2018 EMERGING ARTIST AWARD

CONTACT: WENDY MILETTE                                                       FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The MY HERO Project
[email protected]
949-376-5964

DECEMBER 3, 2018 – LAGUNA BEACH, CA– 2018 MY HERO Film Festival Emerging Artist Announced!

Sophie Kim, a high school senior from Harvard Westlake, is this year’s recipient of the MY HERO Emerging Artist Award. An activist, playwright, poet and filmmaker, Kim is the Youth Poet Laureate for Los Angeles County. With the help of mentor Cheri Gaulki and a crew of students, Kim submitted three short films to the 2018 MY HERO International Film Festival. 

Sophie Kimthesophiekim.com

In Playas de Tijuana, Kim offers a glimpse into the lives of immigrants who have fled their homelands to seek a better life in the United States. With a heartfelt poem, juxtaposed with images of immigrants, Kim shows the pain of families who are separated at the border wall.

The film Sincretismo explores the mix of lore and legend surrounding the folk saint Maximón. Kim calls upon a Guatemalan priestess to explain how Mayan myth intersects and blends with historical and biblical figures. 

In From AIDS to Advice: LGBTQ+ Seniors Tell Their Stories, older people pass down their stories, trials and triumphs of being LGBTQ in an era in which rights had to be fought for. They offer advice to young people, hoping to steer them around the pitfalls and toward successful futures.  

"Sophie Kim has a unique creative voice, insightful storytelling skills and a powerful use of digital media for important issues,” says Wendy Milette, director of The MY HERO International Film Festival. “She is a promising emerging artist with a bright future and MY HERO is honored to be recognizing her with this award."

screenshot from Playas de TijuanaSophie KimThe MY HERO Emerging Artist award is presented each year to young, creative individuals who show great potential to use their talents in a positive way. The festival is part of The MY HERO Project, an award winning educational project that celebrates the best of humanity by sharing stories of the world’s heroes. 

For more information please contact Wendy Milette at [email protected] or visit the MY HERO website at myhero.com/films/festival. 

Winners of the 2018 festival will be announced online by December 15^that https://myhero.com/Winners