CONTACT: WENDY MILETTE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
949-376-5964
SANTA MONICA, CA - 11/23/16 – “POST-WAR MACHISMO: BE A MAN,” a film by Liz Mermin, of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, is the winner of the 2016 Ron Kovic Peace Prize, an annual award that goes to a film that effectively addresses the issue of world peace. The award includes a $1000 cash prize to support the critical efforts of peace activists whose work shows the power of non-violent solutions to the world's troubles.
The short documentary film features Dragan Kisin, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who had once been a teenage bully. At age 15, Kisin’s father had fled and his mother was despondent. When Dragen joined an organization called the “Be a Man Club,” it was a move that set him on a path toward becoming a peace advocate and community leader.
“Never has there been a more important time in our country, and this world, to remind people of the power of peace and non-violence,” said Kovic. “Through the extraordinary life of Dragan Kisin, and film by director Liz Mermin, we are all inspired to believe that the world can truly become a better place and that each and every one of us can be a part of that important transformation.”
 |
| Ron Kovic presenting the Kovic Peace Prize to filmmaker Liz Mermin |
"I was really impressed at how he opened up,” said Mermin about Dragan Kisin and his work with the youth of the Be A Man Club. “I think he was so proud to be part of this group and to be leading this group. He just knows how to talk to them and make them comfortable. I think he's probably going to stay and work for a long time."
Liz Mermin accepted the award at The MY HERO International Film Festival Awards Ceremony in Santa Monica. Mermin is a cultural anthropologist and documentary filmmaker who currently heads the multimedia and documentary department for the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Her films and articles explore contemporary topics and current affairs.
Ron Kovic is an artist, peace activist and author of two books, Hurricane Street and the New York Times bestseller, Born on the Fourth of July. The latter is an autobiography about Kovic’s experience during the war in Vietnam. It was made into a film by director Oliver Stone, in which Tom Cruise portrayed Kovic. For the past 40 years, Kovic has been a prominent advocate for peace.
 |
| Liz Mermin accepting the 2016 Kovic Peace Prize |
Watch “POST-WAR MACHISMO: BE A MAN,” and other winning films, on the MY HERO website: myhero.com/winners.
The festival is part of The MY HERO Project, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to sharing stories of heroes from all parts of the world. MY HERO's award winning web site (www.myhero.com) hosts the world's largest archive of hero themed stories, music, art and short films.
Page created on 12/1/2016 9:53:06 PM
Last edited 7/7/2017 11:40:50 PM
