MHIFFMY HERO
CONTACT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wendy Milette
Director MY HERO International Film Festival
[email protected]
UPLIFTING SHORT FILMS AND THE HEROES THEY FEATURE HONORED AT MY HERO INTERNATIONAL FILM FEST
NOVEMBER 23, 2022 - LAGUNA BEACH, CA - The 18th Annual MY HERO International Film Festival Special Awards Ceremony was held on Saturday 19, November 2022.
Filmmakers and heroes from around the world gathered virtually to honor the special award winners from the competition. Students and professional filmmakers shared beautiful documentaries, animated films and experimental work in this years festival. Film Festival Director, Wendy Milette, and Assistant Director, Kitty Richardson, were the masters of ceremony for the program.
Special Award PresentersMY HERO
The Women Transforming Media Award presented by Eva Haller, champion for women's rights and world-renown philanthropist and host of the weekly Eva Haller Salon Series. Haller spoke of the ‘privilege to be part of MY HERO,’ referring to it as a ‘Renaissance organization,’ as ‘[they] do everything that nobody else does, cherish each other, and feel a tremendous responsibility’ for the millions of people who use MY HERO’s content globally. She expressed strong gratitude for all the filmmakers present and thanked them for the ‘opportunity to be with and support’ them.
Winner: Hello Anna!’ by Lucy Schacher (Swinburne University, Australia)
Lucy a returning winners this year has also won the College Documentary category and MY HERO’s Emerging Artist Award. ‘Hello Anna!’ is a short documentary which explores the work of children’s illustrator and author, Anna Walker. Eva Haller spoke to how Walker’s books give courage and inner strength to young people, helping to liberate them, and all of us, from fear.
Eva Haller and LucyMY HERO
Youth Winner: 'Inclusion on the Air' featuring Emily Perl Kingsley, by Boston University student, Eli Canter
The film, ‘Inclusion on the Air,’ honors the work of Emily Kingsley, who has provided ‘huge visibility for people with disabilities on screen’ through her work on Sesame Street. Eva Haller said she watched the film ‘over and over,’ told Eli Canter, who was only sixteen when he made the film, that he had done ‘a marvelous job, ’ and called Kingsley a ‘genius.’
MY HERO Global Educator Award
Winner: Dr. Mandeep Rai | 'The Values Compass' (UK)
Dr. Mandeep Rai, author of ‘The Values Compass’, received the Global Educator Award for her outstanding work in education. Rai has worked in over 100 countries, helping people to find their purpose in life and enhance leadership qualities, and joined the virtual festival from a tree planting retreat!
Environmental Hero Award
This year, two short films received the prestigious MY HERO Environmental Hero Award.
Winner: 'Who Should Decide the Future of the Amazon?' directed by Martin Kingman and produced by Amazon Frontlines (Ecuador)
This powerful film highlights the fight for the future of the Amazon Forest and our planet by the Indigenous peoples who have been safeguarding and preserving the forest for hundreds of years. The film asks, ‘Who should decide, those who destroy or those who protect the Amazon?’ emphasizing the importance of listening to the voices of Indigenous Peoples of the Rainforest.
Winner: 'The Sustainability Laboratory' produced by Michael Ben-Eli and The Sustainability Laboratory (Israel)
This informative film is about how we are living on a planet in distress that threatens every aspect of our biosphere and offers some solutions. The Lab is a holistic and innovative global platform for sustainable development to create future leaders and ensure our transition to a sustainable future.
MY HERO Media Award
Winner: 'BUTTERFLY IN THE SKY' (Excerpt) by Brett Whitcomb, Bradford Thomason and Sidestilt Films (USA)
‘BUTTERFLY IN THE SKY’ tells the story of the beloved PBS children’s series ‘Reading Rainbow,’ its iconic host LeVar Burton, and the challenges its creators faced in cultivating a love of reading through the medium of television.
People’s Choice Award
Winner: 'The Future INNU' directed by Stéphane Nepton and produced by Wapikoni Mobile (Canada)
Filmmaker Nepton calls the film, ‘an ode to the land in relation to my double identity as an urban Indigenous person. A story that is both personal and poetic.’ This creative, experimental film also won MY HERO’s Experimental Award. Wapikoni Mobile is a mobile training, audiovisual and musical creation studio dedicated to Indigenous youth and their communities.
The Kovic Peace Prize is presented by Ron Kovic, New York Times bestselling author, Golden Globe winner, artist and peace activist
Winner: 'Alan Magee: Art is not a Solace' by David Berez and David Wright (Maine, USA)-
Ron Kovic gave a brief but inspiring talk, explaining that ‘we need peace more than ever now.’ Having lived with the lasting physical effects of war for the last 54 years, he stated that he is ‘just grateful to still be alive and be speaking on behalf of peace, and on behalf of a better world.’ Kovic spoke about how artists need to tell the truth, at any risk, and how 'we have the responsibility to go beyond what most people want to say…to allow us to create a better world.'
The documentary about the artist Alan Magee, known for his realist paintings concerning corporate greed, cruelty, and gun violence. Shot on location, from Pemaquid Point, Maine to the streets of Berlin, the film examines the ways in which art can address the great challenges we face as a society. Alan Magee, who was present for the event, thanked MY HERO staff, saying how ‘profoundly encouraging this is to have our work acknowledged in this company.’ Kovic lauded the film and emphasized that artists need to tell the truth at any risk, and that we have ‘the responsibility to go beyond what most people want to say […] to allow us to create a better world.’
Dan Eldon Youth Activist Award presented by Kathy Eldon, co-founder of Creative Visions Foundation, author, producer and activist
Winner: 'LITTLE BIG STEVE' (Trailer) by Tiziana Caminada (Switzerland, Nairobi)
After a touching tribute to young activist, Dan Eldon (1970-1993), his mother, Kathy Eldon, introduced the two winning films as ‘stories that need to be told.’
‘Little Big Steve’ is a portrait of Steve Arodi, a man with surprising resilience, and his return to the shanty town of Mathare in Nairobi, Kenya, where he began his life. Twenty years later, he returns to the Nairobi slums to defend children’s rights. Filmmaker Tiziana Caminada thanked MY HERO, saying ‘This festival makes us feel less alone,’ a sentiment that was shared by others also.
Youth winner: 'Racism Must Stop' by Azomali Obisakin and In-Progress (Minnesota, USA)
‘Racism Must Stop’ is a documentary short exploring the impact of racism on the lives of both children and adults alike. Powerful words spoken by young children offer a glimpse into what racism feels like for a child: ‘We need to see each other from the inside out…that kids will grow up knowing to love.’ “Love is the most powerful emotion,” Kathy Eldon commented, “with the power to heal hurts.”
Nine-year-old Azomali Obisakin told the audience that she had the idea for the film to share her story to younger children. A radiant Eldon added, “Dan would be so proud to know you.”
Relationships First Awards presented by Judith Anderson, Ph.D. and The Foundation for the Contemporary Family
Two excellent films won the Relationships First Awards this year.
Winner: 'The Space Between Us' by Gabriel Diamond and Outside Films (USA)
‘The Space Between Us’ is a radical experiment in the power of bearing witness, inviting vulnerability, and sharing movement, in a time of social distancing and racial reckoning. Gabriel Diamond, a professional filmmaker and long-time friend of MY HERO, noted that during the time of George Floyd’s murder, people ‘were in a lot of pain, yearning to connect across these borders.’ His film is a testament to bearing witness, being vulnerable, and asking the tough questions.
Winner: 'UKWATI // The Wedding' by Sean William Economou and Watts of Love (Malawi)
The deep and evocative film, ‘Ukwati,’ is about child marriage in Malawi. Girls as young as 10 years old are being stripped of their innocence and thrown into the responsibilities of marriage. With limited opportunity, scarce resources and lack of education, millions of families around the world are faced with this sobering reality.
WOJ Youth Reporter Awards presented by Esther Wojcicki, author, global educator and co-founder of Tract (USA)
Three winners were honored with WOJ Youth Reporter Award this year. Esther Wojcicki spoke about how she hoped to give young people the ability to empower themselves and make change in their world. Two of the films are about forgotten heroes ‘that people should know about.’ The film about Amelia Earhart was, she said, incredible for a middle school student, and that her teacher (Jeffrey Rudkin, below) should be praised as an example for the world.
High School Documentary
Winner: 'The story of José Rizal' by Ben Caloza, Providence High School (RI, USA)
'The story of José Rizal' is a short biographical film about the life and death of José Rizal, considered a national hero in the Philippines.
Middle School Documentary
Winner: 'The Forgotten Hero - Carl Lutz' by Daniel Joseph Taylor and Lora Batchelor Middle School (Indiana, USA)
This important film about the Palestinian Holocaust hero, Carl Lutz, who saved 62,000 Jews during his lifetime.
Middle School Women Heroes
Winner: 'Amelia Earhart' by Annika Smith, Quinn Reynolds and Lora Batchelor Middle School (Indiana, USA)
MY HERO Teacher Award
Winner: Jeffrey Rudkin of Lora Batchelor Middle School (Indiana, USA)
Beloved by his students, Mr. Rudkin guides them to create short documentary films about ‘ordinary people doing heroic things.’ ‘The study of heroes,’ Rudkin told MY HERO, ‘gives the students role models to look up to. These are people who did things for other people. Especially unsung heroes, which require more research. The students discuss the stories of ordinary people doing heroic things and making the right choices and help the students to understand global world views.’
Humanitarian Hero
Winner: 'Building a Shower Trailer for Chico's Houseless on a Budget ... of Love!' by Gerard Ungerman and Respectful Revolution (USA)
In the film, we meet a gentleman, Charles Withuhn, his friends, generous businesses, and many local donations in Chico, CA that built a shower trailer for the unhoused on a budget of love. Gerard Ungerman thanked MY HERO and said, “MY HERO Film Festival is an awesome, awesome festival that […] inspires youth and children around the world with examples of what can be done—it’s priceless.” Charles Withuhn added, “We are at a pivotal moment in history. We have a choice to be helpful and address our issues or ignore them to be entertained.”
Special Hero Award
Winner: 'Super Ruby' by Dean Saffron (Australia)
This award goes to eight-year-old Ruby, a proud Aboriginal and young sporting champion, who endeavors to lead her best life every day, despite having Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Ruby’s positive attitude radiates throughout this short film.
Best of Fest - 1st Place Animation - Young Audience Vote
Winner: 'Andy' directed by Jamy Wheless, animated by Brendan Gottlieb and produced by Jean Schultz and Ignite Animation Studios (USA)
Director Jamy Wheless & Olivia with service dogMY HERO
This year’s ‘Best of Fest’ is an uplifting animated film about how a puppy overcomes a series of obstacles to find his purpose in life. Andy’s dream to become a service dog, his bravery, and his perseverance, create a deeply moving, heartfelt story compassionately portrayed by Wheless. Young Olivia, whom the child in the film is named after, has been in a wheelchair all of her life. Olivia, with her service dog, was present to speak briefly, saying that she hopes ‘more kids who are disabled can feel this too.’
To view the 2022 MY HERO International Film Festival Program,
Click here
View all winning films online
'This festival makes us feel less alone,' a sentiment also expressed by others, including filmmaker Will Parrinello, who noted at the end of the festival how important it is for people doing similar work to be shared in a loving and supportive environment like that of MY HERO Film Festival."
- Tiziana Caminada, filmmaker
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Page created on 11/23/2022 12:00:00 PM
Last edited 11/23/2022 9:53:34 PM
