“I Hope You Dance” Inspiring New Film Airs on Thanksgiving

I HOPE YOU DANCE: THE POWER AND SPIRIT OF SONG

INSPIRING NEW FILM TO PREMIERE THANKSGIVING NIGHT, COMPANION BOOK AND DVD TO BE RELEASED DECEMBER 1

Special Based Upon Beloved Award-Winning Song Featuring Graham Nash, Joel Osteen, Brian Wilson, Maya Angelou, Vince Gill, Lee Ann Womack Celebrating Personal Stories of Hope, Faith and Inspiration

Los Angeles, CA – November 3, 2015 – When Nashville songauthors Mark D. Sanders and Tia Sillers composed the song “I Hope You Dance,” they unleashed a breathtaking piece of music that would top charts, garner coveted awards (Grammy, CMA, ACM, BMI, ASCAP) and attract a legion of devoted fans. I Hope You Dance: The Power and Spirit of Song, the powerful new documentary feature film from award-winning author/director John Scheinfeld (The U.S. vs. John Lennon, Who Is Harry Nilsson) and highly respected music and media producer Spencer Proffer will premiere this Thanksgiving on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel Thursday, November 26 at 9pm ET/PT, 8pm Central. View the trailer exclusively online.

Post Hill Press/Savio Republic in a joint venture with Huqua Press will release the companion book I Hope You Dance: The Power of Spirit and Song (Stories from the John Scheinfeld Film) on December 1. Distributed by Simon and Schuster, the inspirational volume was curated by the film’s co-producer Judith A. Proffer. The book, documents the genesis of “I Hope You Dance” and features expanded content, and stories of how one song has impacted lives in profound, meaningful, and sometimes startling ways. Tim Storey, a celebrated speaker and frequent guest on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday, contributed the foreword as well as performed the reading for the audio book version to be distributed by Amazon Audible early 2016.

Virgil Films, home of the recent, acclaimed Glen Campbell documentary I’ll Be Me, will also release the film on DVD and digitally December 1.

From the time the song was released fifteen years ago to multi-platinum success, “I Hope You Dance” has become a phenomenon; a timeless message of hope, self-empowerment and joy to millions. Considered one of the “Songs of the Century,” it has become a powerful anthem for graduations, weddings, memorials and other life milestones.

The film and book feature heartwarming stories and thoughtful commentary from notable luminaries including the late Dr. Maya Angelou, author/speaker/spiritual leader Joel Osteen, world celebrated artist/songauthors Brian Wilson (“God Only Knows”), Graham Nash (“Teach Your Children”) and Vince Gill (“Go Rest High on that Mountain”), along with author and life coach Tim Storey (Quincy Jones, Robert Downey, Jr.).

All offer their unique perspectives on this landmark song as well as on themes such as the nature of creativity and its ability to touch and inspire. Songauthors Sanders and Sillers offer insight into the song’s creation while Lee Ann Womack, who recorded the original version, recalls her journey in giving it voice. Artfully illustrated by graphic designer Hugh Syme, the book includes expanded prose and an essay by Certified Music Therapist Alexandra Field.

I Hope You Dance: The Power and Spirit of Song further explores how the mega hit has motivated real people to transform their lives, to chase their dreams, to overcome obstacles and to persist in the face of extreme adversity. The story of the song and its remarkable legacy will inspire and empower people to achieve more, to live their best lives and to make the world a better place.

The stories look at how, after the death of his only child, a father realizes that the only way to truly honor his daughter’s memory was by celebrating the message of her favorite song, “I Hope You Dance.” Today, her spirit lives on in the six individuals whose lives were saved by the gift of her donated organs. The special also showcases a dance program that uses “I Hope You Dance” to teach dancing to the homeless and employs its message to get them back on their feet, as well as a reluctant bride who ultimately finds her way to joy with the help of “I Hope You Dance.” The special also reveals how “I Hope You Dance” fueled a woman’s miraculous recovery from a devastating spinal cord injury that should have killed her instantly.

Tim Storey shares, “’I Hope You Dance’ is more than a song. It is a movement in a message. It is an anthem. It speaks to everyone who has experienced setbacks in their lives. While people are feeling the sting of a setback in life, they are also preparing their comeback.”

 

To find out more information on the project, please visit: www.ihopeyoudancespecial.com

View the trailer: I Hope You Dance: The Power and Spirit of Song

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