Los Angeles, Jan 13 (IANS): "The Help" star Octavia Spencer is spearheading a short film contest for budding directors.
The 42-year-old is inviting amateurs to create 20-minute films for her new competition.
Spencer will give away a new camera and a $1,000 cash prize to the best of the bunch, and she'll also showcase the winning entry online, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
In a post on her Facebook.com page, Spencer writes: "I was struck this past week when a young filmmaker asked me how I coped when my dreams felt far from my grasp. My answer to her and all of you is I always feel mine are always within reach.
"What many people don't know is that it takes an average of 15 years to become an overnight success.