The Dan Eldon Activist Award 2024

The 20^th MY HERO Film Festival Awards Ceremony was held on the November 16th, 2024 in Santa Monica at the Ann & Jerry Moss Theater at New Roads School. The ceremony was hosted Gabrielle Gorman, an advocate for international human rights, who has been affiliated with MY HERO since 2017 when she herself was a student at New Roads School.

Highlights included the presentation of The Dan Eldon Activists Awards.

Watch the presentations here: myhero.com/eldon-award-mhiff-2024

Kathy Eldon and Grandson Daniel Eldon Turteltaub presented the 2024 Dan Eldon Activist Award. This year, there are 2 winners: When The Devil Smoked in Paradise and Ambassadors of Hope. When The Devil Smoked in Paradise, directed by Katherine Liao, is a short documentary, that 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 also won a WOJ Youth Reporter Award, BEST of FEST, and the High School Documentary category. 

Dan Eldon was a fearless activist, artist, and photojournalist who dedicated his life to telling untold stories and helping those in need. His work appeared in art journals and exhibitions, inspiring countless individuals globally. In his honor, Kathy Eldon and Dan's sister Amy Eldon Turteltaub of the Creative Visions Foundation established this award to celebrate Dan’s legacy and creative spirit. 

Kathy EldonMYRON MCCLURE PHOTOGRAPHY

Said Kathy, “I'm so proud to be able to give these awards. Katherine Liao…is winning the Dan Eldon Youth Activist Award. She's 16 years old and it's awesome. Wait till you see it…it's so good. It's got a brilliant title, too. We're just honored. Katherine.”

Read an interview with Katherine here: https://myhero.com/katherine-liao-my-hero-film-festival-finalist

Directed by Katherine LiaoWhen The Devil Smoked in Paradise

Daniel presented Cassidy Freeman and Amber Allen Pearson with the 2024 Dan Alden Activist Award for their film Ambassadors of Hope. Said Daniel, “This powerful film … exemplifies the spirit of activism and creative courage that my Uncle Dan embodied through the lens of Harambee arts. The film introduces us to Samson, a remarkable mentor from Kibera, who uses art as a lifeline for children navigating unimaginable challenges.”

Daniel told the audience how his uncle Dan was a frequent visitor to Kibera, one of Kenya's largest informal settlements, to see his school friend Etna, a scholarship student and the daughter of a baker. At just 16, Daniel learned that Etna urgently needed a heart operation. With the help of his friends and his 12-year-old sister Amy, he raised enough money to fund the life-saving surgery.

MYRON MCCLURE PHOTOGRAPHDaniel Eldon Turteltaub

Stated Daniel: “My Uncle Dan is my hero. As in the film's hero, Samson, who demonstrates the transformative power of creative expression to bring people together and give them hope for the future. I hope to visit the project myself one day and say thank you to Samson in person. But today, on behalf of the My Hero Project and the Alvin family, we congratulate Ambassadors of Hope for its profound impact and celebrate its dedication to uplifting humanity through storytelling.”

On accepting the award, Cassidy invited Gloria Simoneaux, the founder and the visionary behind Harambee Arts, to accept the award alongside himself and co-director Amber Allen Pearson and implored: “To all of you who are creatives, who are storytellers, who are looking for heroes, don't just look at the people you know…look to each other and look to the quiet people, the people who are just doing it, who aren't self-celebrating, who aren't looking for the attention because that's who Samson is and it's who Gloria is.”

Samson is so different from Dan. And yet, like, they both wear their heart on their sleeve. They're just these deeply good people. And I love what you said. It's just not there's there's not one type of hero. We need so many different types of heroes. And we don't get a lot of the Samson's in the world. But the thing about Samson is he's also quiet and he's shy and he doesn't like being on camera and that didn't matter to Gloria. 

Read an interview with Cassidy about the process of making the film here: myhero.com/ambassadors-of-hope-wins-dan-eldon-award

MYRON MCCLURE PHOTOGRAPHCassidy Freeman Gloria Simoneaux (of Harambee Arts) and Amber Allen Pearson