My favorite award

Forget the Oscars. These annual awards, I think, really mean something, because they honor work that “affirms the highest values of the human spirit.” These are The Christopher Awards—and this year’s winners were announced on Wednesday: 

A Catholic chaplain and Korean war hero who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his devotion to soldiers of all faiths. A Jewish boy who survived the Holocaust due to Oskar Schindler’s infamous list. A Pakistani Muslim girl who advocates for women’s education despite an attempt on her life. These stories and more are told in the 19 feature films, TV/Cable programs, and books for adults and young people being honored with Christopher Awards, to be presented in New York on May 15, 2014.

Created in 1949, The Christopher Awards are presented to writers, producers, directors and illustrators whose work affirms the highest values of the human spirit. Tony Rossi, The Christophers’ Director of Communications, says, “In a culture where hope can be in short supply, The Christophers are happy to celebrate the creative artists behind these winning works.”

One of those creative artists, Chris DeFaria, an executive producer of the film“Gravity” and a second-generation Christopher Award winner, is honored by the acknowledgment. He said, “Being recognized with a Christopher Award is important to all of us who worked on ‘Gravity.’ [Astronaut] Ryan [Stone’s] journey in the film is about overcoming tremendous physical adversity, and equally important, personal pain and loss. Discovering the relationship between the two is at the heart of the film and her triumph is truly one of the human spirit, which is what the Christopher Awards are about.”

TV & Cable

In “ABC News 20/20: Unbreakable,” anchor Diane Sawyer profiles 15-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, whose passion for learning despite an assassination attempt has inspired a global movement in support of education for girls. “Bulloch Family Ranch: Episode One” (UP TV) introduces viewers to Julie and Rusty Bulloch, who have welcomed troubled teens and young adults into their home for almost 20 years in order to give them a stable and caring environment that will help them become successful, responsible adults.

“Jerzy Popieluszko: Messenger of the Truth” (WTTW National Productions/PBS) shares the story of a martyred priest in Poland whose faith, courage and dedication to human rights successfully mobilized the people of his country to nonviolently oppose the ruling Communist regime during the 1980s.“Life According to Sam” (HBO Documentary Films) covers three years in the life of Sam Berns—a teen born with the rapid aging disease progeria, which usually causes death by age 13—and Sam’s mother, who uses her medical background to search for a treatment for her son and others like him. Inner-city stereotypes are defied in “POV: Brooklyn Castle” (PBS), which explores the success of I.S. 318 junior high school’s chess team who, despite coming from below-the-poverty-line families, have won 30 national chess titles and are creating bright futures for themselves and other disadvantaged students like them.

Feature Films

“42″ (Warner Bros. Pictures) chronicles the racial triumphs and tribulations experienced by Jackie Robinson after Brooklyn Dodgers president Branch Rickey made him Major League Baseball’s first black player. True love saves the day, though not in the way you might expect, in Walt Disney Pictures’ musical “Frozen,” about two sisters, Elsa and Anna, who discover the power of self-acceptance and sacrifice.

Inspired by real events, “Gimme Shelter” (Day 28 Films/Roadside Attractions) shares the journey of a homeless, pregnant teen who escapes the grip of her abusive mother to find healing and a new family in a shelter for young mothers. In “Gravity”(Warner Bros. Pictures), astronaut Ryan Stone, who had lost the will to live following her daughter’s death, fights to survive a space mission gone awry while also taking an emotional and spiritual journey from the darkness of grief to the light of hope.

There’s much more, including the winners in the book category, at the link. Congratulations!