My Hero International Film Festival

Also known as: The My Hero International Short Film Festival, My Hero Film Festival

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2014

The My Hero International Film Festival is the film competition of The My Hero Project, a non-profit educational project based in Laguna Beach, California, that has gathered stories, art and films about positive role models since 1995. The festival accepts films of ten minutes or less in all genres that celebrate a hero, explore the idea of heroism or examine hero-related topics, and every entry has to be suitable for children. Students from elementary school to university compete alongside professional filmmakers, and student entries are free. Winning films are published on the My Hero website and used in lesson plans for classrooms around the world.

Special awards, many with cash prizes, include the Ron Kovic Peace Prize, the Dan Eldon Activist Award, the Eva Haller Women Transforming Media Award and the Sylvia Earle Ocean Conservation Award. The 2025 edition is the festival’s 21st. The event dates for the 2026 edition are 12–13 December 2026.

Country

United States (USA)

Dates

12 December 2026 — 13 December 2026

Awards and prizes

<p>First-place winners receive certificates, selected winners receive sponsored prizes, and most special awards carry cash prizes. The special awards include the WOJ Youth Reporter Award, the Ron Kovic Peace Prize, the Dan Eldon Activist Award, the Relationships First Award, the Eva Haller Women Transforming Media Award, the Immersive Storytelling Award for virtual reality work, the Sing for Hope Music Video Award, the Mattie Stepanek Poetic Film Prize, the Backstage Best Acting Award, the Best Animation Award presented by Wacom and the Sylvia Earle Ocean Conservation Award. A Best of Fest award is also presented.</p>

Festival rules

<p>The festival accepts films of ten minutes or less, including excerpts from longer works, in all genres. Work has to celebrate a hero, explore concepts of heroism or examine hero-related topics, be suitable for all ages and contain only original or cleared material. Selected works must be cleared for exhibition on the My Hero website. Student filmmakers submit for free.</p>

Contacts

myhero.com
media@myheroproject.org — Film festival submissions, fee waivers and information
filmfreeway.com — Film submissions (FilmFreeway)
+1 949-376-5964 — The My Hero Project, films and festival programmes
The My Hero Project, 1278 Glenneyre St. #286, Laguna Beach, CA 92651, USA — Festival postal address