*Winner Short Documentary Award at 2026 Sheffield DocFest*

In small-town Texas, four middle school boys develop an unusual obsession: Joseph Stalin. When their teacher encourages them to write a play about Stalin — and perform it in a state competition — the boys are forced to wrestle with power, control, and inequality.

Directed by Bianca Giaever and Ora DeKornfeld | Producers by Alejandra Vasquez, Sam Osborn | 22 min | USA | 2026

*Winner Shine Global Resilience Award Prize*

On an idyllic farm in rural Georgia, beekeeping parents tenderly share their knowledge of life, love, and nature with their young sons while restoring their homestead.

Directed by Arielle Knight | Producer Sean Weiner | 19 min | USA | 2025

*Winner Children’s Resilience in Disability Stories Award at 2026 ReelAbilities Film Festival*

Sūnna (which means “listen” in Hindi) tells the story of Lakshmi, a young girl musician whose sudden hearing loss shatters her sense of identity. Through memory, touch, and cultural connection, she begins to reclaim both her music and herself. 

Written and Directed by Radha Mehta | Produced by Pallavi Sastry | 11 min | USA | 2026

*Winner Children’s Resilience in Screenwriting Award at 2026 Nantucket Film Festival*

Timid dork Edie accidentally makes waves when she starts a punk band with her fellow “turds”, becoming an icon to the rest of the losers at her Catholic school while pissing off the hot girls, the nuns, and the horniest altar boy you’ve ever seen.

Written and Directed by Megan Rico, Directed by Kade Atwood | Producers Bryson Alejandro, Kade Atwood | 73 min | USA | 2026

*Winner Children’s Resilience in Young Filmmaker Award at 2026 Montclair Film Emerging Filmmakers Competition*

Girl struggles to feel at peace with herself, comparing her feelings to butterflies.

Written and Directed by Emily Ommerborn | 2 min | USA | 2026

Jury Members

Previous Resilience Award Jury Members include:
Jill Burkhart, VP of Unscripted Programming for MGM+
Maria Perez Brown, Head of Kids & Family, TIME Studios
Anita Chandra, VP and Director of Social and Economic Well-Being, RAND Corporation
Tyler Coates, Awards Editor at The Hollywood Reporter
Scott Feinberg, Executive Editor of Awards Coverage at The Hollywood Reporter
Amy Kennedy, child rights activist and Democratic congressional candidate
Anita Raswant, Lead Programmer at Nantucket Film Festival
Jana Sue Memel, Academy-Award winning producer
Eden Sapir, Campaign and Grassroots Partnership Manager at Picture Motion
Greg Sorvig, Artistic Director of Heartland Film
Amanda Spain, VP Longform Acquisitions at MSNBC Films
Kay Wilson Stallings, Executive Vice President, Chief Creative Development and Production Officer for Sesame Workshop
Brian Walker, CEO Picture Motion

In the Words of Attendees and Filmmakers

Film Festival and Organization Partnerships

Media Sponsor

Montclair Film and Shine Global are presenting two prizes for student filmmakers participating in Montclair Film Education’s annual Emerging Filmmaker Competition (EFC). An award of $500 will be granted to the winning film in a new filmmaking category focused on resilience, and another cash prize of $500 will be awarded to the EFC’s Grand Prize winning film. 

This collaboration establishes a documentary prize for filmmakers participating in the Sheffield DocFest.

This collaboration establishes a special prize for filmmakers participating in the New York International Children’s Film Festival, with an Unstoppable Kids Prize award of $2,500 to the winning film, intended for youth audiences, that highlights children’s resilience.