Act As If… By Noah Berlow Wins People’s Choice Award At 2024 My Hero International Film Festival

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

ACT AS IF… BY NOAH BERLOW WINS PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD AT 2024 MY HERO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

NOVEMBER 15, 2024 – LAGUNA BEACH, CA – The MY HERO Project is pleased to announce that Act As If… by Noah Berlow has won the People’s Choice Award, as well as joint second in the Humanitarian category at the MY HERO 20^th Annual International Film Festival. The short documentary highlights the work of The Illumination Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Orange County, California, dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness. You can watch Act As if… here.

The window of an Illumination Foundation center. Taken from Noah Berlow's 'Act As If...'

Director Noah Berlow, previous winner of the award for Portrait of an Organization at the MY HERO Film Festival, uses filmmaking to highlight important social issues and elicit change. In particular, he is focused on human rights, homelessness, and marginalized communities. Berlow first became aware of The Illumination Foundation when a friend and colleague invited him to create a film to raise funds for the organization. Learning more about the foundation, Berlow came to believe that they have found a feasible solution to the homelessness crisis. The film not only highlights the foundation’s approach, but the impact that their work has. Berlow explained to MY HERO:

Act As if… puts a human face on an issue that is often reduced to statistics and stereotypes. The strength of the film lies on its focus on real, practical solutions that we encourage other communities to model. The Illumination Foundation's work serves as a powerful example of how the combination of housing and healthcare can transform lives.

By showcasing these success stories, we hope to inspire viewers to see that change is possible and that they can be part of that change. The film is a call to action, urging everyone to "act as if" the responsibility to create a better society rests on each of us. We want the film to lead others to action, whether that's volunteering, advocating for policy changes, or simply approaching the issue with more compassion and understanding.

Read MY HERO’s interview with Berlow here.

About The Illumination Foundation

The Illumination Foundation adopts a holistic approach to solving homelessness by addressing the interconnectedness between housing and healthcare. By doing so, the organization aims to implement sustainable strategies that will help those experiencing homelessness in the long term, rather than just the immediate future.

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.

Join us in celebrating 20 years of The MY HERO International Film Festival on November 16, 6pm @ the Ann and Jerry Moss Theater at New Roads School in Santa Monica, California. Find out more here.