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Take part - View 30 Minutes of Short Films and Vote for Your Favorite!

by MY HERO Media from LAGUNA BEACH, CA

175505Public VoteMY HERO 

The People's Choice and Young Audience films and ballots are a great classroom activity. Each is designed to fit into a single class period, with a runtime of approximately 30 minutes. 

Watch a selection of short, hero-themed films with your students and promote discussions of heroism, character and perseverance. Check out our Teacher's Guide to Online Voting in the Classroom.

Each ballot is curated by MY HERO staffers from the finalist films in the 2026 MY HERO International Film Festival. The films were made by students and professional filmmakers of all ages. 

The People's Choice Ballot is suited for viewers age 13 and older. 

The Young Audience Ballot is tailored to elementary school students. These films are curated with younger viewers in mind, and can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Voting will continue through November 29th. Cast your vote today!

175506People's ChoiceMY HERO

Access the People's Choice Ballot (Total runtime = 30 minutes)

Access the Young Audience Ballot (Total runtime = 29 minutes)

175587Young Audience VoteMY HERO

WE hope you will join us online, December 12-13, as we celebrate the winning films of 2026. 

Since 2005, the MY HERO International Film Festival has inspired audiences with uplifting, hero-themed films from filmmakers of all ages. Their films tell stories of heroes from all walks of life, from local activists to global change makers. The festival honors outstanding short films in narrative, documentary, animation, music video and poetic formats. 

175588Film Fest Awards CeremonyMY HERO

The virtual festival will take place over two days:

December 12, 2026 - 2pm - 3 pm PST

December 13, 2026 - 12pm - 2pm PST

Click here for more information and to register.

The festival is part of The MY HERO Project, a nonprofit. 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to enhancing media literacy and cross-cultural understanding, through the sharing of hero-themed stories, music and art.

We are grateful to our prize sponsors for their support of the MY HERO International Film Festival. Their generous donations allow winning filmmakers to earn prizes that help strengthen their craft and support them in their filmmaking journey.

175589Past awards presenters - clockwise from top left: Kathy Eldon, Camille Zamora and .Monica Yunus, Ron Kovic, Eva Haller with Jane Goodall.MY HERO

 

Special Awards are given, each year, to student and professional filmmakers whose work depicts a specific heroic theme, including Peace, Activism, Youth Reporting, Women Transforming Media, Family Relationships, There are additional awards for outstanding Poetic Films and Music Videos.  

Many awards come with cash prizes. Filmmakers of all ages and levels of experience are encouraged to participate.

175591MHIFF prize sponsorsMY HERO 

Many thanks to our generous prize sponsors!

We are grateful to our prize sponsors for their support of the MY HERO International Film Festival. Their generous donations allow winning filmmakers to earn prizes that help strengthen their craft and support them in their filmmaking journey.

Page created on 11/6/2026 12:28:26 AM

Last edited 11/15/2026 7:31:14 PM