BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Maya Cinemas rolling out the red carpet for a good cause, as they host 2019 Make a Difference Scholarship awards.

Maya Cinemas will honor over 40 local graduating seniors Friday with scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,000. These scholarships come from the Maya Cinemas Education Fund which was created to give back to the community in honor of Maya Cinemas CEO and founder, Moctesuma Esparza.

According to the Maya Cinemas website, "Esparza combined his lifelong love of film, his vast experience as a film producer and pioneer and entertainment business developer in his pursuit of creating cornerstone movie theaters in communities lacking first run film entertainment options. In 2003 Moctesuma’s vision was realized with the launch of the first Maya Cinema in Salinas, CA. Today this vision has expanded to Bakersfield, Pittsburg, Fresno and Delano, CA. In January 2019, Maya Cinemas North Las Vegas opened its doors bringing state-of-the-art moviegoing to an area of Las Vegas seeing rapid growth of new business."

Esparza has also produced over 20 films, including The Milagro Beanfield War, Selena, and Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.

Recipients are chosen based on financial need, academics, personal merit, volunteer work, and community involvement. And upcoming seniors can apply for next year's scholarships starting January 6th.