Phoenix is a Finalist at The MY HERO Film Festival

Phoenix, directed by Sarah Khaled, Chylier Williams, Phoenix Inaya and Ava Brenner, is a finalist at the MY HERO International Film Festival 2026.

In January 2025, the Palisades and Eaton fires devastated communities across the Greater Los Angeles area. Phoenix is a short documentary highlighting the contributions and experiences of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women who fought in those fires, bringing awareness to the heroic efforts of these unknown women.

Phoenix: Telling the Stories of the Women Who Fought the Los Angeles Fires

In the Palisades and Eaton fires, more than 16,000 structures were destroyed, thousands of households were displaced, and at least 29 people lost their lives. Amid the destruction, many people worked on the front lines to protect others and help their communities. Phoenix, a short documentary made by a group of young filmmakers, focuses on one group whose contributions have received far less attention: incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women who fought the fires.

At the heart of the project is a group of young filmmakers who are passionate about using film and the arts to explore social issues and tell stories that might otherwise remain unheard. The filmmakers met through the initiative Girls' Voices Now – a youth development program that empowers the next generation of youth from under-resourced communities to find, develop, and use their voice for social change through filmmaking.

Directors: 

Sarah Khaled, an incoming UCLA freshman who plans to study psychology, sees creativity as a way to communicate ideas that matter: “I am very strongly drawn to advocating for social change and alleviating mental health struggles,” she explains, “ultimately seeking to utilize my arts as a tool to speak these messages to an audience.”

For Phoenix Inaya, age 14, the project connects with her own understanding of resilience. She describes her mother as “a strong, hardworking, and inspiring single mother” whose ability to overcome difficult circumstances has influenced the way Phoenix sees her own possibilities: “Seeing her overcome so much motivates me to believe that I can do anything,” she says.

Phoenix describes herself as someone who listens more than she talks, observing the people and world around her and using those observations in her writing. “I observe and gather information to help me create natural, authentic characters in my writing.” She has also learned that taking risks is part of growing: “I’ve made many mistakes, some repeated, and that made me hesitant to try new things. But I’m learning to take risks again.”

Chylier Williams is a rising sophomore at City Honors Preparatory High School. Through Girls' Voices Now, she is developing her knowledge of filmmaking and media production. For Chylier, creative work is closely connected to her desire to make a difference.

MY HERO interviewed Chylier about her experience of making Phoenix

Why did you decide to make Phoenix?

After learning about the incarcerated and justice-impacted firefighters, their struggle, experiences, and perseverance, we just felt that this story needed to be told. It’s so common for women’s stories to not be told because they don’t fit a certain mold or they are unrestrained by preconceived notions. So, we thought it would be nice to create a space for these strong women to come out with their stories. And with the Palisades and Eaton fires being such a recent event during the beginning of the year when we started filming, we just thought it was right.

What do you hope audiences take away from Phoenix?

I hope the audience can take away a new perspective of incarcerated women and firefighting work. I know that when most people hear anything about incarcerated people, they probably go to stereotypes in their head. Our film is here to contrast those ideas and instead uplift women in fields more dominated by men.

Why did you choose the title Phoenix? What does the phoenix represent to you and to the women whose stories you tell?

The title Phoenix aims to embody the spirit of both the communities impacted by the fires and the bravery and courage of the formerly incarcerated firefighters involved in extinguishing the flames. Rising anew from the ashes serves as a metaphor for the incredibly strong women involved in the firefighting program—despite having traumatic experiences, legal struggles, or other personal past drawbacks, they have been able to push through the hardship and rise out with a deep and strong purpose to relieve victims of fire. Additionally, the impacted communities themselves are united by the common experience and may, in tandem, work to reconstruct a sense of structure and identity even after such a catastrophic event; this truly also a scenario of rising from the ashes, quite literally and figuratively.

See the rest of the interview HERE

Ava Brenner, a rising junior at Marymount High School, also discovered an early interest in storytelling. Growing up around the film industry, she wrote a treatment for a film idea called Dr. Donut when she was nine. The project was later sold to a producer, strengthening her interest in screenwriting. Since then, Ava has gained experience in both development and production, including internships with The Gotham Group and Girls' Voices Now. She has also contributed to a social impact documentary.

For these young filmmakers, Phoenix is ultimately about expanding the definition of who gets to be recognized for acts of courage and service.

The women featured in the documentary faced circumstances that can easily lead to people overlooking their contributions. By telling their stories, these filmmakers are asking audiences to look again — and to recognize the humanity, courage and work of people whose efforts might otherwise go unnoticed.

Phoenix sums up her own approach to life with a phrase that seems particularly appropriate for a young filmmaker taking on difficult stories: “You don’t only live once, you only die once. Every day matters,” she says. “I want to live a life I’m proud of, no matter what others say or think.”

To learn more about this remarkable program, which offers free, intensive summer film training in the technical and practical art of documentary filmmaking, along with free, year-round creative learning about feminism, social change and filmmaking, visit: www.womensvoicesnow.org/girls-voices-now-youth-development-program

About MY HERO International Film Festival

Now in its 22nd year, the MY HERO International Film Festival continues to celebrate both unsung and well-known heroes whose stories of resilience and hope inspire a global learning community. This unique festival unites professional and youth filmmakers who use their craft to drive positive change in the world.

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, prizes are awarded across multiple categories—including documentary, narrative, music video, animation, experimental, and more - recognizing outstanding work from elementary, middle school, high school, college, and professional filmmakers.

To view all of the 2025 award-winning films, go to: /films/winners2025

For more details about MY HERO's International Film Festival, please visit: myhero.com/FilmFestival