'It Takes a Lemon,' directed by Corey J. Gilbert

'It Takes a Lemon,' directed by Corey J. Gilbert wins the Best of Fest Narrative award at the 2023 MY HERO International Film Festival.The MY HERO Project

It Takes a Lemon, directed by Corey Gilbert and written by his 12-year-old niece Zuri, has been selected as the winner of the Best of the Festival (Narrative) award at the 19^th Annual MY HERO International Film Festival. 

The film opens in a park, where a man, Tom, sits behind the wooden frame of a lemonade stand; a couple of paper cups and a large jar of lemonade are set on the countertop, but nobody seems to be taking an interest in the stand. He watches with a smile as children and their parents play together in the park and seeing them seems to spark an uplifting memory of him building the lemonade stand with a little girl. He’s quickly bought back to the present when two customers approach the stand. 

Later in the film, we learn that the little girl that he built the lemonade stand with was Tom’s daughter, and that she was tragically killed in a car accident. In the same accident, he became paralyzed and is now in a wheelchair.

Shortly after this, a young girl with a sock puppet approaches Tom’s stand and introduces herself as Samantha. She buys a cup of lemonade before offering to teach Tom to make “real lemonade” in exchange for a favor. 

The film closes with a shot of Tom and Samantha in the park; Tom sits behind his lemonade stand as before, but now, Samantha has a puppet stand next to it. Unlike the start of the film, Tom is surrounded by people who have gathered to watch Samantha’s show with a cup of lemonade in hand. 

The film is a beautiful short which highlights the importance of human connection, especially following an experience of grief and loss. 

You can watch It Takes a Lemon here.

About the MY HERO International Film Festival:

The My Hero Film Festival is an annual event dedicated to showcasing films that celebrate the power of the human spirit. Hosted by Eva Haller, a prominent philanthropist and advocate for social change, the festival provides a platform for filmmakers to share inspirational stories of everyday heroes. 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. 

The festival aims to inspire audiences to recognize the heroism in their own lives and encourage positive actions in their communities. Learn more.