Special Award Presenters

Special Award presenters include:


Eva Haller, philanthropist and mentor to generations of women,  presents two awards:

The Women Transforming Media Award, which offers $2500 in cash prizes,

and the Sing For Hope Music Video Award which offers $2,000 in cash prizes.


Kathy Eldon, of Creative Visions Foundation,  presents the Dan Eldon Activist Award, which is awarded to films that best celebrate activism for a better world. The award comes with $1500 in cash prizes.


Ron Kovic, renowned author, painter and activist,  presents the  Ron Kovic Peace Prize, which awards $1000 to the filmmaker who most effectively addresses the issue of peace. 


Esther Wojcicki, esteemed media arts educator, author presents the WOJ Youth Reporter Award, which offers $2000 in prizes to middle and high school youth reporters.


Dr. Judith Anderson PhD, founder of The Foundation for the Contemporary Family,  presents the Relationships First Award, with $2000 of cash prizes to be shared among the winning short films that depict the power and importance of contemporary family relationships.

Barbara MacGillivray, from MacGillivray-Freeman Films’ Educational Foundation's One World One Ocean campaign and her team select the winner for The Sylvia Earle Ocean Conservation Award. This award is named for Dr. Sylvia Earle, a world-renowned marine biologist, author of more than 200 publications, and explorer, who has led more than 100 expeditions. The annual award of $2,000 is presented on World Ocean’s Day to filmmakers who shine a light on heroes who are working to protect the world’s oceans.