Kids Like Me Wins Shine Global’s 2026 Resilience Awards Grand Prize

Documentary Celebrating a Young Filmmaker’s Imagination, Family and Community to Receive Top Honor at Shine Global’s Fearless for the Future Gala September 29 in New York City

September 2, 2026 — Shine Global, the Oscar® and Emmy® Award-winning nonprofit media company dedicated to improving children’s lives through the power of storytelling, announced today that KIDS LIKE ME, directed by Cynthia Lowen and Jon Cohrs, is the winner of the 2026 Shine Global Resilience Awards Grand Prize.

The award will be presented at Shine Global’s annual Fearless for the Future Gala on September 29, 2026, in New York City, where the organization will celebrate KIDS LIKE ME alongside filmmakers and young people whose stories exemplify resilience, creativity and the power of children to shape their own futures.

KIDS LIKE ME, which premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival, introduces audiences to Oliver, a 12-year-old murder-mystery enthusiast with a vivid imagination and a rare genetic condition. Inspired by his love of the genre, Oliver sets out to bring his own mystery to the big screen. As Oliver, his family, and his community work together to make his movie, KIDS LIKE ME becomes an intimate portrait of friendship, family, and growing up with disabilities, while celebrating what can happen when a young person’s imagination is met with encouragement and support.

“This is a film about the extraordinary power of storytelling, not only to express ourselves, but to bring people together,” said Alexandra Blaney, Co-CEO and Creative Director of Shine Global. “Cynthia Lowen and Jon Cohrs give us an intimate and deeply thoughtful window into the joys and complexities of Oliver’s life while always allowing him to be at the center of his own story: funny, ambitious, creative, and completely himself. As Oliver sets out to make a movie, we see what is possible when children are given the support and freedom to pursue their ideas. KIDS LIKE ME is a celebration of the magic of movies, the strength of community, and the limitless imagination and resilience of young people. We are thrilled to honor it with this year’s Resilience Awards Grand Prize and to help extend its impact beyond the screen.”

“We made KIDS LIKE ME with the belief that every child should be supported in pursuing their dreams—and encouraged to dream big,” said directors Cynthia Lowen and Jon Cohrs. “As audiences cheer on Oliver and his family, we hope they leave the theater motivated to recognize and dismantle the barriers that often stand between young people and the futures they envision. We are profoundly honored to receive the 2026 Resilience Awards Grand Prize from Shine Global for KIDS LIKE ME. This recognition is a meaningful testament to the power of storytelling to shift perspectives, change lives and inspire action.

“We are also thrilled to partner with Shine Global and an extraordinary coalition of organizations and advocates on our impact campaign. Together, we hope to amplify the voices of young storytellers with disabilities while equipping families, caregivers and communities with the tools and resources they need to advance greater equity.

“We hope you’ll join us on this journey—a good mystery, a story of family, love and community, and a celebration of the limitless potential when children chase their dreams.”

Celebrating Children’s Resilience on Screen

Shine Global’s Resilience Awards recognize and support exceptional films that place children and young people at the center of the story and illuminate their strength and resilience. Through partnerships with film festivals and organizations, Shine Global awards prizes throughout the year, providing filmmakers with financial support, recognition, and opportunities to extend the reach and impact of their work.

In addition to Grand Prize winner KIDS LIKE ME, Shine Global’s 2026 Resilience Awards winners include:

• Remaining Native, directed by Paige Bethmann and produced by Jessica Epstein, Paige Bethmann, Judd Ehrlich — Unstoppable Kids Prize, New York International Children’s Film Festival
• Sūnna (Listen), directed by Radha Mehta — Disability Stories Award, ReelAbilities Film Festival
• One In A Million, directed by Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes — Children’s Resilience Documentary Award, Sheffield DocFest
• Stalin Boys, directed by Bianca Giaever and Ora DeKornfeld — Children’s Resilience Short Documentary Award, Sheffield DocFest
• Edie Arnold Is a Loser, written by Megan Rico and directed by Megan Rico and Kade — Children’s Resilience in Screenwriting Award, Nantucket Film Festival
• The Butterfly, directed by Emily Ommerborn — Young Filmmakers Award, Montclair Film’s Emerging Filmmaker Competition
• JASON, directed by Gabriella Canal — Children’s Resilience Short Film Prize, Indy Shorts Film Festival
• One Day, directed by Yazmeen Kanji — Shine Global Resilience Awards NFMLA Prize, NewFilmmakers Los Angeles
• The Boys and the Bees, directed by Arielle Knight and produced by Sean Weiner — Shine Global Resilience Awards
• And a still be announced film at DOC NYC later this fall. 

The Resilience Awards are part of Shine Global’s broader commitment to identifying, supporting and amplifying stories that center children and young people, while helping films reach the audiences and communities that can turn powerful storytelling into meaningful change.

About KIDS LIKE ME

Meet Oliver, a 12-year-old murder-mystery enthusiast with a vivid imagination and a rare genetic condition. Inspired by his love of the genre, Oliver sets out to bring his own mystery to the big screen—with a little help from his friends. The script is written, the cast is set, and Oliver is ready to call “action” on his most ambitious venture yet. What unfolds is more than a creative project—it’s a powerful testament to friendship, resilience and the magic that happens when a community comes together.

An intimate window into growing up with disabilities and the power of community, KIDS LIKE ME is a celebration of chasing your dreams and what is possible through support and a whole lot of love. Directors Cynthia Lowen (BATTLEGROUND) and Jon Cohrs (BACKWATER) craft a story that honors both Oliver’s remarkable vision and the realities his family navigates every day—revealing how creativity can transform challenges into connection.

Directed and Produced by Cynthia Lowen & Jon Cohrs 

In Association With LinLay Productions, Merino Films, ELECTRICK Labs 

Executive Producers Grace Lay, Cher Lee, Jim LeBrecht, Jonathan Logan, Alysa Nahmias, Meadow Fund, Resonance Philanthropies, Outlier Film Fund, Adora Cheung, Jason Goldman, Kat Mañalac, Megan Gelstein, Tony Shalhoub 

Co-Executive Producers Meredith Crowley, Jonathan Weiner, Nicole Page

Edited by Victoria Lesiw, ACE

Music by Mark Orton & John Hancock 

Cinematography by Jon Cohrs & Cynthia Lowen 

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.

The Shine Global Resilience Awards recognize and celebrate the films and filmmakers that highlight the resilience and strength of children in the face of adversity. Past Resilience Award Grand Prize winners include the feature documentaries Speak. (2025, Jen Teixeira and Guy Mossman), Daughters (2024, Angela Patton and Natalie Rae), Name Me Lawand (2023, Directed by Edward Lovelace and produced by Fleur Nieddu), Lift (2022, Directed by David Petersen and produced by Mary Racine).