Shine Global and The Hollywood Reporter Host Changemaker Salon in the Hamptons, Kicking Off 20th Anniversary Celebrations

Amagansett, NY – August 4, 2025 — Shine Global, the nonprofit media company producers of Oscar® and Emmy®-winning filmsdedicated to telling stories that improve children’s lives, partnered with The Hollywood Reporter to host an inspiring Changemaker Salon on Thursday, July 31st, at the Amagansett home of Shine Global founders Albie Hecht and Susan MacLaury. The intimate event served as a powerful kickoff to Shine Global’s 20th anniversary celebrations, which will culminate with a gala at City Winery in New York City on September 30th .

The evening brought together a group of creatives, changemakers, and visionaries for cocktails, conversation, and connection—all centered on the power of storytelling to drive change for children around the world. Opening remarks were delivered by Francile Mullen, Shine Global’s Co-CEO, Executive Director, who highlighted the organization’s twenty-year legacy of powerful, child-centered filmmaking, and the Co-CEO’s focus on building a sustainable foundation for the next twenty years.

The heart of the evening was a special conversation between Shine Global’s co-founders Albie Hecht and Susan MacLaury, moderated by Shine Global’s Partnership Lead, Kate Kelley, offering a candid look at the triumphs, challenges, and future of purpose-driven filmmaking.

Lori O’Connor, EVP and Publisher of The Hollywood Reporter, shared: “The Hollywood Reporter thanks Shine Global for including us in this powerful evening — and to Albie and Susan for so generously hosting this important event. Your vision and commitment to illuminating the voices of young people around the world through powerful, purpose-driven storytelling is both inspiring and necessary. At The Hollywood Reporter, we believe in the transformative potential of media and support Shine Global’s mission to tell stories that not only reveal truth, but also inspire action. We’re humbled to stand alongside you in this mission.”

Hosted in partnership with Hamptons-beloved local publication James Lane Post, the evening underscored the shared belief in the power of media to create meaningful impact.

As Shine Global looks ahead to its milestone 20th anniversary celebration this fall, this Hamptons gathering served as both a reflection and a rallying cry—reminding all in attendance of the lasting power of film to spark hope, joy, and change.

Tickets for the 20th Anniversary Celebration on September 30th, 2025 in NYC can be purchased here.

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About Shine Global

Shine Global is a nonprofit media company that improves the lives of children by telling powerful stories to raise awareness, promote action, and inspire change. We produce and support 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 by Susan MacLaury and Albie Hecht, Shine Global films have won more than 100 major awards, including an Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short Subject for Inocente, an Academy Award® nomination for Best Live Action Short for Anuja, 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, Through Our Eyes: Homefront which is available on HBOMax, the Ariel Award winner Home Is Somewhere Else, and Comedy Against the Odds, and The Business of Trouble which is currently in film festivals.