CONTACT: Jeanne Meyers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Co-founder/Director
The MY HERO Project
[email protected]
December 19, 2025 — Laguna Beach, CA
The MY HERO Project hosted Part One of Two of its 21st Annual International Film Festival Awards Ceremony on December 13, 2025. Hosted during activist and longtime friend of MY HERO Eva Haller’s renowned weekly salon series, the event celebrates filmmakers highlighting individuals and organizations working to better our world.
Eva Haller Women Transforming Media Award
Eva Haller
For the past eight years, Eva has proudly presented the Women Transforming Media Award (WTM) as part of the Festival, championing and supporting filmmakers whose work shines a light on the powerful influence of women in media. This year's recipients of the Eva Haller Women Transforming Media Award are Portrait of a Ranger: Connie by Leo Plunkett, We Are Here by Tiffany Shlain and Turning Points in History: Frances Kelsey and the Thalidomide Scandal directed by Harmony Ann Lin Yan-Li and produced by Irvine High School.
Jen Ko from the Caigo Corridor Red Plus Project in Kenya sent in a video accepting the award on behalf of Leo. She said: "Portrait of Ranger is a story about courage, resilience, and breaking barriers. I am incredibly excited to see it recognized alongside my teammate. Leo, your professionalism made this experience truly meaningful. And to Connie, thank you for sharing such a powerful journey—thank you for showing us how a woman can thrive in a male-dominated field. To everyone who supported this project, I want to extend my deepest appreciation. This award reminds us how important it is to share uplifting and encouraging stories."
Watch Portrait of a Ranger: Connie
Said Tiffany Shalin, long-time friend of MY HERO: “I am so honored to receive this award. Eva Haller is an amazing inspirational leader, and it just means a lot to me. I only wish we were all together in person. I've had so many great experiences with my hero over the years, thank you.”
Harmony Ann Lin stated: “It feels surreal to have my work recognized by Ms.Haller and her own incredible story is one that empowers and sparks change. I'm also very thankful to the organizer organizers of the My Hero Film Festival. I've seen like so much transformative media in just this first half hour, and it's so inspirational. The people most essential in the creation of my documentary were thalidomide expert Dr. Trent Stevens and Thalidomide survivors, Mandy de La Mer and David Chapman. I feel like their insights brought depth and nuance to my research and being able to talk with them was the highlight of creating this film for me. I also owe a lot to my history teacher, Mrs. Harrington, whose ability to engage students is something I really aspire to replicate with audiences. Thank you again for this honor. I hope that in my journey to create work surrounding women who transform media, I can become one myself.”
Watch Turning Points in History: Frances Kelsey and the Thalidomide Scandal
Sing for Hope Music Video Award
MY HERO partners annually with Sing for Hope to present the Sing for Hope Music Video Award, honoring artists and filmmakers who use music and storytelling to highlight heroes around the world. This year, Sing for Hope co-founder and co-executive director Camille Zamora presented the award to Kati Egely for her watercolor-animated music video Como el Caracol (Like the Snail), which explores the importance of moving at one’s own pace. Zamora noted that the decision was difficult due to the high quality of entries, but the film stood out for its thoughtful message. Egely shared that while the film was created with children in mind, its message resonates with adults as well, reflecting both the lyrics and the slow, handmade animation process. Sing for Hope is a nonprofit organization founded in New York City after 9/11 that uses the arts to bring hope, healing, and connection to communities worldwide.
Kati Egely
Watch Como el Caracol ‘Like the Snail,’ here.
Dan Eldon Creative Activist Award
Kathy Eldon, Amy Eldon-Turteltaub, and Daniel Eldon-Turteltaub of the Creative Visions Foundation presented the Dan Eldon Creative Activist Award, which honors stories that embody the legacy of Kathy Eldon’s late son, Dan Eldon—a fearless activist, artist, and photojournalist who was killed on assignment in Somalia in 1993. Dan dedicated his life to telling the untold stories of people in need.
This year’s recipients of the Dan Eldon Activist Award were What We Choose Not to See by Meilin Shen and Dylan Han, and Pride of the Gobi by Will Parrinello.
Daniel Eldon-Turtletaub
The award was presented by Daniel Eldon-Turtletaub, Dan’s nephew, who reflected on his uncle’s life and lasting impact. He shared that Dan and his sister Amy grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, where their mother taught them the importance of problem-solving, creative activism, shining a light on injustice, and seeking solutions to the world’s challenges.
Inspired by the people around him, Dan used photography to tell powerful human stories. At just 14 years old, he learned of a young girl in need of a heart operation and organized a fundraiser to help save her life. At 15, he supported a family by helping a Maasai mother sell her handmade jewelry so she could earn enough to send her children to school. At 19, Dan led a group of 15 young people on a safari across Africa to deliver aid to refugee camps in Malawi. At 21, he documented the devastating famine in Somalia, and his photographs helped spark a global aid mission that ultimately saved hundreds of lives.
Daniel added that Dan was tragically killed at the age of 22, alongside three other journalists, while trying to tell an important story—much like the ones being celebrated that evening. After his death, Dan’s mother and grandmother founded Creative Visions to empower storytellers who use their creativity to mobilize others around issues that matter. They call these individuals “creative activists.”
He concluded by honoring the filmmakers whose work exemplifies this spirit, noting that while all the finalists told powerful and important stories, the recipients stood out for their ability to entertain, inform, and inspire audiences to take action. He thanked Meilin Shen and Dylan Han for What We Choose Not to See and Will Parrinello for Pride of the Gobi, saying that storytellers like them keep Dan Eldon’s spark alive—continuing to light the flame of creative activism, without which the world would be far darker.
Meilin Shen, Dylan Han and fellow students accepted the award stating: “It is such an honor to receive this award, especially because of Dan Elon's legacy at creativity, compassion, and courage. Thank you for supporting young activists and filmmakers like ourselves and giving us space for homeless individual stories to be told.”
Watch What We Choose Not to See
Will Parrinello.
Legendary, award-winning filmmaker Will Parrinello was also in attendance. He thanked the Eldons for the award, stating that his work would not be possible without the people that he profiles, including Batmunkh Luvsandash, the hero in Pride of the Gobi. Batmunkh sent Will a message for the Festival:
As a proud citizen of Mongolia, I'm happy to greet you, my brothers and sisters in the United States of America. The greatest gift we can all leave our children and grandchildren is clean air, a healthy environment, and the beautiful planet we inherited from our ancestors. Mother Earth and Father Sky deserve our ultimate respect. I'm very happy that Will Parrinello and my other think-alike friends from the USA came to Mongolia to document my efforts and created the short documentary Pride of the Goby. As a native born in Doden Goby Province, I wanted to preserve the pristine environment and natural beauty of my place of birth. Since the film was completed, the total number of acres I've protected from illegal mining activities has grown from nearly 250,000.
Will shared that he is going to donate the prize money to the Mongolian Ecology Center in Ulaanbaatar, whose president, B Yan, Will’s field producing partner on the film, will create a youth education program to teach Mongolian students and inspire the next generation to protect and defend the environment.
The WOJ Youth Reporter Awards,
The 2025 WOJ Youth Reporter Awards are presented by Esther Wojcicki, world-renowned educator and author. The award is given annually to young storytellers whose films demonstrate thoughtful journalism and a commitment to global awareness.
This year’s WOJ recipients are Bottles of Change, directed by Ethan Dumper, Nathaniel Dumper, and Eloise Dumper /bottles-of-change, More Crocodiles Than People: Cambodia’s Hidden Story, directed by Kian Sebastian Chap /more-crocodiles-than-people and Mario Molina, directed by Kevin R. /mario-molina
Esther WojcickiSaid Esther:
It is a great honor to be here. These are some of the most amazing young people. I’m honored to have served as a judge at this festival, and I want everyone to know that the films that did not win are also excellent. If you look at all the films shown today, they address problems facing our planet - not just in one country, but all around the world. These young people care about others, about the planet, and about the world. I want to congratulate them on creating outstanding videos. Most of these students are in elementary, middle, or high school, and yet look at what they’ve produced - it’s amazing. Congratulations, and thank you so much for caring about our world.
Ethan and Nathaniel were in attendance and shared how honored they and Eloise were to accept the award. They thanked the MY HERO International Film Festival and Esther Wojcicki and acknowledged Wendy Wert and the LA County Sanitation Districts for their support and for helping produce the film.
Said Kian:
Making this film taught me that heroes do not always fight—some simply endure what the world throws at them. Cambodia has a difficult history, but it is also full of beauty, culture, and kindness. I hope for peace, because this is my home. I want my generation to grow up protecting nature and culture, understanding one another, and telling stories that matter. Thank you to my family and to everyone who supported me. Thank you again for listening to my story.”
Kevin, a participant in the MY HERO Media Education Program at Ascot Avenue Elementary, accepted his award for his film Mario Molina: “I just want to say that I’m very happy. Thank you. And thank you to my teachers, Ms. Dawson and Mr. Aaron and to everyone who helped me. Thank you to the MY HERO Project for giving me this opportunity.”
Ron Kovic Peace Prize
The Ron Kovic Peace Prize is presented each year by artist, author and peace advocate Ron Kovic, a former U.S. Marine Corps sergeant who was paralyzed during his second tour of duty in the Vietnam war. Kovic's autobiography, Born on the Fourth of July, became a New York Times bestseller that was adapted into a film of the same name by Kovic and director Oliver Stone.
Ron Kovic, Michael Randa and Lewis Randa
This year’s recipient of the award is Michael Parks Randa for his documentary The Courage of Conscience, a film celebrating the activism of his father Lewis Randa, and his unwavering commitment to peace, justice, and nonviolence, which Ron described as an inspirational and important film.
Michael and his father Lewis were in attendance. Said Michael: “This award and to be coming from you, is deeply meaningful…(I think you and my dad who is here) are two of the greatest examples of the importance of humanitarianism and, and peace and non-violence."
Said Lewis:
I'm so deeply touched because my entire life is rooted in a journey, Ron, that yours was committed to, reflective of the ideals of our generation - those who went through the 60s, those who recognize that war is never the answer, and the only answer is that we stand up and demonstrate courage of conscience. We followed in the footsteps of great peacemakers and, Ron, your film was so impactful. Each time I watch it, I realize the extent to which you sacrificed for all of us.
Responded Ron:
It's great to be alive today. Each day is so precious …and let's make it count. Let's make every day count, and let's make this as beautiful a country and as beautiful a world as we know it can be. And it will be; it will be because there's nothing more powerful than people coming together. It's so much more powerful than one particular individual. All of us together, joining together, not just in this country, but around the world, we all know that we're all part of the same family. And again, I say, I believe the best days are still ahead for us…and some of the greatest days of democracy and freedom are still ahead for us.
Watch The Courage of Conscience
Best of Fest Award
The festival culminated with the presentation of this year’s Best of Fest, which MY HERO presented artist, filmmaker, educator and environmental advocate Max Romey with the BEST of FEST award, for his animated short A Little Story About Forever. In the film, Max and son Kip begin writing a book about what ‘forever,’ means. When Max becomes overwhelmed by the various issues that might affect forever, such as forever chemicals, Mark Ruffalo steps in to offer some light in the darkness.
Max Romey
Accepting his award at the virtual event on Saturday, Max spoke about the importance of hope and creativity in challenging times. Said Max
It's so hard these days because it does feel like the world is so dark. In times like these, it takes those little stories, those little bits of creativity, and those little candles lit in the darkness to make a difference. Seeing what everybody's done here, I feel like I'm surrounded by those candles in the darkness.
Film festival director Santos Herrera then thanked every filmmaker who submitted to the festival, explaining:
Every story has such an uplifting message, and we really want to take a moment now to thank everyone who submitted to our festival, winners, finalists, and official selections. Even if you weren't selected, the very act of putting yourself, your story, and your voice out there is an incredible act of love and kindness.
Romey is also a previous winner of the Sylvia Earle Ocean Conservation Award at the MY HERO Film Festival, for his short film "If You Give a Beach a Bottle." You can read an interview about the film and watch here.
Watch A Little Story About Forever
PART TWO - MY HERO International Film Festival's Virtual Awards Ceremony
Please join us for PART TWO on Saturday, January 10, 2026, as the MY HERO International Film Festival announces and celebrates more winning filmmakers from the 2025 festival. Special Award categories include the Relationships First Award, presented by the Foundation for the Contemporary Family, the Animation Awards, presented by Wacom, the Mattie Stepanek Poetry Prize, the People's Choice Award, the Community Heroes Award and more.
Location: Virtual event
Date and time: Sat, Jan 10, 2026 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT
There is no charge to attend but donations are gratefully accepted. Register here. to receive a Zoom link before the event
The MY HERO International Film Festival celebrates the power of media to inspire compassion, understanding, and action, while uplifting young voices committed to telling stories that matter.
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.
Page created on 12/22/2025 6:12:47 PM
Last edited 12/31/2025 10:53:32 AM
