, AMC has chosen to reallocate its showtime information methods. We encourage our guests to visit amcentertainment.com or call 1-888-AMC-4FUN for showtime information."

The decision was made at headquarters and not the theater at the Waterfront.