2024 WOJ YOUTH REPORTER AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

MHIFFMY HERO 

PRESS RELEASE                                                                   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WINNERS NAMED IN 2024 'WOJ' YOUTH REPORTER AWARD

NOVEMBER 12, 2024– LAGUNA BEACH, CA - THE 20^th ANNUAL MY HERO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL is proud to present the 'WOJ'  Youth Reporter Awards Winners

The WOJ Youth Reporter Award celebrates youth reporters who are creating videos on heroes making a positive difference in their community and the world. This award is presented by Esther Wojcicki, an outstanding media arts educator, author and journalist. The prize is open for Middle and High School Students with cash prizes up to $2000. This year, there are 4 winners:

When The Devil Smoked in Paradise

When the Devil Smoked in ParadiseScreen capture from film 

When The Devil Smoked in Paradise is directed by Katherine Liao, a junior high school student, filmmaker, and activist who is passionate about fighting injustice. The film, a short documentary, details a grassroots campaign by residents from Liao’s hometown, Irvine in central Orange County, against All American Asphalt’s large plant in the center of the city, which was emitting dangerous chemicals into the atmosphere. The film has won a WOJ Youth Reporter Award, a Dan Eldon Award and BEST of FEST at the 2024 MY HERO International Film Festival!

Said Liao: “This film shows the power within every single human to do good. We harbor misconceptions that heroes must be iconic historical figures, but we can do more good than we think.”

Liao became involved in the campaign against the Irvine AAA plant in 2021 and was inspired by the courage and dedication of the people around her fighting for change. “They all had families and kids,” she explained to MY HERO, “just like the rest of us. Yet, they took courageous actions and sacrificed their time for something that seemed impossible at first. Their resilience and commitment were truly eye-opening for me.”

System Failure

System FailureScreen capture from film 

System Failure directed by Robert Munic, has won the WOJ Youth Reporter Award - High School Narrative. In this film, while contemplating his future, a high school boy is forced to confront a painful secret that will shed a light on the system that failed him. 

Munic was mentored by Kids in the Spotlight. KITS is a charity headed by Tige Charity that empowers foster care youth, ages 12-22, to heal and overcome trauma through storytelling and film-making. The idea is to allow foster youth to create their own narratives, and the process provides a creative outlet and helps the youth build confidence, learn new skills, and heal from past trauma. KITS mentors guide young filmmakers from script to screen, culminating in an annual awards ceremony where the films are showcased, and the achievements of these young people are celebrated.

Sustainability?

Sustainability?Screen capture from film 

Finn DeWitt, age 12, has won the WOJ Youth Reporter Award - Middle School Documentary at the 20^th MY HERO Film Festival. 

The film Sustainability? is about helping people understand what is happening to the earth and how important it is to act.  DeWitt first met Michael Ben-Eli, founder of The Sustainability Lab, through friends of his parents. We were having dinner and talking about his work and I was sharing my love of filmmaking. We came up with the idea of making a film about sustainability that night,” said DeWitt, who has been making films since he was nine. He recently played The Little Prince at the Rosendale Theatre in New York and has studied and performed in 39 Shakespeare plays with New Genesis Productions. 

Said DeWitt: “It’s very important to let everyone know what’s happening to our planet and how we have to take action. This planet has been suffering from the use of non-sustainable resources like oil and coal for years. Many people use these fossil fuels for many things in their lives. We have to find resources that don’t pollute the atmosphere. I also worry about warfare and how if we keep living like this we are going to end up killing ourselves.”

Joy Buolamwini

Joy BuolamwiniScreen capture from film 

Joy Buolamwini is a short documentary by Ascot Avenue Elementary School student Abbigail Mira. It has won a WOJ Youth Reporter Award Elementary and an Eva Haller WTM Student Award at the 20^th Annual MY HERO International Film Festival. The film was created as part of the MY HERO Media Arts Education program at Ascot Elementary in Los Angeles.

Read more about the MY HERO Media Arts Education program here.

To see previous Youth Reporter winners go to: /the-woj-youth-reporter-award

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

Schedule: 6:00 - 7:00 PM - Reception with live jazz - 7:00 - 9:00 PM - Film Festival Awards Ceremony Dessert reception to follow.

Reserve your tickets HERE: