Tige Charity, 2024 Special HERO Award

CONTACT:                                                                                       FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

MY HERO is delighted to honor Tige Charity, founder of Kids in the Spotlight, Inc. (KITS), with a Special Hero Award at the 20th MY HERO International Film Festival. 

Said Wendy Milette, film festival director, “We are in great admiration of the important work you are doing with Kids in the Spotlight. Your organization is changing lives for foster youth by teaching them skills in media arts production.”

KITS Awards CeremonyTige CharityKITS is a charity that empowers foster care youth, ages 12-22, to heal and overcome trauma through storytelling and film-making. The idea is to allow foster youth to create their own narratives and the process provides a creative outlet and helps the youth build confidence, learn new skills, and heal from past trauma. KITS mentors guide young filmmakers from script to screen, culminating in an annual awards ceremony where the films are showcased, and the achievements of these young people are celebrated.

Through a series of workshops and mentorship sessions, participants learn the essentials of script-writing, acting, casting, and production. With the support of industry professionals, they transform their ideas into 10-minute short films. This hands-on experience allows the participants to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a safe and supportive environment.

GFind out more here: https://kitsinc.org/about/

Tige CharityTige Charity

Before launching KITS in 2009, Tige experienced a pivotal moment during a visit to a foster youth girls’ home in Los Angeles, where her husband, actor Antonio Charity, was teaching acting classes. The experience opened her eyes to the struggles and resilience of foster youth, inspiring her to create a program that would empower them to tell their own stories.

Two of Tige’s students’ films are winners at the 20^th MY HERO Film Festival:

System Failure directed by Robert Munic has won the WOJ Youth Reporter Award - High School Narrative. In this film, while contemplating his future, a high school boy is forced to confront a painful secret that will shed a light on the system that failed him. 

Run directed by Brandon Broady has won 1st place in the student mentor narrative category. This film tells a unique and authentic story about mental health, addressing the stigmas that cause people to hide their issues and/or prevent them from getting the mental health care help they need.

MY HERO Film Festival
MY HERO will be presenting the Awards at the 20th Anniversary MY HERO International Film Festival Awards Ceremony on November 16th, 2024 in Santa Monica at the Ann & Jerry Moss Theater at New Roads School, 3131 Olympic Blvd, Santa Monica, Ca. 90404.

Join MY HERO in celebrating 20 years of The MY HERO International Film Festival. Find out more here: festival-information

Schedule: 6:00 - 7:00 PM - Reception with live jazz - 7:00 - 9:00 PM - Film Festival Awards Ceremony Dessert reception to follow.

Reserve your tickets HERE: