Heartland Names Truly Moving Pictures of 2009

Heartland Truly Moving Pictures announced its first ever Top 10 “Truly Moving Pictures” of 2009. The top films were selected from the 22 films that were honored with the Heartland Truly Moving Picture Award in 2009. These films embody Heartland’s mission of inspiring hope and emphasizing the best of the human spirit. Heartland’s president and CEO Jeffrey L. Sparks explains that through honoring these films, “we hope to be able to encourage filmmakers and studios to make more of these enriching and inspiring films.”

The titles include…

1. The Blind Side
The Blind Side chronicles the true and awe-inspiring story of current Baltimore Raven Michael Oher and the one woman, and family, who, despite their differences, refused to give up on him.

2. Invictus
Set in the aftermath of post-apartheid South Africa, Invictus chronicles Nelson Mandela’s determination to repair his segregated country, and his unlikely partner, the all-white South African rugby team, in enacting lasting change.

3. The Horse Boy
The Horse Boy follows a couple, who trek through the mountains of Mongolia, in the attempts of securing shamanic healing for their autistic son. The film is a testament to a parent’s undying love and will for a child.

4. Up
Up brings us the heart-warming adventure of a 78-year-old widow who, despite his age, fulfills a promise to his late wife and embarks on a journey of discovery.

5. The Cove
The Cove, a documentary that addresses the mistreatment of dolphins off the coast of a Japan, won the U.S. Audience Award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and continues to inspire and educate audiences.

6. Herb & Dorothy
Megumi Sasaki’s documentary profiles Herb and Dorothy Vogel, contemporary art enthusiasts whose passion for the arts motivated them to donate their extensive collection without compensation.

7. The Soloist
Based on the life of Nathaniel Ayers, The Soloist is an inspiring story that reveals both the transformative effects of music and the power and realities of unlikely friendship.

8. The Boys Are Back
The Boys Are Back, based on the book The Boys are Back in Town by Simon Carr, follows one man as he navigates his way through both the wonder and fragility of fatherhood.

9. My Sister’s Keeper
My Sister’s Keeper is an emotional portrayal of a family’s struggle with cancer, and a powerful story of one child’s sacrifice for her sister.

10. Amreeka
Amreeka explores the hardships facing immigrants and first generation teenagers, and the universal struggle in finding one’s place in a changing world.

To learn more about this year’s winners and Truly Moving Pictures, visit http://www.trulymovingpictures.org.