March 31, 2025, New York, NY – Shine Global is proud to announce Savages (Sauvages), directed by Claude Barras and written in collaboration with Catherine Paillé, Morgan Navarro, and Nancy Huston, as the recipient of this year’s Unstoppable Kids Prize at the New York International Children’s Film Festival (NYICFF). This prestigious award recognizes a family-friendly film that highlights the resilience, courage, and determination of young people facing adversity.

The film follows 11-year-old Keria who lives on the edge of Borneo’s tropical rainforest with her father, where deforestation is rampant. Her life is upended when she adopts an orphaned baby orangutan and her Penan cousin, Selaï, comes to stay. She’s embarrassed by him at school, but when he runs away, she guiltily follows after him. They soon become lost and Selaï only knows the way back to his indigenous home. There Keria reconnects with her relatives and learns the ways of her people. When the loggers threaten her newfound home, she is determined not to let them destroy it. 

“Keria’s journey in Savages is a testament to the resilience of young people who must navigate both personal challenges and the outside circumstances that shape their world,” said Alexandra Blaney, Co-CEO and Creative Director of Shine Global. “As Keria embarks on a path of self-discovery—questioning where she belongs, who she is, and what kind of future she wants to build—she finds the strength to fight for her community and the land her family calls home.”

Through breathtaking stop-motion animation, Savages brings to life the beauty of the natural world while also showcasing the strength of the human spirit. The film does not shield young audiences from the harsh realities of environmental destruction or the dangers faced by those who resist the powerful forces behind it. Instead, it trusts them to engage with these urgent issues while celebrating the power of community, identity, and resistance.

“Keria’s courage and determination embody exactly what Shine Global’s Unstoppable Kids Prize honors—the unstoppable spirit of young people who, even in the face of enormous challenges, refuse to back down,” Blaney added. “We are thrilled to recognize Savages for its artistry, honesty, and inspiring message.”

The Unstoppable Kids Prize reflects Shine Global’s commitment to recognizing films that uplift and empower young people around the world. Savages stands as a powerful example of storytelling that is both visually stunning and socially impactful, making it a deserving recipient of this honor.

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About Shine Global

Shine Global is a non-profit media company that improves the lives of children by telling powerful stories 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, and an Academy Award®-nomination for Anuja. Recent films include the documentary-animation hybrid Liyana, the hit documentary The Eagle Huntress, Through Our Eyes: Homefront which is available on HBOMax, the Ariel Award winner Home Is Somewhere Else, and Comedy Against the Odds.

ABOUT SHINE GLOBAL’S RESILIENCE AWARDS

Shine Global’s annual Resilience Awards honor exceptional films that center around the resilience of children and further the organization’s mission of improving children’s lives by harnessing the power of storytelling. Past winners include the feature documentaries Daughters (2024, Directed by Angela Patton and Natalie Rae), Name Me Lawand (2023, Directed by Edward Lovelace) which was also awarded the ReelAbilities Accessibility Award at Shine Global’s 2023 events, Lift (2022, Directed by David Petersen), Los Frikis (2024, written and directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz) in partnership with Nantucket Film Festival, the short documentary Ayenda (2023, directed by Marie Margolius) in partnership with Heartland Film’s Indy Shorts International Film Festival, and the animated children’s film Dounia – The Great White North (2024, directed by Marya Zarif and André Kadi) in partnership with the New York International Children’s Film Festival.  

About NYICFF

Established in 1997, NYICFF’s mission is rooted in the belief of film as a path for young people to understand themselves and others. All programs are designed to celebrate the beauty and power of film, spark the inherent capacity of children to connect with complex, nuanced art, and encourage the creation of intelligent films that represent and celebrate unique, diverse, and historically excluded voices. NYICFF serves children, students, families, educators, filmmakers, and media arts professionals through its core activities: the annual, Oscar®-qualifying NYC film festival and national touring program; Film-Ed, a media arts and literacy program; and year-round special events.