PRESIDENT OF DREAMWORKS ANIMATION MARGIE COHN, FORMER PRO FOOTBALL PLAYER AND PROJECT TRANSITION FOUNDER MARCELLUS WILEY, AND SOCIAL MEDIA SENSATION GRACEYN HOLLINGSWORTH ARE HONOREES FOR UPCOMING CHILDREN’S RESILIENCE IN FILM AWARDS

Honorees to be Recognized at Award Ceremony on October 3 in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA (September 14, 2023) – Today, Shine Global – the renowned nonprofit media company dedicated to producing and supporting impactful documentaries about children’s issues – announced the honorees for its annual Children’s Resilience in Film Awards.  The honorees at this year’s ceremony will include internet talent and star of YouTube children’s channel, “Gracie’s Corner,” Graceyn Hollingsworth for the Youth Activist category, President of DreamWorks Animation Margie Cohn for the Titan category, and former pro-football player and founder of Project Transition Marcellus Wiley for the Children’s Champion category.  Each of this year’s honorees have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to promoting education, health, and social skills for children.

This announcement comes off the heels of their recent nominee announcement.  This year’s nominees represent a diverse range of powerful stories from around the world, showcasing resilience in various forms. Through the lens of these films, audiences will witness the inspiring spirit of children as they overcome obstacles, navigate through personal hardships, and inspire others through their achievements. The finalists are as follows:

• Aurora’s Sunrise – Directed by Inna Sahakyan (2022, Armenia, Germany, Lithuania)
• Bigman – Directed by Camiel Schouwenaar (2022, The Netherlands, Germany)
• Children of Las Brisas – Directed by Marianela Maldonado (2022, Venezuela)
• Name Me Lawand  – Directed by Edward Lovelace (2022, United Kingdom)
• The Ordinaries – Directed by Sophie Linnenbaum (2022, Germany)

The Short Film Prize winner Ayenda, Directed by Marie Margolius (2023, United States, Portugal, Afghanistan) was previously announced at the Indy Shorts International Film Festival in June in partnership with Heartland Film with a $2,500 prize.

You can watch a compilation trailer of these nominees:

You can purchase tickets for the opening night party and film screenings in NYC and the awards ceremony in LA HERE.

The Children’s Resilience in Film Awards, now in its second year, honors 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.

The winner will be named and awarded the grand prize of $15,000 at the Children’s Resilience in Film Awards ceremony on October 3, 2023, at Paramount Pictures, where filmmakers, industry professionals, and children’s rights advocates will gather to celebrate the remarkable achievements of these films. The winning film will be selected by a jury panel including Anita Chandra (Vice President and Director of RAND Social and Economic Well-Being and a Senior Policy Researcher at the RAND Corporation with a focus on childhood development), Tyler Coates (Awards Editor at The Hollywood Reporter), Jill Burkhart (VP of Unscripted Programming for MGM+),  Greg Sorvig (Artistic Director for Heartland Film), and Brian Walker (CEO of Picture Motion). 

Shine Global is hosting an Opening Night Party on Thursday, September 28th, and screenings with filmmaker Q&As of the five film nominees from Friday, September 29th – Sunday, October 1st in New York City. You can purchase tickets for both the screenings and award ceremony here: https://childrensresilience23.eventive.org/

The 2023 Children’s Resilience in Film Awards is sponsored in part by media partner The Hollywood Reporter who will uplift these powerful, culture-shifting films to receive the recognition they deserve; Paramount Pictures; hospitality partner Sunset Marquis Hotel; Quest Pacifica; Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein Lezcano Bobb & Dang; Jonathan and Dianne Moonves Charitable Fund; pocket.watch; Mattel Inc; DreamWorks Animation; and Sunlight Entertainment.

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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.

Winning Film to Be Selected by Jury of Industry Tastemakers and Announced at Award Ceremony on October 3 in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA (September 6, 2023) – Today, Shine Global – the renowned nonprofit media company dedicated to producing and supporting impactful documentaries about children’s issues – announced the nominees for its annual Children’s Resilience in Film Awards.

This year’s nominees represent a diverse range of powerful stories from around the world, showcasing resilience in various forms. Through the lens of these films, audiences will witness the inspiring spirit of children as they overcome obstacles, navigate through personal hardships, and inspire others through their achievements. The finalists are as follows:

	Aurora’s Sunrise (Armenia) Directed by Inna Sahakyan Produced by Vardan Hovhannisyan, Christian Beetz, Justė Michailinaitė, Kęstutis Drazdauskas, Eric Esrailian, Inna Sahakyan The true story of how a fourteen-year-old girl escaped the slaughter of the Armenian genocide and embarked upon an odyssey that took her to the heights of Hollywood stardom.
	Bigman (The Netherlands) Directed by Camiel Schouwenaar Produced by Reinier SelenConnected by their passion for football, Dylan and Youssef rediscover the power of friendship to overcome a life-changing event.
	Children of Las Brisas (Venezuela) Directed by Marianela Maldonado Produced by Luisa De La VilleThree impoverished children strive to become professional orchestra musicians in a country on the verge of collapse.
	Name Me Lawand (UK) Directed by Edward Lovelace Produced by Fleur Nieddu, Sam Arnold, Beyan Taher, Neil Andrews, Marisa Clifford, Edward LovelaceName Me Lawand is a rapturous portrait of a deaf Kurdish boy’s emotional journey towards discovering how to express himself using British Sign Language. A love letter to the power of communication and community.
	The Ordinaries (Germany) Directed by Sophie Linnenbaum Produced by Britta Strampe, Laura KlippelHave you ever felt like a Supporting Character in your own life? What if you really are one…?

The Short Film Prize winner Ayenda, Directed by Marie Margolius (2023, United States, Portugal, Afghanistan) was previously announced at the Indy Shorts International Film Festival in June in partnership with Heartland Film with a $2,500 prize.

You can purchase tickets for the opening night party, film screenings, and awards ceremony HERE.

The Children’s Resilience in Film Awards, now in its second year, honors 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.

“These films showcase the incredible resilience of children around the world, and we are honored to recognize the filmmakers who have brought these stories to life,” said Susan MacLaury, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Shine Global. “The winning film and filmmaking team will not only be honored for their exceptional storytelling but also for their dedication to highlighting the resilience and strength that can be found in the lives of children worldwide.”

The winner will be named and awarded the grand prize of $15,000 at the Children’s Resilience in Film Awards ceremony on October 3, 2023, at Paramount Pictures, where filmmakers, industry professionals, and children’s rights advocates will gather to celebrate the remarkable achievements of these films. The winning film will be selected by a jury panel including Anita Chandra (Vice President and Director of RAND Social and Economic Well-Being and a Senior Policy Researcher at the RAND Corporation with a focus on childhood development), Tyler Coates (Awards Editor at The Hollywood Reporter), Jill Burkhart (VP of Unscripted Programming for MGM+), Greg Sorvig (Artistic Director for Heartland Film), and Brian Walker (CEO of Picture Motion).

Shine Global is hosting an Opening Night Party on Thursday, September 28th, and screenings with filmmaker Q&As of the five film nominees from Friday, September 29th – Sunday, October 1st in New York City. You can purchase tickets for both the screenings and award ceremony here: https://childrensresilience23.eventive.org/

The 2023 Children’s Resilience in Film Awards is sponsored in part by media partner The Hollywood Reporter who will uplift these powerful, culture-shifting films to receive the recognition they deserve; Paramount Pictures; hospitality partner Sunset Marquis Hotel; Quest Pacifica; Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein Lezcano Bobb & Dang; Jon and Diane Moonves; pocket.watch; Mattel Inc; DreamWorks Animation; and Sunlight Entertainment.

###

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.