Gan Jing World’s first Kindness Is Cool Video Awards officially came to a close on December 31, 2023. Although the event has ended, the season of kindness persists. The event initiated a global call to action for kindness in people’s daily lives and their communities, contributing to more than 10,000 entries worldwide!
Submitted works came from around the world, showcasing a wide diversity of cultural interpretations of kindness, spanning North America, South America, Europe, Oceania, Asia, and Africa. Communities took to short films, original songs, animations, vlogs, and candid moments to share their vision of kindness.
Participants included professional film studios and production teams who submitted high-quality works. Many more came from campuses and classrooms, where kindness became a schoolwide project of creativity and an action plan to help those in need in their communities.
Kindness Is Cool is one of the many initiatives Gan Jing World is taking to integrate its main message and mission into the platform. Gan Jing World’s Media Director, Nick Janicki shares, “The idea of Gan Jing World is to have a family-friendly, online social media platform. Through events like “Kindness Is Cool”, we hope to inspire positive community engagement, mutual respect, care, kindness, and to foster tighter family and social bonds.”
On Gan Jing World, the fastest-growing online platform, kindness pays back! The highly anticipated winner announcement is finally here. Winners, please email us at [email protected] to claim your prize!
The Kindness Is Cool Creativity Awards (1 prize, $10,000) goes to: Breaking Barriers
Showing kindness toward another can change a life and recipients of kind acts can pay it forward to change even more lives. In this video, David Vobora, retired NFL linebacker and founder of the Adaptive Training Foundation, shares his journey of helping veterans and first responders with disabilities by providing free training and housing, helping them become trainers to help others. His childhood experience of helping the homeless with his parents taught him an important lesson in giving, “As you do deal hope, as you do deal kindness…the energy that comes out, that attraction, actually brings back more into your life.”
Congratulations to the winner of the $10,000 prize!
The Kindness Together Group Award (1 prize, $5,000) goes to: New Century Films
The New Century Films organization published more than 30 high quality short films for the kindness event that displayed heartwarming scenes of kindness. The short films included stories of offering help to those in need, being compassionate toward others, and showing gratitude. The stories showcased are a testament to how the kind acts we do for others are never forgotten and leave a lasting impact, often returning to us as we receive back the kindness we give.
Congratulations to the winner of the $5,000 prize!
The Kindness Appreciation Awards (5 total prizes, $1,000) goes to:
(1) THE BILL
Based on a true story, this two minute short film delivers a profound message without any words. The short film transports viewers to a snapshot in time with rich cinematography and an artistic scene. Set in a warmly lit restaurant, a young boy and girl share a meal with their uncle, where the decision to do something kind, though momentary, brings great warmth to the man’s heart.
(2) My Teacher
In this exclusive short film presented by Clearview School of Art and Culture’s official channel, the teacher’s unique expression of kindness to a new student inspires the whole class, touches ten thousand viewers, and perfectly embodies the Confucius teaching in traditional values: Love all Equally. Viewers praise the powerful message delivered in only a few words, along with the great acting performed by the young stars in the film. One comment reads, “These kinds of videos are exactly what the world needs, even small, good deeds can change the whole world…..brings back hope for humanity!”
(3) Life is a journey where kindness is given
A group of young people travel the remote mountainous regions in Hà Giang Province, Vietnam to help children in need. Traveling by motorcycle on rugged paths, carrying all kinds of resources like food, clothes and other necessities, they compare the journey to life itself. “Life is a journey where kindness is given. Thousands of miles of distance will not stop our footsteps on the journey of sending love and compassion.”
(4) Grandfather’s Story
This exquisite short animation piece is done in an ink and wash painting style, with harmonious color spun with Chinese music. Based on real events, it tells the story of a grandfather and grandson building a pavilion, stone by stone, to provide the whole village shade and a place to rest, expounding on how traditional values like kindness and perseverance pass down through generations.
(5) KINDNESS IS COOL
Inspired by the mission of promoting kindness, talented nine-year-old singer, Big Lotus 415, wrote and performed an original song about kindness that received the heartfelt admiration of tens of thousands of viewers. In this original music video, Big Lotus 415 sings a catchy tune about why he thinks kindness is what today’s world truly needs.
Congratulations to the winners of the $1,000 prize!
The Kindness Smiles Award (10 total prizes, $500) goes to:
(1) Kindness Essays
In this heartfelt video, young students from the Star Academy for the Gifted and Talented prepared essays on what kindness means to them and present them to the class. Sharing themes of how bullying in the classroom affects the larger student body and how showing kindness, such as to the new student, can not only bring positive change to the classroom but to the world as these events pass through people’s lives and affect how they show up in other areas.
(2) "Kindness is cool" at IMT Liege, Belgium
The Prefect of Discipline at the Institut Marie -Thérèse in Liège, Belgium, shares an important message about how essential kindness and mutual respect are in a school community. Offering kind words, such as one student congratulating another on a presentation, or celebrating good results for another, is what creates a harmonious classroom environment. The students at IMT gather together holding signs and cheerfully say, “La Gentillese Est Cool”, or “Kindness Is Cool”.
(3) Sharing Joy and Happiness with Children
The Chandra Kumala School in Indonesia spreads good will, inviting children from a local orphanage to participate in a fun-filled game day at their school. The students package gifts for the orphaned students and organize riddles, treasure hunts, duck races, and other games with the opportunity to earn prizes for their play. The children are told they can play the games as many times as they like to try and win prizes, but that the important thing is not to cheat.
(4) Art
In this short film, we are welcomed by the start of art class. The teacher hands out coloring books and as all the students get busy coloring, one boy appears to not have any crayons and looks at his book sadly. One student notices his sadness and tells another, and together the class shares art supplies with the boy, whose face brightens with joy. The short film shares a beautiful, heartfelt message of kindness in sharing.
(5) KINDNESS IS COOL | SASTRANI
Adapted from an Indonesian poem entitled “Kebaikan Itu Keren”, or “Kindness Is Cool”, an English lyric composition is performed, arranged with a piano and flute accompaniment. The beautiful song shares the belief that through compassion and kindness, we together, through opening our hearts can create a brighter world.
(6) What the Older Brother Said
In a beautiful exchange, a mother films the moment a young brother and sister appeared to have just had a major disagreement. We are brought into the scene of this candid moment and can see the older brother expressing how his younger sister yelling at him made him feel and helps her understand why it is important to handle things with kindness. The young brother and sister share a meaningful and candid moment together as they both cry and hug each other, together expressing their love and willingness to be better.
(7) Kindness Is Cool in Little Lotus Academy
Young children of the Little Lotus Academy, New York share what they believe kindness is, why they believe it is important to the world, and what is the most surprising kind act anybody has ever done for them. With smiling, excited faces they hold a banner that says “Kindness Is Cool”, cheering Kindness Is Cool.
(8) Kindness At Birth
In a touching exchange between two students in class, this story illustrates that although things may not always be perfect and we may run into tribulations or hear unkind words, it is the moments we are offered kindness that can truly heal the heart. Through this telling story, we see the moment a little girl’s heart was healed because of one small kind act.
(9) Silent train
In this beautiful silent short film, the scene opens in a train car where a young woman sits alone with headphones, absorbed in a book. A little girl walks in with her mother to the train car and they sit opposite the young woman, unknown to what will follow. This beautiful work showcases the touching grace we offer to others when we are kind and offer help to others in need, even strangers.
(10) Innocent beauty
A touching short of smiling children is sure to put a smile on your face!
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Although the Kindness Is Cool event has ended, stay tuned as more events are planned for the upcoming future. We thank all who joined us in this season of kindness. Together our efforts toward kindness sent great waves throughout the world, uplifting the hearts and minds of many.
Welcome to the future of a vibrant positive community.