The Manor Education Foundation, Austin Community College, Pflugerville Independent School District and the filmmakers of “Christmas in the Clouds” are teaming up to support higher education in Austin. Film writer/director Kate Montgomery and select cast members will host a private screening of the romantic comedy at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Regal Arbor Cinema, 9828 Great Hills Trail. Proceeds will benefit the Manor Education Foundation, PISD and ACC’s Radio, Television and Film program.

Montgomery, being familiar with Austin’s film-friendly reputation, said she was pleased to offer “Christmas in the Clouds” as a benefit to local educational institutions.

The film, the first PG rated comedy set in Indian Country, follows the story of a ski-resort manager hoping to score big with a critic from a leading travel magazine. When a beautiful stranger visits the resort, he mistakes her for the critic and turns on the charm, leaving the real critic to the whims of the resort’s dysfunctional staff. This comedy of errors has delighted sellout crowds at film festivals across the country, including Sundance (Official Selection) and Austin (Audience Award – Best Feature). The cast includes M. Emmet Walsh (“Fletch,” “Raising Arizona”), Graham Greene (“Dances with Wolves”) and newcomers Tim Vahle and Mariana Tosca.

Tickets for the private screening are available for online purchase through PayPal at www.amcreativityassoc.org/clouds.htm for $20. Movie attendees may join the cast for an after-party, admitted free with their movie ticket stub.

For interviews with the film’s cast members or director, contact Cathy Hosman at

349-2311. For interviews regarding the fundraiser benefiting ACC, contact Veronica Obregon, 223-7596.

About the Beneficiaries

Austin Community College is a public, two-year college offering associate degrees and certificates in more than 180 areas at six Central Texas campuses. Serving as the regional leader in workforce training, university transfer and adult access programs, ACC opens its doors each year to more than 65,000 credit and continuing education students who benefit from the College’s great faculty and staff. ACC is the eighth largest community college in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Visit www.austincc.edu for more information.

The Manor Education Foundation is an independent, 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to meeting the extraordinary needs of the Manor ISD community by providing grants, scholarships, and other special programs. For more information about the Manor Education Foundation, please visit www.manoredfoundation.org, or contact the executive director, Geovanna Ricaldi, at (512) 278-1606 or email at .

Pflugerville ISD serves over 18,400 students in a sprawling suburban area north of Austin. This is an area of tremendous growth. The newly formed Pflugerville Fund for Excellence in Education provides a way for the community to support the mission of PISD through grants to teachers and administrators for innovations in education and through student scholarships. Funds from the premiere of “Christmas in the Clouds” are important to the fledgling foundation and will provide the initial funding to launch efforts to support the teachers, students, and families of Pflugerville.