Celebrities don't normally walk down the red carpet to see a new film at United Methodist Church in Moorpark. That's something for Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

But 13 Moorpark High School students will be in the limelight Tuesday night when they premiere their documentary, "A Test of Strength: Japanese American Internment During World War II," at 7 p.m. at the church.

The 30-minute film was a community service project that took them more than two years to complete.

Amy Akashi, 47, a service learning teacher for the Moorpark Unified School District, came up with an idea to create a useful teaching tool for U.S. history classes. "I wanted to do a meaningful project," she said.

The idea soon developed into a student-led movie production. "We wanted them to do it themselves," Akashi said.

The film uses historic footage and interviews of internees to explore the experiences of the thousands of Japanese Americans relocated to camps during World War II.

The 13 students, of various ethnic backgrounds, started the project when they were sophomores. Kevin Sitek, now a 17-year-old senior, did much of the video and sound editing.

"The most difficult part was deciding the direction we wanted to go," Sitek said.

Sitek said he's found, if not a career, definitely a hobby in film editing.

"It was fun for me and I got to do something I enjoyed," he said.

The group used family or borrowed cameras and had to get permission to use historical photos and items. Akashi said the group put in a lot of hard work.

"They spent probably close to 1,000 hours working on it," Akashi said. "I think they have a new respect for filmmakers."

She said the students have been approached by various groups that want to use the film. "They don't plan on selling the film," Akashi said. "Its purpose is to help as a teaching tool."

The premiere is free and open to the public. Akashi said the group is hoping for a large turnout. The moviemakers will discuss the film at the event, which will include refreshments.

"We put up fliers at the district office and sent out formal invitations to district officials," she said.

Sitek said he learned a lot about the Japanese internment making this film and hopes others can take something from it, too.

"Through the interviews, you can really see how fear moves people to be scared and react in a way that hurts a large group of people," he said.

United Methodist Church is at 261 Flory Ave. in Moorpark.