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Dear Friends,
This summer we invite you and your students to participate in MY HERO by creating a short film that celebrates an individual who inspires, or that highlights the work of an organization making a positive impact in your community.
In the process you may find more about your interests and have a rewarding experience that benefits others.
MY HERO has resources to get you started making short films and a platform to share your stories of heroism.
The final submission deadline for the 22nd Annual MY HERO International Film Festival is Sept. 1st.
Prizes are awarded to student and professional filmmakers for animated films, documentary, music, videos, and more.
There is a fee waiver for student submissions.
Enter the festival with your inspiring short film, 10 minutes or under and be eligible to win, cash and prizes for outstanding work honoring heroes around the world.
Read on to learn more.
Warm regards,
The MY HERO Team
| | Learn the Fundamentals of Filmmaking | | |
Students of all ages can learn to make hero-themed films with the MY HERO Journalism & Filmmaking Workbook. The workbook was written by media teacher Jonah Steinhart, with a foreword by Global Educator Esther Wojcicki, and made possible with support from the Scripps Family Impact Fund.
Request your free digital download.
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Final Call for Entries Sept 1
MY HERO International Film Festival
| | We invite you to share your short, hero-themed films with the world, through the 2026 MY HERO International Film Festival. Submit your work and inspire our global audience with stories of the heroes who rock your world. | | |
Prizes and awards are given to filmmakers, from student through professional levels, for films with themes of Peace, Activism, Women Transforming Media, Ocean Conservation, and all types of modern Family Relationships. There are awards for Music Videos, Animated Films and documentaries made by Youth Reporters.
Click here to get details about the Special Awards
The deadline for festival submissions is September 1, 2026.
Check out the information, rules and guidelines, for submitting your short films.
Click here to view past festival winners.
View film festival flyers and sizzles.
| | Sylvia Earle Award Winners Announced | | Imax filmmaker Greg MacGillivray with two winners of the 2026 Sylvia Earle Ocean Conservation Award | |
MY HERO unveiled the winners of the 2026 Sylvia Earle Ocean Conservation Award on June 6th, at a special World Oceans Day celebration at the Rivian Theater in Laguna Beach, CA.
IMAX filmmaker Greg MacGillivray and his wife Barbara sponsor the annual award in honor of esteemed oceanographer and explorer Dr. Sylvia Earle. “It's a real honor for Barbara and I to be able to sponsor this award,” Greg MacGillivray told the audience. “Sylvia is one of my heroes and probably one of yours as well, and she has been part of our One World One Ocean campaign ever since we began in 2010."
The winners are:
Caught, a short documentary by Kevan Doyle that shows the benefit of recycling plastics and fishing nets to be used for fins for surfboards,
Krya and the Coral, by Pambajeng Putro, features an Indonesian man who works to restore coral reefs, while sharing his knowledge with his young daughter.
Shoreline Story, by Isaac Nelson, won the student division. The film documents Nelson's efforts to restore the ecosystem near Florida’s Jupiter Lighthouse.
Watch the winning films.
Read more on the MY HERO website.
| | MY HERO at Annenberg Youth Academy | | |
The MY HERO Journalism & Filmmaking Workbook continues its success in classrooms around the United States and abroad, helping to guide students through reporting, storytelling, and short-film production. The USC Annenberg Summer Youth Academy is using the workbook for the second summer in a row.
Professor Allan J. Lopez, Journalism Instructor at the academy and Lecturer at USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, said, "The MY HERO Filmmaking & Journalism Workbook gives students the tools to become ethical storytellers and engaged members of their communities. Its combination of journalism, filmmaking, and civic engagement makes it an exceptional resource for teaching the skills and values of modern journalism."
Lopez praised the book for helping to amplify voices, build understanding and tell stories that inspire action. "One of the workbook's greatest strengths is its focus on finding heroes within our communities, helping students recognize the power of everyday people to create positive change."
| Lincoln High School Los Angeles | | Students at Lincoln High making hero-themed documentaries using MY HERO resources | | |
Students at Lincoln High School, in Los Angeles, took part in all aspects of filmmaking, from research through filming and post-production, making films to share with their community.
"What made this experience especially meaningful was the opportunity to connect their work to the rich history of our surrounding community," said Principal Martha X. Gomez. "Through their film, students explored local stories and voices that might otherwise go untold. This experience empowered our students to become creators, historians, and advocates for their community, while demonstrating the strong impact of project-based learning."
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Students at Ascot Avenue Elementary School, in Los Angeles, showed off their storytelling talents at an end-of-the-year showcase that featured their original films created with MY HERO and the nonprofit Lights, Camera, Learn!
Hispanic Heritage Month Heroes, S.T.E.A.M. Heroes, and Ascot News, were honored, giving students an opportunity to explore culture, innovation, leadership, and their school community through filmmaking and journalism. This is a model program that we hope will inspire other schools to follow in their footsteps.
| | We appreciate your support for The MY HERO Project. Your donations allow us to continue to provide free educational resources to millions of teachers, students, and families around the world. | | Help support MY HERO's global learning community. | | | | |
