The Business of Trouble

The Business of Trouble

The Business of Trouble

SYNOPSIS         IMPACT        AWARDS        CREDITS

*World Premiere at the 2025 Indy Shorts Intl Film Festival*

In The Business of Trouble, survivors, a former caregiver, and an investigator reveal systemic abuse and demand accountability from the private equity companies behind the multibillion-dollar Troubled Teen Industry that exploits vulnerable youth under the guise of care.

Impact


Every year, as many as 200,000 kids are sent into treatment at private facilities for mental illness, addiction, and behavioral problems. Physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and death are risks faced by thousands of American children and teens who are part of the “Troubled Teen Industry.”

Inconsistent federal and state regulations of this $220 billion industry allow facilities and their owners to reap massive profits while:

  • Reducing the number of licensed therapists
  • Failing to adequately train their employees
  • Employing excessive physical restraint that can result in death
  • Tolerating abuse in all forms

Awards


Official Selection 2025 Indy Shorts International Film Festival

Credits


director
Kristi Jacobson

Producers
Alexandra Blaney
Dani Sloan

Executive ProducerS
Susan MacLaury & Albie Hecht
Andrew MacArthur
Susan Polsky

Co-Producer
Kaley Roberts

Co-Executive Producer
William MacArthur

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Nausheen Dadabhoy

Editor
M Watanabe Milmore

ORIGINAL MUSIC
Alex Wakim

Anuja

Anuja

Anuja
SYNOPSIS         IMPACT        AWARDS        CREDITS. WATCH ON NETFLIX

2025 Oscar Nominee for Best Live Action Short

When a brilliant nine-year-old working in a garment factory in Delhi, India gets a chance to attend school, she must make a difficult choice for her and her sister’s future.  

Streaming Worldwide on

“Magnificent [...] cleverly unexpected and wondrous.”

OneFilmFan.com

“as inspiring as it is thought-provoking”

Top10Films

"A portrait of the strength, imagination, and love between two sisters"

Cacky Poarch, Executive Director of deadCenter Film Festival

"This story took shape in collaboration with the community and it recognizes the vitality and ingenuity of two young women who, like so many kids around the world, face near-impossible odds.”

Aaron Kopp, Producer

Impact


Anuja explores themes of child labor and girls’ education:

  • 1 in 10 children worldwide is in child labor
  • In the beginning of 2020, a total of 160 million children were in child labour – an increase for the first time in 20 years
  • 79 million children were in hazardous work that directly endangers their health, safety and moral development.
  • Worldwide, 129 million girls are out of school.
  • When we invest in girls’ secondary education:
    • The lifetime earnings of girls dramatically increase
    • National growth rates rise
    • Child marriage rates decline
    • Child mortality rates fall
    • Maternal mortality rates fall
    • Child stunting drops

Anuja was researched and filmed in partnership with the Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT), a nonprofit founded by the family of acclaimed director Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, Salaam Bombay!). SBT provides food, shelter, and education to thousands of street and working children. The lead role of Anuja is played by Sajda Pathan, who resides in a SBT home for girls who were formerly living on the streets of Delhi.

Awards

WINNER Best Live Action Short 2024 HollyShorts Film Festival
WINNER Grand Prize 2024 New York International Film Festival
WINNER Audience Award Short Film 2024 Montclair Film Festival
WINNER Best Cinematography 2024 HollyShorts London Film Festival
Official Selection 2024 deadCenter Film Festival
Official Selection 2024 Indy Shorts International Film Festival
Official Selection 2024 Yellow Barn Film Festival
Official Selection 2024 Newport Beach Film Festival
Official Selection 2024 Tasveer Film Festival
Official Selection 2024 Naples International Film Festival
Official Selection 2024 Sulmona International Film Festival
Official Selection 2024 St. Louis International Film Festival
Official Selection 2024 Foyle Film Festival

Credits


KEY CAST
Sajda Pathan – Anuja
Ananya Shanbhag – Palak
Nagesh Bhonsle – Mr. Verma
Gulshan Walia – Mr. Mishra

Writer & director
Adam J. Graves

Producers
Suchitra Mattai
Mindy Kaling
Guneet Monga Kapoor
Krushan Naik
Michael Graves
Aaron Kopp
Ksheetij Saini
Alexandra Blaney

Executive ProducerS
Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Michael Christopher Graves
Anita Bhatia

Co-Executive Producers
Susan MacLaury
Albie Hecht
Archana M. Jain

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Akash Raje

EditorS
Krushan Naik
Adam J. Graves

Community Consultants
Sunita Bhadauria
Devika Sharma
Pankaj Gupta

ORIGINAL MUSIC
Fabrizio Mancinelli

Produced in association with Shine Global 

Comedy Against the Odds

Comedy Against the Odds

Comedy Against the Odds

SYNOPSIS         IMPACT        AWARDS        CREDITS

Watch Now on Documentary+

Watch now on Do

10-year-old Austin has autism. He’s also an aspiring stand-up comic. This short documentary spotlights the struggle of growing up with labels, and how Austin uses comedy to embrace and overcome them.

Through the intimate story of Austin as he faces adversity and hardships, our audience will be thoroughly connected to his childhood experience, making the inevitable laughs BIGGER and more INSPIRED.

Impact


Autism affects an estimated 1 in 36 children in the U.S. according to the CDC, and Shine Global aims to use the film to raise awareness about the needs of children on the spectrum and as a catalyst for discussion and change, with a special focus on increasing understanding and acceptance of those with autism so they can thrive and increasing both investment in and access to arts education opportunities for children on the spectrum.

Awards

Comedy Against the Odds will make its festival premiere at the 2024 AmDocs Film Festival in Palm Springs.

Credits


Directed and produced by
Suzanne Luna

Produced by
Albie Hecht

Executive Producers
Corey Martin Craig
Kevin Kay
Susan MacLaury
Alexandra Blaney

Editor
John Rantz

Produced BY Shine Global in association with Derek & Martha Productions and cool beans comedy

Onyx Family Dinner

Onyx Family Dinner

Onyx Family Dinner
SYNOPSIS         IMPACT        AWARDS        CREDITS

All episodes available on the Onyx Family YouTube Channel
Watch Now

 

“Onyx Family Dinner” follows the Onyx family, a warm, creative and supportive Black family with a robust fanbase (more than 7 million subscribers across their YouTube channels) as they share their passion for learning about the world and encouraging families to engage with each other. A seat at the dinner table with dad Mirthell, mom Rita and kids Shalom, Sinead, Shasha and Shiloh, brings meaningful discussions about what’s going on in their lives and important topics such as mental health, school curriculum bias, Black hair and hair discrimination, social activism in sports, urban gardening and sustainability, body positivity and self-esteem and how to be a changemaker.

The series’ diverse roster of dinner guests including former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho, fashion influencer Kellie Brown, mental health advocate Diana Chao, activist and founder of Youth Advocates for Change Tiana Day, student and hair discrimination activist Faith Fennidy, fashion designer and urban gardener Ron Finley, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, and Emmy Award-winning sports journalist Jemele Hill who help broaden the conversation by offering different perspectives, interesting stories and valuable insight.

Impact


Family dinner conversations offer many benefits, ranging from family bonding and building vocabulary to fostering healthy eating habits for all ages. Whether you’re celebrating or tackling a difficult issue, the Onyx Family Dinner will serve as a model to families on how to  initiate and guide discussions that will help all members of your family to support each other – and Shine Global’s free, downloadable family discussion tip guide will serve as an additional resource for families of all types.

Awards

Cynopsis Best of the Best Rising Star Awards 2021 – Best Diversity Awareness Campaign Marketing

Credits


Presented by Youtube originals
PRoduced BY pocket.watch
In Association with shine global

Executive Producers
Keith Brown
Albie Hecht
Chris M. Williams

 

Home is Somewhere Else

Home is Somewhere Else

Home is Somewhere Else

SYNOPSIS         IMPACT        AWARDS        CREDITS

Premiering in Mexican Cinemas on May 4, 2023

 

An animated feature documentary providing a window into the hearts and minds of ​​immigrant youth and their undocumented families. 

This 2D feature “animentary” features three personal stories about immigrant youth to highlight the complexities and challenges they face today. Voiced by the actual children and their families, the stories are woven together by spoken word poet Lalo “El Deportee”, the film’s host and MC whose vibrant “Spanglish” breaks codes, switches standards, and pushes the viewer to decipher his poems.

Each story has its own unique visual animation style drawn by three different teams. The animation allows us to truly see and feel these characters’ worst nightmares, alongside their colorful hopes and dreams for a better future.  

Impact


At a moment when the immigration crisis is more urgent than ever, the increasingly dire circumstances beg for reflection and reform. This documentary will share the rich complexity of the emotional experiences of immigrant children and families in order for audiences to better understand and empathize with them.

Home Is Somewhere Else invites discussion about the need for a new US migratory model based on respect for human rights for all. We plan to bring the film to communities and decision makers on both sides of the border to prompt dialogue about how the current immigration system harms families and must be replaced.

Awards

Credits


Written and Directed by
Carlos Hagerman and Jorge Villalobos

poems written by:
José Eduardo Aguilar “El Deportee”

Produced by
Carlos Hagerman

Produced by
Guillermo Rendón and Jorge Villalobos

Executive Producers
Carolina Coppel
Andrew Houchens
Mariana Marín

Executive Producers
Albie Hecht
Susan MacLaury

Co Producers
Alexandra Blaney
Martha Sosa
Nicolás Vale

Co Executive Producers
Ingrid Duran
Catherine Pino

ART DIRECTOR
Marec Fritzinger

Composer
Javier Álvarez

SOUND DESIGN
Pablo Lach

Produced BY BRINCA ANIMATION STUDIO in association with Shine Global