2005 HEARTLAND GRAND PRIZE WINNER OPENS NATIONWIDE

“End of the Spear” opens January 20 at select theaters in Indiana

 

The 2005 Heartland Film Festival® $50,000 grand prize winner will open nationwide on Friday, January 20. Based on a true story, “End of the Spear” tells the story of five missionaries murdered by a savage remote Amazon tribe, and the series of events that unfold to change the lives of the slain missionaries' families and the killers. The film will screen at 38 theaters in 28 Indiana cities including locations in Anderson, Avon, Bloomington, Brownsburg, Carmel, Columbus, Elkhart, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Franklin, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Lafayette, Marion, Merrillville, Michigan City, Mishawaka, Muncie, New Albany, Noblesville, Plainfield, Portage, Richmond, Schererville, South Bend, Terre Haute and Valparaiso. Check local listings for screening times and locations.

 

Heartland’s Grand Prize Committee selected “End of the Spear” as the best dramatic feature film for demonstrating excellence in filmmaking and for best fulfilling Heartland’s statement of purpose. Nearly 2,000 festival-goers saw the film, making it the second most-attended film at the 14th annual Festival.   

 

“We encourage the public to support this year’s grand prize winning film on its opening weekend and help us send a message to Hollywood that we want to see more Truly Moving Pictures,” said Jeffrey L. Sparks, president of Heartland Film Festival.

 

"End of the Spear" captures the story of Mincayani (Louie Leonardo), a Waodani tribesman and savage killer from the remote Amazon, who becomes like a grandfather to the grandchildren of the North American man he killed. When five young missionaries are speared to death by the Waodani in 1956, a series of events unfold to change the lives of not only the slain missionaries' families, but also Mincayani and his people. It is an unforgettable story of the transformational power of love and how faith can find light in the most tragic, painful and dark incidents. "End of the Spear" is a dramatic feature film based on the 2002 Heartland Crystal Heart Award-winning documentary "Beyond the Gates."

 

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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For more information, please contact:

National Public Relations

Lynda Dorf / Alfred Hopton
B|W|R Public Relations

Los Angeles, California
(310) 248-6105 / (310) 248-6160
ldorf@bwr-la.com / ahopton@bwr-la.com

 

Local/Regional Public Relations
Lisa Dudeck
three-sixty group
Indianapolis, Indiana
(317) 633-1456
lisa@360grouponline.com