Winner Of The 2010 Ron Kovic Peace Award Announced By The 6th Annual My Hero Film Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Wendy Milette
[email protected]
1278 Glenneyre, #286
Laguna Beach, CA 92651

WINNER OF THE 2010 RON KOVIC PEACE AWARD ANNOUNCED BY THE 6TH ANNUAL MY HERO FILM FESTIVAL

Los Angeles, CA – 11/20/10 – The MY HERO Project is pleased to announce the winner of the 2010 Ron Kovic Peace Award: Fauzia Minallah of Pakistan, with her film Let Them Bloom. Fauzia is an artist, author, political cartoonist and peace activist. In 2001 she founded the Funkor Child Art Center in Islamabad, a non-profit organization with a mission to promote children’s art and improve literacy in Pakistan. In pursuing these two goals, the Center hopes to increase its students’ cultural awareness and appreciation of human rights. The honor comes with a thousand-dollar prize to further Fauzia’s work for peace.

Fauzia’s film Let Them Bloom tells the story of a peace mural, created by children from a shanty town in Islamabad. The children’s artwork offers a compelling call for peace amidst an environment of violence. Ron Kovic called Let Them Bloom “a beautiful and inspiring film that everyone should see.”

World Peace advocate, author, painter, and activist Ron Kovic

Ron Kovic has been a passionate advocate for world peace for over four decades. He is an accomplished author, painter, and activist, who has lead peace marches around the world. Kovic is a former Marine Corps sergeant and author of the memoir Born on the 4th of July. He also co-wrote the Golden Globe-winning screenplay-adaptation of Born on the 4th of July with Oliver Stone, who directed the film. The movie starred Tom Cruise and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning two.

Ron served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War before being wounded in combat and paralyzed from the mid-chest down on Jan. 20, 1968. After an arduous recuperation, he left the military and enrolled in Hoffstra University. While studying philosophers such as Thoreau, Kovic was exposed to the viewpoints of peace activists who were protesting the Vietnam war. He was shaken by the infamous Kent State shootings, and traveled to Washington, DC weeks later for his first peace march, in May of 1970. Moved by the passionate arguments given by the protestors, Kovic resolved to join them. He went on to become a prominent spokes-person for the anti-war movement, twice addressing the U.S. Democratic Convention and consistently opposing the advent of violent conflict around the globe long after the Vietnam War ended. His work has never ceased.

Peace hero Ron Kovic and co-founder of MY HERO Jeanne Meyers, at the 2010 MY HERO Film Festival

On December 6, 2009, Kovic addressed President Obama and leaders of Congress at the 32nd annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., giving a stirring tribute to honoree Bruce Springsteen. In April of 2010, he traveled to Rome, Italy as one of the 42 selected members of the Council for Dignity, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation. He spoke before Rome’s Mayor, Gianni Alemanno, and other civic leaders about how his experiences in war have made him a firm advocate of peace. His tireless efforts to end violence and promote peace are chronicled on the MY HERO website ( http:// myhero.com/ronkovic ).

The MY HERO Film Festival is honored to annually bestow the Ron Kovic Peace Award to the director of the short film that most effectively addresses the issue of world peace. The Award comes with a $1000 cash prize to support the important efforts of artists and peace activists like Fauzia Minallah.

Mr. Kovic will present the award at The MY HERO Film Festival Awards Ceremony. This event begins at 3pm on November 20th, at the Ray Stark Family Theater in USC’s George Lucas Building. The 15th Anniversary Celebration Party will follow. Reservations are required.

Ron Kovic presenting his Peace Award in front of the 2010 MY HERO Film Festival audience

For more information about the MY HERO International Film Festival please visit http://myhero.com/filmfestival

PLEASE NOTE, SEATING IS LIMITED, SO RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW:

To reserve your free seat for the Awards Ceremony & Screening, please rsvp at http://myhero.com/rsvp

The MY HERO 15th Anniversary Celebration Dinner will immediately follow the film festival at USC. Donations are required for this dinner celebration. http://myhero.com/celebration

To view the MY HERO web page on Ron Kovic. http://myhero.com/RonKovic

For more info on the Ron Kovic Peace Prize http://myhero.com/Kovic