October 26, 2023, Montclair, NJ – Montclair Film and Shine Global today announced the launch of a new partnership that establishes two prizes for student filmmakers participating in Montclair Film Education’s annual Emerging Filmmaker Competition (EFC) to participate in Shine Global’s annual Children’s Resilience in Film Awards, beginning in 2024.

An award of $500 will be granted to the winning film in a new filmmaking category focused on resilience, and another cash prize of $500 will be awarded to the EFC’s Grand Prize winning film. The Grand Prize and Resilience category winners will be invited to participate in Shine Global’s 2024’s Children’s Resilience in Film Award events, which recognize and celebrate the films and filmmakers that highlight the resilience and strength of children in the face of adversity.

Montclair Film’s Emerging Filmmaker Competition celebrates the work of filmmakers who are in the 6th through 12th grades. These films, adjudicated by a jury of film professionals, represent a wide range of styles and voices that showcase the diverse talents of young people who are using cinema to tell their stories. Categories include drama, comedy, documentary, animated, horror, experimental, social impact, and for the first time, a special category focused on resilience.

Student filmmakers interested in participating in this competition may begin submitting their work beginning December 1, 2023, with award winners announced in the spring of 2024, and Shine Global’s Children’s Resilience in Film Award events taking place later in 2024. Submission rules, deadlines, and category descriptions are available by visiting montclairfilm.org/education.
Shine Global’s annual Children’s Resilience in Film Awards honor exceptional films that center around the resilience of children in the face of adversity. It aims to shed light on the countless stories of courage, strength, and determination that children demonstrate in challenging circumstances. These films not only inspire audiences but also help create awareness and promote positive change in society.

“We are thrilled to deepen our relationship with Shine Global to bring great films from our Emerging Filmmaker Competition to the Children’s Resilience In Film Awards,” said Montclair Film Education Director Sue Hollenberg. “As young artists continue to find an outlet for their creative expression through filmmaking, this opportunity will provide material support and encouragement for them to continue to push the boundaries of storytelling into new directions.”

“For the past 18 years, Shine Global has produced films that acknowledge children’s resilience globally,” said Shine Global Co-Founder and Executive Director Susan MacLaury. “We’re honored to partner with Montclair Film to celebrate emerging filmmakers who represent the next generation in the filmmaking community who do the same.”

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About Shine Global

Shine Global is a non-profit media company that gives voice to children and their families by telling their stories of resilience to raise awareness, promote action, and inspire change. We produce inspiring films and compelling content about underserved children. 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.

Since our founding in 2005, Shine Global films have won more than 100 major awards, including an Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short Subject for Inocente and an Academy Award®-nomination and two Emmys® for War/Dance. Recent films include the documentary-animation hybrid Liyana, the hit documentary The Eagle Huntress, which is available on HBOMax, and Home Is Somewhere Else, which is currently in festivals.

ABOUT SHINE GLOBAL’S CHILDREN’S RESILIENCE IN FILM AWARDS

This annual event recognizes and celebrates the films and filmmakers that highlight the resilience and strength of children in the face of adversity. The awards are open to films of any genre that showcase children overcoming challenges, such as poverty, violence, illness, and discrimination, and demonstrate their resilience, courage, and determination.

About Montclair Film

Montclair Film, a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization connects filmmakers from around the region and world with audiences by presenting films and year-round programs that engage, educate, and entertain through the power of visual storytelling. The twelfth Annual Montclair Film Festival will take place from October 20-29, 2023. We are grateful for generous support from Audible, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Hackensack Meridian Health, American Express Foundation, JP Morgan Private Bank, and Spiro Harrison. Additional support is provided by RBC Wealth Management, The Nature Conservancy, and New Jersey Economic Development Authority. We are also grateful for our partners at Coldwell Banker, Partners for Health Foundation, The Seeing Eye, Citi Private Bank, Chubb, Compass, Trevanna, and ML Management Partners. All programs are made possible with funds from the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism, as well as the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The Montclair Film Festival is supported in part with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Montclair Film provides unique and meaningful ways to engage with diverse, creative, and sophisticated audiences and seeks sponsors for its signature film festival and year-round film, education, and community programs that attract more than 70,000 annual attendees and generate more than 750 million media impressions yearly. For more information about Montclair Film, visit www.MontclairFilm.org.