Mattie Stepanek Poetic Film Prize Celebrated at the 2025 MY HERO Film Festival

CONTACT: Jeanne Meyers                                                                                                                                           

Co-founder/Director
The MY HERO Project
[email protected]

January 16, 2026 — Laguna Beach, CA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Mattie Stepanek Poetic Film Prize was proudly presented at the 2025 MY HERO Film Festival, honouring filmmakers who create visual poems that share messages of hope, peace, and shared humanity. The award commemorates the life and legacy of Mattie Stepanek, whose heartfelt poetry touched thousands worldwide with its enduring messages of love, optimism, and compassion.

Presented by Jeni Stepanek, Mattie’s mother and a lifelong advocate for poetic expression and peacebuilding, the prize celebrates Mattie’s legacy and the transformative power of poetic storytelling through film. In her introduction, Jeni expressed her deep gratitude to Jeanne Meyers and the MY HERO Foundation for their long-standing support.

Jeni StepanekMY HERO 

Reflecting on Mattie’s journey, Jeni shared:

“Jeanne was the first person to recognise my six-year-old son, Mattie, as one of the very first Poet Heroes. At a time when we were struggling financially and living from basement to basement, she ensured Mattie had access to a computer and the internet—something few families had in the early to mid-1990s. Jeanne connected Mattie to the world, and in turn, connected the world to him.”

For a child who would live just shy of fourteen years, those connections proved life-changing. Jeni spoke movingly about how MY HERO amplified Mattie’s voice, imagination, and purpose, and about Jeanne’s belief in the profound value of poetic expression.

Jeni also explained the ethos behind Mattie’s Heart Songs, describing poetry as far more than rhyme and rhythm: “Poetry is a purposeful structure. It inspires empathy, raises awareness of social truths, preserves culture, and can even right wrongs. Living a poetic life means being perceptive, creative, and choosing to see familiar things in new ways—qualities essential for peace.”

Mattie authored six bestselling poetry collections, and his final book, Just Peace: A Message of Hope, co-written with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, explored pathways to peace and the idea of living a poetic life rooted in grace, awareness, and compassion.

2025 Mattie Stepanek Poetic Film Prize Winners

This year, four outstanding films were recognized:

Not Alone directed by Maryam Ghouth & Arash Behzad
Featuring the artistry of Sacha Jafri, this poetry film explores the transformative and communal power of creative expression.

Elementary School Winner: Give It a Try directed by Delight Ratesh Mc’Dan
A peace poem written and performed in Kenya, promoting peaceful coexistence and community cohesion.

Jeni noted: “I really liked this submission because it is a creative exploration of national pride and a celebration of community.”

Middle School Winner: The End of My Pink Cake Life directed by Alyssa Wu
A personal and uplifting film about a young teen’s journey from video-game addiction to self-awareness and purpose.

Jeni commented: “This is a very clever and uplifting piece that addresses a very serious issue for many young people today.”

Alyssa shared: “Winning felt surreal—like flying on the biggest drop of a rollercoaster, but without throwing up afterward. It made me realise: I can do something. Even though I’m imperfect and weird, what I create matters.”

MY HEROJeni and Alyssa Wu 

High School Winner: Forgetting to Be Grandpa directed by Alexander Lyon (California, USA)
A poignant reflection on memory, legacy, and choosing to honour those who shaped us.Jeni said: “This is an incredibly sincere and authentic message about honouring others, especially those who are vulnerable, and rising above challenges to celebrate them.”

Alexander received the award, stating: “Reading your ‘Last Heartsong’ helped me understand what it means to live with a heartsong—something I’ve struggled with for years. Making this film allowed me to mourn my grandfather for the first time and showed me that what I do matters.” He concluded: “Thank you for changing my life and showing me I am capable of more greatness than I ever imagined.”

MY HEROAlexander Lyon

The Mattie Stepanek Poetic Film Prize continues to uplift young voices and honour stories that inspire empathy, courage, and peace - ensuring that Mattie’s heartsong lives on through a new generation of filmmakers. Find out more: myhero.com/mattie-stepanek-poetry-prize

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. 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.

MY HEROPoetry Contest 

CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR JUNE 1ST 2026 

The Mattie J.T. Stepanek Poetry Contest is open for submissions!

The Mattie J.T. Stepanek Poetry Contest is seeking heartsongs about heroes working for peace, human rights and the environment. This poetry contest is unique in that it is open to poets, artists, filmmakers, and spoken word artists. See below for contest requirements for the different categories. Find out more here: myhero.com/poetry-contest