Drilling Marcellus: Gas Drilling in Pittsburgh, a film by Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) High School senior Juliana Stricklen, won the Grand Prize in tonight's sixth annual C.A.U.S.E. Challenge™ High School Film Festival. The annual environmental film competition is sponsored by Bayer Corporation, Carnegie Science Center's Regional SciTech Initiative and Pittsburgh Filmmakers. C.A.U.S.E. stands for Creating Awareness and Understanding of our Surrounding Environment.

Other winners announced during the ceremony at Carnegie Science Center hail from Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, St. Joseph's High School, Pine Richland High School and Moon Area High School.

Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox, Deputy Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in North America, emceed the C.A.U.S.E. ceremony, which launched the six-week "Bridging the Gap" series of events held between Earth Day on April 22 and World Environment Day on June 5. Pittsburgh is the North American host city for World Environment Day this year.

As Grand Prize winner, Stricklen received a $1,000 cash prize. In addition, she went home with a digital video camera and case, a Pittsburgh Filmmakers' class voucher, a director's chair, Carnegie Science Center passes and Three Rivers Film Festival tickets. CAPA High School received $1,500 to support its science and media programs and a trophy for its award display case.

The four additional student-filmmaking awards were presented to:

• Narrative Award: Scenes from Later, by Moon Area High School senior David Korotky.


• Documentary Award: Green Burial in Pittsburgh, by Pine Richland High School junior Samantha Shipeck.


• Communicating Science Award: What's in Your Water, by St. Joseph's High School juniors Randall Mialecki and John Grondwalski.


• Abstract Award: Lids Off, by Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School juniors Ashanti D. Lee, Levi McCandless and Amy Foster.

Each of these awards carried a $300 cash prize (shared if team), director's chairs, Carnegie Science Center passes and Three Rivers Film Festival tickets. In addition, each prize-winning school received a trophy and a $1,500 check.

"C.A.U.S.E. has been an ideal way for UNEP and the city of Pittsburgh to kick-off the countdown to World Environment Day 2010," said UNEP's Guilbaud-Cox. "The creativity and insight expressed by these young environmentalists is inspirational. These talented young people clearly understand their role and responsibility as future stewards of the Earth."

World Environment Day is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. With thousands of events in UNEP's six global regions including North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, West Asia, and Europe, World Environment Day is considered the one of the largest environmental events of its kind.

"As we celebrate Earth Day and look to World Environment Day, we could not be prouder and more excited by the artistry and environmental commitment demonstrated by these students' short films," said Rebecca Lucore, Executive Director, Bayer USA Foundation. "This film festival allows Bayer to help educate the next generation of environmentalists. It gives them a voice to express their environmental concerns and offer solutions for keeping the Earth healthy."

"This competition allows students to explore science and technology through a unique arts-oriented experience. It complements the energy and mission of Carnegie Science Center's Regional SciTech Initiative -- to promote understanding and awareness of wide-ranging opportunities in these fields," said Linda Ortenzo, Director of the Initiative. "SciTech brings people of all ages and interests together to explore how science and technology affects their everyday lives."

"This festival is a pleasure because it showcases such a variety of artistic voices being explored by young artists. These students then apply those voices to consideration of the pressing social issues of the environment," said Andrew Swensen, Director, Pittsburgh Filmmakers. "The results demonstrate the importance of filmmaking both as an art form and as a medium for social commentary, and the students in this festival warrant respect on both fronts."

About the C.A.U.S.E. Challenge™ High School Film Festival
The C.A.U.S.E. Challenge Film Festival invites high school students - either individually or in teams of up to four - to write, produce and edit a video or film (five-minute maximum length) on the theme "Mutual Impact: The Environment and You." The C.A.U.S.E. Challenge provides a platform for high school students who are not necessarily on a science track to become more scientifically and environmentally aware using the non-traditional, yet powerful tool of film or video. The filmmaking process also helps students develop their creative voice, master basic skills - such as researching, reading, writing and speaking - and build important science literacy skills like critical thinking, problem solving and team working.

Films were judged by an independent panel consisting of Steve Seliy, an independent filmmaker and Associate Executive Director of the Consortium for Public Education; Lindsey Baxter, Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Pittsburgh and Ben Hernstrom, an independent filmmaker and owner of Ambulantic Video Works.

They based their judging on a variety of criteria, including 1) the film's message, 2) ability to deliver the message, 3) connection to the Pittsburgh region, 4) use of available technology, 5) creativity and 6) research.

About Bayer Corporation and Making Science Make Sense®
Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is a subsidiary of Bayer AG, an international health care, nutrition and high-tech materials group based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company's products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time Bayer creates value through innovation, growth and high earning power. The Corporation is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its role as a socially and ethically responsible corporate citizen. Economy, ecology and social responsibility are corporate policy objectives of equal rank. In North America, Bayer had 2009 net sales of approximately 7.7 billion euros (about $10.7 billion) and employed 16,300 at year end. For more information, go to www.bayerus.com.

Formalized in 1995, Making Science Make Sense is Bayer's national award-winning initiative to advance science literacy through hands-on, inquiry-based science learning, employee volunteerism and public education.

About Carnegie Science Center's Regional SciTech Initiative
Carnegie Science Center's Regional SciTech Initiative conducts programs and events for all ages that promote interest in and awareness of regional science and technology development and career opportunities, as well as a knowledgeable, inspired public. Programs showcase Pittsburgh as an international hub of scientific and technological advancements in the region's growth industries: robotics, information technology, nanotechnology, biotechnology, environmental technology and advanced materials processes; as well as connections between these fields and the arts/literature, current events and science in the news.

The diverse programs connect visitors with leading scientists and technologists in a fun, dynamic atmosphere. Students and teachers (middle and high school) families, college students and adults engage in interactive exhibit booths by corporations, universities, and community organizations, as well as provocative panel discussions, science demos and exciting arts performances.

About Pittsburgh Filmmakers
Pittsburgh Filmmakers is a regional community resource and one of the oldest and largest media art centers in the country. It is committed to the artist and the understanding and advancement of artistic excellence in film, video, photographic and digital expression. It accomplishes this through programs in exhibition, artist membership services, and education

Pittsburgh Filmmakers' School of Film, Photography and Digital Media offers one of the most complete professional training programs in the country. Classes are offered in film, video, photography and digital arts and are open to the public and can be taken for college credit. Pittsburgh Filmmakers is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

For more information, please call the C.A.U.S.E. Challenge Hotline at 412-777-5791 or visit www.SciTechSpec.org.

About Bayer Corporation
Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is a subsidiary of Bayer AG, an international health care, nutrition and high-tech materials group based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company's products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time Bayer creates value through innovation, growth and high earning power. The Corporation is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its role as a socially and ethically responsible corporate citizen. Economy, ecology and social responsibility are corporate policy objectives of equal rank. In North America, Bayer had 2009 net sales of approximately 7.7 billion euros (about $10.7 billion) and employed 16,300 at year end. For more information, go to www.bayerus.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

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Bayer: Science For A Better Life

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2015, the Group employed around 117,000 people and had sales of EUR 46.3 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.6 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.3billion. These figures include those for the high-tech polymers business, which was floated on the stock market as an independent company named Covestro on October 6, 2015. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

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