Shine Global Appoints TIFF & Rogers & Cowan PMK Leaders to Board of Directors

Shine Global Appoints TIFF & Rogers & Cowan PMK Leaders to Board of Directors

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Shine Global Appoints TIFF & Rogers & Cowan PMK Leaders to Board of Directors

New board appointments reinforce Shine Global’s commitment to elevating children’s lives through storytelling while strengthening the independent film ecosystem

Jenn Frees (L) and Shirley Richter Hughes (R)

NEW YORK, NY — January 20th, 2026 — Shine Global, a nonprofit media company dedicated to elevating children’s lives through storytelling, today announced the appointment of Jennifer Frees and Shirley Hughes to its Board of Directors. The additions mark a significant moment of growth as Shine Global continues to expand its impact and evolve under the leadership of Co-CEOs Alexandra Blaney and Francile Mullen.

The appointments reflect Shine Global’s focus on strengthening leadership, partnerships, and industry relationships in service of its dual commitment: telling powerful, child-centered stories while supporting the independent filmmakers and creatives who bring those stories to life.

Jennifer Frees serves as Chief Business & Marketing Officer at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where she leads global marketing, brand strategy, partnerships, and revenue initiatives for one of the world’s most influential cultural institutions. With a career dedicated to championing social impact storytelling and building values-aligned collaborations, Frees brings deep insight into the creative ecosystem and the evolving needs of filmmakers navigating a rapidly changing industry.

Shirley Hughes is President & CEO of Visit Fargo-Moorhead and previously served as Global President of Brand Marketing & Communications at Rogers & Cowan PMK, where she led integrated communications and brand strategy for major studios, talent, and mission-driven organizations. Her expertise spans entertainment, culture, destination branding, and strategic storytelling at scale.

“Jennifer and Shirley join Shine Global at a defining moment,” said Francile Mullen, Co-CEO and Executive Director of Shine Global. “Their leadership, strategic vision, and deep industry experience will help us expand our reach, strengthen our partnerships, and continue supporting both children and the filmmakers who tell these essential stories.”

“Independent filmmakers are navigating an increasingly challenging landscape, and at Shine Global we see this moment as an opportunity to think bolder and more fearlessly about the future,” added Alexandra Blaney, Co-CEO and Creative Director. “We’re focused on building lasting infrastructure around storytelling so that child-centered stories, and the storytellers behind them, can thrive for the long term. Welcoming Jennifer and Shirley to our Board reflects that vision and the leadership needed to carry it forward.”

Since its founding, Shine Global has produced and supported films that center children’s resilience, agency, and lived experiences. Films produced by Shine Global have won Academy Awards® and Emmy® Awards, including Inocente, War/Dance, and Anuja. At the same time, the organization has remained deeply committed to the independent film community through initiatives such as its Resilience Awards, recognizing that sustainable careers for storytellers are essential to ensuring these stories continue to be told.

“I’m honored to join Shine Global at such an important moment in its evolution,” said Jennifer Frees. “The organization’s commitment to children and to the filmmakers who tell their stories aligns deeply with my own values.”

“Shine Global has long demonstrated how storytelling can drive empathy and meaningful change,” added Shirley Hughes. “I’m excited to support the organization as it continues to grow its impact and strengthen its role within the creative community.”

As Shine Global looks ahead, the organization remains focused on expanding its impact, strengthening its creative community, and deepening its partnerships—guided by leadership committed to ensuring that stories about children are told with integrity, care, and lasting impact.

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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 which is currently in film festivals.

ABOUT SHINE GLOBAL’S RESILIENCE AWARDS

The Shine Global Resilience Awards were created to honor films that highlight the strength, dignity, and power of children in the face of adversity. Past winners of Shine Global Resilience Awards include the feature documentaries Speak. (2025, Directed by Guy Mossman and Jennifer Tiexiera), Daughters (2024, Directed by Angela Patton and Natalie Rae), Name Me Lawand (2023, Directed by Edward Lovelace), and 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 Rise (2025, Directed by Jessica J. Rowlands), the short documentary Ayenda (2023, directed by Marie Margolius) in partnership with Heartland Film’s Indy Shorts International Film Festival, Okthanksbye (2023, Nicole Van Kilsdok) with ReelAbilities Film Festival, Savauges (2024, directed by Claude Barras), and Dounia – The Great White North (2024, directed by Marya Zarif and André Kadi) in partnership with the New York International Children’s Film Festival.

Shine Global Named A Production Company Finalist at the 2026 SIMA Awards

Shine Global Named A Production Company Finalist at the 2026 SIMA Awards

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Shine Global Named A Production Company Finalist at the 2026 SIMA Awards 

Shine Global has been named a Production Company Finalist at the 2026 Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA) for organizations that transform cinema into sustained action, marking the seventh consecutive year the organization has received this recognition for its work.

The Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA) celebrate excellence in storytelling that advances social justice and human rights, honoring films, organizations, and companies creating measurable impact through media. The honor reflects Shine Global’s continued commitment to harnessing the power of storytelling to drive meaningful social change. For more than 20 years, Shine Global has produced award-winning films and impact campaigns that raise awareness, promote action, and improve the lives of children around the world.

The 2026 SIMA Awards recognition highlights Shine Global’s work throughout 2025, a milestone period that included the organization’s 20th anniversary and far-reaching creative and social impact.

Anuja, Shine Global’s live-action short film shining a light on child labor and girls’ education in India, premiered globally on Netflix and received an Academy Award® nomination. In addition to international recognition, the film generated direct impact by raising $20,000 for the Salaam Baalak Trust, funding three teachers serving vulnerable children in Delhi.

Shine Global’s documentary short Comedy Against the Odds helped spark a nationwide conversation about autism awareness and inclusion. Through partnerships with Chuck E. Cheese and Autism Speaks, the campaign reached millions of families and was recognized with an Anthem Award for promoting diversity and inclusion.

The 2025 Shine Global Resilience Awards also reached new heights as both a recognition program and a field-building initiative. With Speak., a Sundance Film Festival documentary, announced as the Grand Prize winner, Shine Global has now provided over $100,000 in direct support to filmmakers and film institutions since the program launched.

Shine Global is honored to be recognized alongside fellow finalists and remains committed to producing stories that inspire change and improve the lives of children worldwide.

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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 which is currently in film festivals.

ABOUT SHINE GLOBAL’S RESILIENCE AWARDS

The Shine Global Resilience Awards were created to honor films that highlight the strength, dignity, and power of children in the face of adversity. Past winners of Shine Global Resilience Awards include the feature documentaries Speak. (2025, Directed by Guy Mossman and Jennifer Tiexiera), Daughters (2024, Directed by Angela Patton and Natalie Rae), Name Me Lawand (2023, Directed by Edward Lovelace), and 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 Rise (2025, Directed by Jessica J. Rowlands), the short documentary Ayenda (2023, directed by Marie Margolius) in partnership with Heartland Film’s Indy Shorts International Film Festival, Okthanksbye (2023, Nicole Van Kilsdok) with ReelAbilities Film Festival, Savauges (2024, directed by Claude Barras), and Dounia – The Great White North (2024, directed by Marya Zarif and André Kadi) in partnership with the New York International Children’s Film Festival.

Shine Global’s 2025 Highlights

Shine Global’s 2025 Highlights

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Shine Global’s 2025 Highlights

As we close out an extraordinary year — one that marked Shine Global’s 20th Anniversary — we are deeply grateful for the community that makes our work possible. Thanks to our donors and supporters, 2025 has been one of the most impactful years in our history. We hope you’ll continue to support our work.

Here are just a few of the moments our supporters helped make possible this year: 

20th Anniversary Celebration
In September, we gathered with a sold-out crowd at City Winery in New York City to celebrate two decades of empowering children through film. Together, we honored our Shining Example Award recipient Jesse Draper, applauded the vision of our co-founders Susan MacLaury and Albie Hecht, and raised critical funds to sustain Shine Global’s next 20 years.

From Oscar Nominee to Worldwide Impact – Anuja

  • Reached over 300 million viewers across 190+ countries on Netflix — bringing global attention to child labor and girls’ education.
  • Watched by over 8 million people in the first 4 months of release, making it the most watched live action short film on Netflix.
  • Raised $20,000 for the Salaam Baalak Trust, directly funding three teachers serving vulnerable children

Breaking Barriers for Autism Awareness – Comedy Against the Odds

Our documentary Comedy Against the Odds was part of a nationwide conversation about autism and inclusion. In partnership with Chuck E. Cheese and Autism Speaks, we reached millions of families through:

  • Screenings and Q&As in Brooklyn and Burbank during World Autism Awareness Month
  • PSA videos featuring 10-year-old autistic comic Austin Eletto played in 500+ locations nationwide
  • Sold-out appearances at the ReelAbilities Film Festival

The Resilience Awards

The 2025 Shine Global Resilience Awards reached new heights as both a recognition program and a field-building initiative.

  • Awarded Speak. the 2025 Grand Prize, including a $25,000 package to advance their impact campaign to support youth participation in speech and debate across the country
  • Supported filmmakers across seven major festival partners
  • Provided over $100,000 in direct support since the program launched
  • Expanded into a year-round initiative offering fellowships, emerging filmmaker prizes, FYC awards campaigns, and a national screening series

As we close out this incredible year, we’re keenly aware that there is still so much more to be done and many more stories to tell for children around the world. We thank you, our Shine Global community, for supporting 20 years of impact — will you join us for 20 more? Together, we create what comes next.

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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 which is currently in film festivals.

ABOUT SHINE GLOBAL’S RESILIENCE AWARDS

The Shine Global Resilience Awards were created to honor films that highlight the strength, dignity, and power of children in the face of adversity. Past winners of Shine Global Resilience Awards include the feature documentaries Speak. (2025, Directed by Guy Mossman and Jennifer Tiexiera), Daughters (2024, Directed by Angela Patton and Natalie Rae), Name Me Lawand (2023, Directed by Edward Lovelace), and 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 Rise (2025, Directed by Jessica J. Rowlands), the short documentary Ayenda (2023, directed by Marie Margolius) in partnership with Heartland Film’s Indy Shorts International Film Festival, Okthanksbye (2023, Nicole Van Kilsdok) with ReelAbilities Film Festival, Savauges (2024, directed by Claude Barras), and Dounia – The Great White North (2024, directed by Marya Zarif and André Kadi) in partnership with the New York International Children’s Film Festival.

Shine Global Wins Two Anthem Awards for Impactful Storytelling

Shine Global Wins Two Anthem Awards for Impactful Storytelling

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Shine Global Wins Two Anthem Awards for Impactful Storytelling

Shine Global is proud to announce that it has won two 2025 Anthem Awards, which celebrate purpose- and mission-driven work from around the world, for our films and impact campaigns for Anuja and Comedy Against the Odds.

Anuja was named a Gold Winner in Human & Civil Rights: Documentary or Film, and Comedy Against the Odds received a Silver Award in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Documentary or Film.

“These awards are especially meaningful as they recognize Shine Global’s mission to harness the power of film to improve children’s lives,” said Shine Global Co-CEO and Creative Director Alexandra Blaney. “We’re honored that both Anuja and Comedy Against the Odds are resonating with both audiences and leaders across the social impact landscape.”

Comedy Against the Odds, directed by Suzanne Luna, is a short documentary that celebrates 10-year-old comic Austin Eletto and promotes autism awareness, acceptance, and inclusion. Through nationwide screenings, toolkits, media partnerships, and strategic collaborations with Chuck E. Cheese, Autism Speaks, and ReelAbilities Film Festival the film and campaign activated families, educators, and advocates to engage with stories that reframe neurodiversity.  A highlight of the campaign was the release of PSA spots starring Austin with Chuck E. Cheese that aired in 500+ locations as well as family and sensory-friendly screenings that engaged 450+ in-person during Autism Awareness Month.

Anuja, an Oscar-nominated short film written and directed by Adam J. Graves, follows a young girl in Delhi torn between child labor and education. The campaign aimed to raise awareness of child labor and girls education and integrated global streaming on Netflix, PR and social media amplification, influencer and celebrity engagement, strategic partnerships, educational tools, and targeted advocacy to use the film to drive awareness and catalyze real-world change. Anuja and the campaign reached an estimated 14 million people, earned an Oscar nomination, raised $20,000 for street children in Delhi, and received widespread acclaim.

“i want to dedicate this award to Sajda Pathan,” says writer/director Adam J. Graves as her “daring performance as Anuja reminds us that cinema as an art form has a unique power to change the very world it reflects.”

The 5th Annual Anthem Awards received more than 2,000 submissions from 42 countries, underscoring the global momentum behind storytelling that drives change.  Winners are selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, whose judges for the 2025 competition include leaders from across philanthropy, media, design, social impact, and global brands.

Shine Global congratulates the entire creative teams of Anuja and Comedy Against the Odds, as well as the young people and families who shared their stories. We are grateful for this recognition and remain committed to telling stories that foster empathy, inspire action, and improve the lives of children everywhere.

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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 which is currently in film festivals.

ABOUT SHINE GLOBAL’S RESILIENCE AWARDS

The Shine Global Resilience Awards were created to honor films that highlight the strength, dignity, and power of children in the face of adversity. Past winners of Shine Global Resilience Awards include the feature documentaries Daughters (2024, Directed by Angela Patton and Natalie Rae), Name Me Lawand (2023, Directed by Edward Lovelace), and 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, Okthanksbye (2023, Nicole Van Kilsdok) with ReelAbilities Film Festival, and Dounia – The Great White North (2024, directed by Marya Zarif and André Kadi) in partnership with the New York International Children’s Film Festival.

Meet our Fall 2025 Intern

Meet our Fall 2025 Intern

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Meet our Fall 2025 Intern

We are so grateful to the interns who help keep Shine Global running every semester and increase our reach and capacity. This semester we are excited to have April Aguilera join the team.

April Aguilera: Content & Marketing Intern
April Aguilera is an undergraduate student at the University of Southern California, majoring in Journalism and minoring in Social Work & Juvenile Justice. Her work can be seen with USC Annenberg Media. She writes articles, contributes to ATVN, a USC news broadcast, and participates in Annenberg Radio News. She hopes to find a career that intersects both aspects of social work/social justice and journalism. As a journalism major, she deeply believes in being a voice for the underrepresented and uplifting her community. She is excited to do so while interning at Shine Global Inc. By pushing forward the mission of sparking change and action through impactful storytelling in film, she is eager to see storytelling in a new light. 

 

Learn more about Shine Global’s internship positions and how to apply for a future term: https://shineglobal.org/internships/

Shine Global Announces Speak. as Grand Prize Winner of 2025 Resilience Awards, Receives $25,000 Prize Package to Support Impact Campaign

Shine Global Announces Speak. as Grand Prize Winner of 2025 Resilience Awards, Receives $25,000 Prize Package to Support Impact Campaign

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Shine Global Announces Speak. as Grand Prize Winner of 2025 Resilience Awards, Receives $25,000 Prize Package to Support Impact Campaign

September 3, 2025 – New York, NY Shine Global, the award-winning non-profit media company dedicated to improving children’s lives through powerful storytelling, today announced the documentary Speak. as the Grand Prize Winner of the 2025 Shine Global Resilience Awards, an annual celebration of exceptional films that highlight the strength and perseverance of children and families worldwide.

As the Grand Prize Winner, Speak. will receive a $25,000 prize package, which includes a cash award and impact campaign services from Picture Motion, the leading marketing and advocacy agency for social impact films.

The award will be officially presented during Shine Global’s 20th Anniversary Celebration on September 30, 2025 in New York City, honoring two decades of impactful storytelling and a dedication to improving children’s lives through the power of film.

Speak., a feature documentary directed by Jennifer Tiexiera and Guy Mossman, follows five bold young voices on a high-stakes journey to win “the Super Bowl of public speaking,” the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) Championships in the Original Oratory category. Future stars such as Oprah Winfrey, Brad Pitt, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and the film’s own executive producer Josh Gad, all participated as teens.

Speak. is a timely and deeply hopeful film,” said Shine Global’s co-CEO and Creative Director, Alexandra Blaney. “At a moment when cultural divides threaten to pull us apart and vicious social media rhetoric dominates the news cycle, these young voices remind us of the power of courage and dialogue. The film transcends the competition documentary format for a powerful and hopeful look at the next generation of leaders.”

Speak. had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and has won several other awards including the Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights at Full Frame and Best Feature Doc at Thin Line.  It opens September 19 at Firehouse: DCTV’s Cinema for Documentary Film in New York City for a week theatrical run.  In addition to Tiexiera and Mossman, who was also the cinematographer, the film is also produced by Pamela Griner with Executive Producers Josh Gad, Lisa Hepner, Simon Kilmurry, Andrea van Beuren, and the Schultz Family Foundation.

In the four years since the Resilience Awards launched, Shine Global has supported 41 films and seven film festivals and organizations, providing over $100,000 in direct cash support in addition to in-kind services and support.  Past winners of Shine Global’s Resilience Award Grand Prize have all gone on to Emmy nominations and also to win a Peabody Award (Daughters, Directed by Angela Patton and Natalie Rae), broadcast on PBS and be nominated for BIFA and Grierson Awards (Name Me Lawand, Directed by Edward Lovelace), and be acquired by Paramount for distribution (Lift, Directed by David Petersen). 

Celebrating All 2025 Resilience Award Winners

In addition to the Grand Prize, the Shine Global Resilience Awards honored outstanding films through partnerships with major festivals and industry organizations throughout the year, amplifying diverse stories of children’s resilience:

  • DJ Ahmet, Written and Directed by Georgi M. Unkovski, Produced by Ivan Unkovski, Ivana Shekutkoska, Winner of Children’s Resilience in Screenwriting Award at 2025 Nantucket Film Festival
  • Comparsa, Directed by Vickie Curtis and Doug Anderson, Producers Olivia Ahnemann, Anna Hadingham, Vickie Curtis, Doug Anderson, Winner Children’s Resilience Documentary Prize at Sheffield DocFest
  • Rise, Written and Directed by Jessica J. Rowlands, Winner Children’s Resilience Short Film Prize at Indy Shorts International Film Festival
  • Savages, Written and Directed by Claude Barras, Producer: Nicolas Burlet , Winner Unstoppable Kids Prize at the New York International Children’s Film Festival
  • Remedial, Written and Directed by Laurie J. Gardiner, Winner Children’s Resilience in Disability Stories Screenwriting Award at ReelAbilities Film Festival
  • In Case You Forgot, Directed, written, and produced by Jackson Provan and Henry Slater, Winner Shine Global Resilience Award for Young Filmmakers at Montclair Film

These partnerships underscore Shine Global’s commitment to amplifying diverse, global voices and ensuring stories of children’s resilience reach audiences everywhere. 

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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 which is currently in film festivals.

ABOUT SHINE GLOBAL’S RESILIENCE AWARDS

The Shine Global Resilience Awards were created to honor films that highlight the strength, dignity, and power of children in the face of adversity. Past winners of Shine Global Resilience Awards include the feature documentaries Daughters (2024, Directed by Angela Patton and Natalie Rae), Name Me Lawand (2023, Directed by Edward Lovelace), and 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, Okthanksbye (2023, Nicole Van Kilsdok) with ReelAbilities Film Festival, and Dounia – The Great White North (2024, directed by Marya Zarif and André Kadi) in partnership with the New York International Children’s Film Festival.