The Seattle International Film Festival took a break from its regular programming last night to honor local heroes who’ve gone above and beyond to make a positive impact on their communities.

The Brotherton Community Champions series asked filmmakers to submit short documentaries about local men and women who fit the community champion mold. The films were then posted on komonews.com, where viewers voted for their favorites.

The winner was announced at a SIFF screening last night at the Renton Ikea Performing Arts Center. With more than half of the 9,000 total votes cast, director Kirsten Turk Nghiem won for her moving tribute to Harold “Pepper” Roberts, a Korean War veteran who has worked tirelessly to improve the American Lake Veterans Golf Course in Lakewood.

Here's the winning film:

For all her work, Turk Nghiem was awarded the Brotherton Community Champions: Driving for Excellence Award and a prize package including the Write Brothers Screenplay Suite and a three-week course at TheFilmSchool.