Marissa Jo Cerar, the aspiring young actress from Athens who appeared on

IT’s cover five years ago [see “Seeing Stars,” Dec. 2, 2004, at illinoistimes.com], has once again caught the eye of Hollywood filmmakers.

This time Cerar plays a behind-the-scenes role as the screenwriter of “STEPS,” a threeminute short film that features a young girl, abandoned as an infant, and her reflections about life. Cerar’s film is one of 10 produced as part of Project: Involve, a program that enrolls filmmakers from culturally diverse backgrounds in nine-month fellowships.

You can watch “STEPS” and other films, and vote for your favorites in a competition sponsored by Vanity Fair and Banana Republic.

Check it out at www.vfagenda.com/ bananarepublic by Sept. 4. Cerar, who now lives in Los Angeles, says her inspiration came from being adopted herself: “The film is about those moments that forever change our lives and bring people together, people who otherwise may have never met.”