We are honored to announce that Shine Global and our film Virtually Free are both finalists for the 9th Annual Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA 2021).

The annual awards program was founded in 2012 by award-winning documentary filmmaker and human rights activist, Daniela Konto to support and champion excellence in social impact filmmaking and amplify the power of media to foster a world that is free from prejudice, discrimination and oppression.

From SIMA: “Storytelling has always been an effective vehicle for change and this year’s SIMA 2021 finalists have set the gold standard for what that responsibility means. With captivating storytelling and remarkable access, these diverse and courageous filmmakers not only amplify the stories of marginalized communities and individuals, but inspire and empower audiences to question and rise up against the oppressive systems that hold our society hostage from reaching its full potential.”

Shine Global is a finalist in the Production Company category for “companies with a demonstrated track record of producing social impact media.”
As a non-profit media company, Shine Global produces inspiring films and compelling content about children and their families. Through tailored distribution and outreach, we connect with our audiences in communities, classrooms, museums, and on capitol hill as part of a powerful engagement campaign to encourage social change.

And Shine Global’s most recent film Virtually Free, directed by André Robert Lee, is a finalist in the Impact Videos category for innovative videos that share unique insight into “how impact works” and that inspire critical consciousness of current social issues. In the short documentary, unlikely allies work together to transform the juvenile justice system and stop mass incarceration in Richmond, VA. In the film, we meet Sid, Taee, and AR, three teens currently being held in a Richmond, VA detention center who are offered the chance to become activists speaking truth to power. Participating in a local arts organizations’ program, Performing Statistics, they are taught by different artists to deliver their powerful, authentic messages to the public, law enforcement, and government officials using their art, including a virtual reality jail cell they’ve helped create.

See the full list of finalists at https://simaawards.org/2021-finalists/