THE 2024 MY HERO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL CONTINUES WITH LAGUNA BEACH CELEBRATION

CONTACT:                                                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Santos Herrera
[email protected]

THE 2024 MY HERO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL CONTINUES WITH LAGUNA BEACH CELEBRATION    

DECEMBER 18, 2024 - LAGUNA BEACH, CA - On December 11th, Laguna locals and visitors gathered at the Rivian South Coast Theater for a local celebration of The MY HERO International Film Festival. The event was hosted by the theater and the Coast Film Festival and the evening’s entertainment included guest speakers and highlights from award-winning films from the festival. 

Jeanne Meyers, Chris Cane and Wendy Milette at the Rivian South Coast TheaterMY HERO 

MY HERO honored local heroes Greg and Shaun MacGillivray, producers of IMAX documentaries that promote environmental stewardship and conservation. Their new film, Superhuman Body: World of Medical Marvels explores scientific innovations that are changing the course of human health. The film earned the father-son duo the 2024 Global Educator Award. Shaun was on hand to accept the award, thanked the MY HERO International Film Festival. He shared with the audience that 20 years ago MY HERO gave him an award for his documentary, Joey, that honored a remarkable young boy from Laguna. 

“The first festival they did, they showed the film I created at the USC film school,” he said. “His family was a bastion in the community. I’ve always been really connected to, not only this festival, but to that family because it was really my first film. That was 20 years ago.”

Festival Director Wendy Milette with Shaun MacGillivrayMY HERO 

Katherine Liao, a student from Sage High School, was presented with the 2024 Best of Fest Award for her documentary When the Devil Smoked in Paradise. The film chronicled a local movement to stop an asphalt plant that was polluting the local community. 

Director Katherine Liao and supportersMY HERO

Judy Anderson, Ph.D,, President of the Foundation for the Contemporary Family, bestowed the Relationships First Award to Dima Puchkarev, director of Grillo. The documentary tells of David “Grillo” Zamudio, who overcame a life of gang violence, addiction, and incarceration, with the support of Father Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles.

Judith Anderson with director Dima PuchkarevMY HERO 

MY HERO offered a tribute to Wendy Milette, who is retiring, after directing The MY HERO International Film Festival for 20 years. 

“It has been a long, amazing journey with MY HERO and I am deeply grateful to Jeanne Meyers for bringing me on to lead the film festival 20 years ago,” Milette said.” My favorite part of this work is seeing the students shine in sharing their films. These young people are not afraid to address the hard issues and ask the right questions.”

Wendy Milette - Festival DirectorMY HERO 

All winning films can be viewed on the MY HERO website. For information about hosting a screening in your community, contact [email protected].