WINNERS NAMED IN 2024 SING FOR HOPE AWARD

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CONTACT:                                               
Wendy Milette
Director The MY HERO International Film Festival
[email protected]

NOVEMBER 16 2024

      WINNERS NAMED IN 2024 SING FOR HOPE AWARD

The Sing for Hope Music Video Award, sponsored by Sing for Hope Board member Eva Haller and co-sponsored by Guitars in The Classroom, celebrates music videos that harness the power of the arts to create a better world.

Eva Haller is a philanthropist, an activist, a MY HERO board member and a mentor to generations. She’s a Holocaust survivor who lost her older brother in the war and vowed to spend her life helping people to honor his memory. Many individuals and organizations have benefitted from that vow — Sing for Hope, Women for Women International, Asian Initiatives, Free the Children and the Jane Goodall Institute are only a few. 

This year, there are three winners:

Powerful

The super catchy and compelling music video ‘Powerful’ performed by Jonathan Sprout and directed by Rodney Whittenberg.

The song is about one of America's youngest ambassador's for peace, Samantha Smith from Jonathan’s CD American Heroes #4, written by Jonathan Sprout & Dave Kinnoin and produced by Rodney Whittenberg.

Samantha Smith was an American schoolgirl from Maine who gained international attention in the early 1980s as a symbol of hope and peace during the Cold War. In 1982, at the age of ten, Samantha wrote a heartfelt letter to Soviet Premier Yuri Andropov, expressing her concerns about the escalating tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union and asking why the two superpowers seemed poised for war. To her surprise, Andropov replied, inviting her to visit the Soviet Union as a "goodwill ambassador."

American HeroesJonathan Sprout 

Jonathan Sprout is a Grammy nominated singer-songwriter and recording artist who has spent the last 22 years creating inspiring and engaging “hero music” specifically for children. He has composed over forty songs and released four albums in his American Heroes series, each highlighting remarkable figures from American history.

My hero asked Jonathan how he felt about winning the award Jonathan; he stated, “Thrilling! I’m content as “the messenger,” helping elevate awareness of true American heroes, since it’s critical we learn to differentiate between heroes and celebrities. This is a special treat to receive recognition for the work my co-creators and I have completed!”

When it Comes From the Earth

The delightfully uplifting, sing along ‘When it Comes From the Earth’ directed by Katalin Egely from Hungary.

KatieWhen It Comes From the Earth 

The video depicts a little girl, a cumbia and a sustainable, healthy world. (Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America.) Said Katalin, “The idea came from the lyrics, from the music, and from the direction where we (the musicians and me too) think people should go.”

Viva La Veta

‘Viva La Veta’ directed by Natalie Chien and produced by Imaginate Ink.

In this video, 13-year-old Natalie wonders why Veta La Palma, a magical fish farm in Spain that produces the most delicious fish double-Michelin star Chef Dan Barber has ever tasted by harnessing Nature to raise fish, is a secret from the world. She hopes her hip hop rap with bilingual lyrics will share Barber's message about this planet-friendly secret fish farm with the world.

Natalie ChienViva La Veta 

The idea for Viva La Veta arose when Chien first came across a TED Talk made by twice Michelin Star recipient chef Dan Barber, in which he discusses the need for a shift in the agricultural industry and the way fish farm Veta La Palma were leading by example. Taking care of the planet is an issue Chien cares deeply about and hearing Barber’s talk made her realize that there are people working to find innovative solutions to the climate crisis, which can at times feel extremely overwhelming and anxiety-inducing. Chien explained to MY HERO: “Many of my peers are worried about the way we abuse our planet right now, so I made this film because I want to spread the word about how to solve seemingly unsolvable problems in creative and delightful ways.” Chien’s tutors, Clarissa Ngo of Imaginate Ink and Steve Swanson of Gold Medal Voice then worked with her to set the poem to music and create an accompanying music video

MY HERO Film Festival

MY HERO will be presenting the Awards at the 20th Anniversary MY HERO International Film Festival Awards Ceremony on November 16th, 2024 in Santa Monica at the Ann & Jerry Moss Theater at New Roads School, 3131 Olympic Blvd, Santa Monica, Ca. 90404.

Join MY HERO in celebrating 20 years of The MY HERO International Film Festival. Find out more here: festival-information