PRESS RELEASES
2004 Crystal Heart Award Winner to Air Nationally
February 10, 2006
Heartland Film Festival® is pleased to share that the Crystal Heart Award-winning documentary “Nellie: A Life Worth Living” will air twice this year. The film by Penumbra Entertainment and Director Michael McNamara has been licensed by the syndicated television show “Day of Discovery.” The first showing will be on Sunday, February 26 on the PAX network with the second date to be determined. “Day of Discovery” usually airs on Sunday mornings on PAX. Viewers can confirm the local time and station at http://www.rbc.org/stations.usa.php.
Set at a quiet little college in Tacoma, Washington, “Nellie: A Life Worth Living” is the story of John "Nellie" Nelson and the young football team he serves. Nellie cannot feed himself, dress himself or go to the bathroom without help, yet he is dramatically changing the lives of hundreds of young men and women every year. Nellie has had arthrogryposis since birth. That means all of his joints from his neck down are locked, and he has no control over any of his limbs. Nevertheless he is an assistant football coach at one of the most successful Division III football programs in the country.
In spite of his disability, Nellie has chosen to make a difference in the world. He has chosen to love, serve and care for the young men on the PLU football team. From Nellie they learn how to overcome obstacles, how to give 100 percent, how to be selfless, how to overcome pain and sadness, and much more.
“Nellie” continues to impact viewers around the world. The film has screened at more than a dozen film festivals and won several prestigious awards including a Crystal Heart Award at the 2004 Heartland Film Festival, Best Short Documentary at the International Family Film Festival and a Grand Jury award at the NY International Film and Video festival.
Visit www.thenelliemovie.net to learn more about “Nellie,” and mark your calendar to watch “Nellie's” first national television airing on February 26.
The 15th annual Heartland Film Festival will take place October 19-27, 2006 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Visit www.HeartlandFilmFestival.org to learn more about Heartland’s year-long anniversary celebration.
Heartland Film Festival, a non-profit organization, was established in 1991 to recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life. Each October, Heartland screens Truly Moving Pictures from around the world, ranging from dramas to documentaries to animation. Heartland awards more than $100,000 in cash prizes and Crystal Heart Awards to the Festival's top entries, including a $50,000 grand prize for best dramatic feature. The Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award winners for the best student films and the Crystal Heart Award winners share the remaining money. The Crystal Heart Award cash prizes are given in honor of Max Simon by his parents, Melvin and Bren Simon, through the Max Simon Charitable Foundation. In 14 years, Heartland has awarded more than $1.4 million to support filmmakers in their quest to create Truly Moving Pictures.
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