Wendy Milette, 2021MY HERO
Wendy Milette has directed The MY HERO International Film Festival since 2005. Milette graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, earning a BA in Critical Studies with magna cum laude distinction. In 2004, she earned an MFA in the Film Production program.
Milette was immediately recruited to launch an International Film Festival for The MY HERO Project. “Wendy’s experience as an outstanding educator, working with youth, and her knowledge of filmmaking, learned at USC, made her a great leader for this new program,” said Jeanne Meyers, the cofounder and director of The MY HERO Project. “With the advancement of broadband technology, the ability to host films online and to celebrate the winners in a theater was a way of furthering our mission.”
MY HEROWendy with Tommy Hamaluba from Botswana at iEARN 2005The MY HERO International Film Festival debuted at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, in the Ron Howard Screening Room in the Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts in 2005. Its success prompted a move to the larger Norris Theatre in 2006 and then to the George Lucas Theater in 2008. The festival attracts more than 2,000 hero-themed films from 40 countries around the world, each year.
“When we started the MY HERO International Film Festival, little did I know just how far our reach would be,” Milette said. “We have recognized young filmmakers and professionals from all over the world for their excellent short films on heroism. I have had the good fortune of meeting many of the filmmakers who attend our festival events, and it is exciting to see the kind of impact we are having on their lives by recognizing their good work. It is a circle of goodness — inspire and be inspired.”
Wendy Milette (left) and Fauzia Minallah (right) on stage with other winners at the MY HERO International Film FestivalMY HERO
Since its beginning, the festival has maintained a strong connection to the USC community. In 2011, School of Cinematic Arts Dean Elizabeth Daley was recognized with the Global Educator Award, which is presented each year to an educator making a positive difference in the world. Notable USC alumni have participated in the festival, including Ryan Coogler, Care Dorghalli, Nonny de la Peña, Alejandro Marquez Vela, and Mark Manalo.
Other USC alumni, students, and faculty continue to serve as festival judges, participants, and audience members. “USC is my alma mater and I know how rigorous the program is,” said Milette. “All of the interns we have found from USC have been hard-working, talented people who contribute a great deal to our festival.”
Rachel Priebe, the festival’s current Assistant Director, is a graduate of the school and the festival’s two interns, Brandy Hernandez and Samuel Fredericks, are presently USC students. Milette’s festival team has been instrumental in building MY HERO’s sizable film library, and in mentoring young filmmakers around the world.
“I believe that our festival is successful because it fills a need for filmmakers and audiences,” Milette says. “We all need good news. We all need to be uplifted by stories of hope. Filmmakers who are passionate about telling these stories return to our festival with new films each year, continuing the cycle of creating cinematic inspiration.”
As MY HERO’s Media Arts Education Director, Milette has traveled to Senegal, the Netherlands and across the USA, bringing knowledge and resources to teachers and students. She designed and ran workshops for The MY HERO Project’s Global Exchange program, which launched in 2006, with support from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. She mentored visiting filmmakers from Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Senegal, and Jordan and represented MY HERO at the Royal Film Commission in Amman.
In 2009, Milette and Meyers produced a special program with support from the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation called the Heroes of Orange County that played at the American Pavilion at Cannes in 2009 and on public television.
Last year, with support from the Max Factor Family Foundation, and USC Good Neighbors Initiatives, MY HERO media arts educators, and USC students, mentored teachers and students at Ascot Avenue Elementary School in creating short hero films. The program continues with support from the Los Angeles Unified School District this year.
MY HERO was awarded a grant from the Scripps Family Impact Fund to encourage and train middle and high school students to create short documentaries on heroes in their community. The grant will also support the MY HERO International Film Festival’s 20th anniversary celebration in November, which will highlight youth reporters. This year, the MY HERO International Film Festival was recognized with a 2024 Anthem Award in the Education, Art & Culture Event category.
To read more about Wendy in her own words, click here.
To learn more about the MY HERO International Film Festival, click here.
To learn more about MY HERO's media arts education resources, click here.
Page created on 3/27/2024 12:26:01 PM
Last edited 4/10/2024 8:18:45 PM
