Heartland Film Honors "The Great Gilly Hopkins" with Truly Moving Picture Award

Inspirational feature film recognized for its ability to inspire and entertain audiences.

Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) September 01, 2016

The family drama "The Great Gilly Hopkins," directed by Stephen Herek and based on the award-winning young-adult novel by Katherine Paterson ("Bridge to Terabithia"), has been honored with the Truly Moving Picture Award from the nonprofit arts organization Heartland Film. Select films — entertaining movies that do more than just entertain — receive the designation throughout the year. Submissions are received directly from studios and producers for consideration. "The Great Gilly Hopkins" stars Sophie Nélisse, Kathy Bates, Julia Stiles, Bill Cobbs, Billy Magnussen, with Octavia Spencer and Glenn Close, and written by Katherine Paterson's son, David Paterson.

"Anchored by strong performances from a stellar cast, ‘The Great Gilly Hopkins' weaves a charming tale of its titular character discovering the true meaning of family, and, along the way, learning something about herself as well," said Greg Sorvig, Heartland Film's director of programming and marketing.

"As an author, one of my primary motivations is to truly move the reader, and to have people really connect on an emotional level with my books," said Paterson. "For our film adaptation of 'The Great Gilly Hopkins' to have received the Truly Moving Picture Award says to me that we have successfully translated that same level of emotional connection to the big screen. We are truly honored."

A feisty foster kid's outrageous scheme to be reunited with her birth mother has unintended consequences in "The Great Gilly Hopkins," an entertaining film for the entire family. Gilly Hopkins (Sophie Nélisse) has seen more than her share of foster homes and has outwitted every family she has lived with. In an effort to escape her new foster mother Mamie Trotter's (Kathy Bates) endless loving care, Gilly concocts a plan that she believes will bring her mother running to her rescue. But when the ploy blows up in Gilly's face it threatens to ruin the only chance she's ever had to be part of a real family.

Lionsgate Premiere will release the Truly Moving Picture Award winner "The Great Gilly Hopkins" in theaters and On Demand October 7.

# # #

About Heartland Film, Inc.
Heartland Film is a nonprofit arts organization founded in 1991 with the mission to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film. Heartland Film is a curator and supporter of purposeful filmmaking, honoring a wide variety of cinema and awarding storytellers from all over the world. The films Heartland Film selects and exhibits – whether they inspire and uplift, educate and inform, or have the ability to shift audiences' perspectives on the world – all have one thing in common: they are entertaining films that do more than just entertain. Every October, the Heartland Film Festival gives its moviegoers access to more than 100 visiting independent filmmakers from all over the world, right in the heart of the Midwest. Heartland Film Festival (Oct. 20-30, 2016) showcases more than 130 independent films over 11 days of red carpet premieres and events, parties and hundreds of film screenings across Indianapolis. The Heartland Film Festival has earned the special designation of being a qualifying festival for the Annual Academy Awards® within the Short Films category. Each year, the Heartland Film Festival awards more than $125,000 in cash prizes and presents its Festival Awards to top-judged submissions. Heartland Film has awarded more than $3 million to support indie filmmakers over the last 24 years. Beyond the Heartland Film Festival, Heartland Film honors theatrically-released films that align with its mission via the Truly Moving Picture Award, inspires the next generation of filmmakers via the Heartland Film Institute, and exhibits films across Indiana all year long via the Heartland Film Roadshow. To learn more, visit heartlandfilm.org.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/09/prweb13654343.htm