Eva Haller Women Transforming Media Award 2021

Eva Haller AwardMY HEROFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE               

MY HERO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES TWO EVA HALLER  WOMEN TRANSFORMING MEDIA AWARDS

MY HERO is proud to announce that we are awarding two talented filmmakers for their impactful films featuring women changemakers.

High school student Anna Brodine won the Eva Haller Women Transforming Media YOUTH Award for her film, Joan Ganz Cooney: The Unsung Hero Who Led Us All To Sesame Street and placed 2nd in the High School Documentary category. 

Samar Minallah Khan of Pakistan won the MY HERO 2021 International Film Festival Eva Haller Women Transforming Media Award for her film, Outswing a film about how a community can change lives through the simple act of playing cricket. Kahn also won the 2021 Ron Kovic Peace Prize for the film.

Mickey WiswedelSamar KhanSaid Khan:

I am honored to be recognized with these two prestigious awards. The Eva Haller, Women Transforming Media award is a moment of pride for me. I use media for change and advocacy, but in a culturally sensitive way.  Empathy and sensitivity are what I bring forth while telling a story. This form of storytelling can transform lives and touch hearts.

I am so honored that my way of making films resonated with the jury for the Eva Haller Women Transforming Media Award.  Eva Haller is an inspiring woman who knows how to validate her existence in this world by all the meaningful work she does. I am proud to be associated with the award.”

High School student Anna Brodine is very excited about winning the awards:

Courtesy of Seaman High SchoolAnna Brodine

Said Brodine:

When I found out I won the Eva Haller Women Transforming Media Youth Award, it was such a confidence boost, especially right before graduating high school and going out on my own. This was the big moment was when I realized, maybe I’m going to make a difference: I’m going to transform something! I can make a change!

MY HERO board member, Eva Haller is a Hungarian-American philanthropist and activist who has mentored generations of activists, especially women, and has received numerous honors and awards, including the inaugural Forbes Women Excellence in Mentoring Award. Haller developed the idea to establish her Women Transforming Media Award with MY HERO to inspire and support filmmakers from elementary school to the professional level who create outstanding work featuring women changemakers or tackling women's issues.

About MY HERO International Film Festival

The MY HERO International Film Festival brings together professional and youth filmmakers who honor local and global heroes working for positive change in the world.  Thanks to generous sponsors, prizes are awarded to elementary, middle school, high school, college and professionals in a variety of categories including documentary, narrative, music video, animation, experimental, and more.

To view the 2021 award-winning films, go to Winners

For more details about MY HERO's International Film Festival, please visit myhero.com/FilmFestival