[KHTS] – A Valencia High School junior is using his passion for filmmaking to raise awareness about an issue affects students in high schools across the nation: addiction.

Hayden Rusk, 16, is already an award-winning filmmaker. His short film “Child Abduction PSA” received “Best PSA” at the All American High School Film Festival in New York last year.

This year, he is submitting his music video “Sloppy Seconds,” along with several other projects to the 2014 Film Festival.

The music video, starring Jake Lutz and Lily Florczak, uses the rap song “Sloppy Seconds” by George Watsky to convey the consequences of drug addiction.

“I just really like the song, and I wanted to find a new meaning for the lyrics,” Rusk said.

Through the story of a relationship damaged by addiction and visuals that are graphic at times, Rusk conveys the seriousness of his theme.

He was inspired to create the video by stories he heard in the news and by the presence of drug abuse in high schools.

“It’s something that high school kids can relate to,” he said. “It’s the dark truth of high school, that this stuff actually happens.”

Rusk originally published his music video on YouTube on Feb. 2, and within an hour it racked up 1,000 views, he said.

“If I put it in a way that’s easy to share,” he said, “then it’s easy to get the word out.”

Two months later, the video has more than 23,000 views.

This is due in part to the support of Watsky, himself, who shared this video on his public Facebook page on Feb. 3.

“I’m so inspired by this group of high school kids who made their own video for Sloppy Seconds,” Watsky wrote. “No budget, endless creativity, getting together with friends to build things. You guys win and shout out to Hayden Rusk, the director. I’m honored you picked my song to put your time and love into.”

Rusk, who also works for Valencia Television at Valencia High, hopes to attend Chapman University after he graduates and hopes to become a professional filmmaker or director someday.

He will be notified in September if “Sloppy Seconds” is selected to be screened at the All American High School Film Festival in October.

For more information about Rusk and his filmmaking, click here.