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Facets’ 36th annual Chicago International Children’s Film Festival is dedicated to the memory of Milos Stehlik, founder and executive director of Facets, who passed away this July. Milos had a dream that film, the most powerful communications tool ever invented, has the power to change the world.  

To honor Milos’s lifework and to continue his legacy for generations to come, Facets has created the annual “Milos Stehlik Global Impact Award." The award will be given to a filmmaker or film project from the Festival’s Official Selection that is committed to building bridges, overcoming divisions, and promoting diversity and global understanding through film.

The inaugural “Milos Stehlik Global Impact Award” will be selected by special committee and presented at the Closing Night Ceremony for the 36th Chicago International Children’s Film Festival on November 10, 2019 at Facets.

There has never been a more important moment in history to celebrate Milos’s vision and stress the importance of empathy-driven, global films, especially for young audiences. By properly wielding the power of film, it is possible to, in Milos’s words, “open minds and souls, giving every individual the opportunity to see themselves as they are, and as what they can be, embracing their potential to save our planet and ourselves.”