CONTACT: Wendy Milette FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The MY HERO Project
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CALL FOR ENTRIES - RON KOVIC PEACE PRIZE 2017 MY HERO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
SANTA MONICA, CA – 06/27/17 - The MY HERO Project is happy to announce a Call for Entries for the 2017 Ron Kovic Peace Prize. The prestigious award is offered each year at The MY HERO International Film Festival, to a filmmaker whose work best represents the theme of “peace.” Films must be no more than 10 minutes in length, including trailers and excerpts, and must be suitable for all ages. The deadline for submissions is September 15, 2017.
The award is presented each year in honor of veteran, author and painter Ron Kovic. Kovic has spent the past 45 years working for peace. A former Marine Corps sergeant, Kovic served two tours of duty in the Vietnam War. The second tour left him paralyzed from the mid-chest down. Upon his return, Kovic turned his focus toward peace, becoming a prominent spokes-person for the anti-war movement. Kovic shared his story with millions in “Born on the Fourth of July,” an autobiographical book that was adapted into an award winning film starring Tom Cruise and directed by Oliver Stone.
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| Ron Kovic and Truthdig Editor in Chief Robert Scheer at the 2014 MY HERO Day of Peace Celebration |
The Kovic Peace Prize comes with a $1,000 cash award to support the work of artists and peace activists whose work showcases the power using non-violent solutions to overcome conflict. The MY HERO International Film Festival team selects the finalists. Kovic picks the winner and presents the award each year at the MY HERO International Film Festival. This year's festival takes place on November 11-12, 2017, at the Herb Alpert Educational Village in Santa Monica.
Past winners include:
Post-war Machismo: Be a Man (2016), by Liz Mermin, which is the story Dragan Kisin, a youth who transformed his own violent and destructive behavior to become a community leader and advocate for non-violence.
Defying Death in S. Sudan (2015), by Taqu Juba, which tells the story of a civilian who defended the lives and safety of 12,000 refugees by standing up to a government official with 80 armed soldiers demanding to entry to the complex where they sought refuge.
Blessed is the Peacemaker (2014), by Taqu Juba, which shows the impact of the organization Safe Streets, in an area of Baltimore City, where gun violence is common.
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| photo courtesy The MY HERO Project |
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 hosts the world's largest archive of hero themed stories, music, art and short films.
Winning films are featured on the MY HERO website (myhero.com), and enjoyed by a global audience. Official guidelines can be found here.
This short video explains more about the Kovic Peace Prize. If you need additional information, please visit myhero.com/kovic or contact festival Director Wendy Milette ([email protected]).
Page created on 6/27/2017 9:42:53 PM
Last edited 7/18/2017 12:45:06 AM
