Just in Time for Father's Day, 'Summer Snow' Airs on UPTV Sunday Afternoon
Just in time for Father’s Day, the breakout family hit movie “Summer Snow,” released by American Family Studios, a division of American Family Association will air at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, June 21, on UPTV.
AFA Senior Vice President, Buddy Smith says Father’s Day is the perfect time to gather together to watch an uplifting and inspiring family story. And One Million Dads (www.OneMillionDads.com), another division of AFA, is encouraging fathers to make a renewed commitment to their families this Father’s Day.
At the start of 2015, AFA launched the web site www.OneMillionDads.com as an online presence for Christian men and fathers to come together. 1MD provides men with tools, resources and support to be better dads, better grandfathers, better uncles or simply better men.
The 1MD initiative is being spearheaded by AFA’s Jim Shempert, 1MD’s project leader, who says he feels burdened for all of God’s people, especially men, as he sees the increasing statistics based on fatherless homes.
“In the United States, more than 40 percent of children live without their father,” Shempert said. “Children from fatherless homes fare far worse in life than those whose dad is present and active. Even in families that are intact, Father’s Day is the perfect time for men to make a renewed commitment to their loved ones. Kids need their dads, and there’s no better time than Father’s Day to give them that gift.”
Shempert says gathering together as a family this Sunday—for any type of family-building activity, such as a family film—is a positive way to communicate to children and wives that they are important, valuable and worthy of Dad’s time.
Starring David Chisum, Cameron Goodman, Garrett Backstrom, Brett Rice and Rachel Eggleston, “Summer Snow” tells the story of 8-year-old Hallie Benson (Eggleston), a small girl with a very big heart. Whether baking cookies for a grumpy neighbor or selling toothbrushes to help a friend, Hallie always thinks of others. Unfortunately, her “creative” ways of helping people often leave her father, Dan (Chisum), with a mess to clean up. Dan struggles to keep it all together after his wife’s death. He doesn’t cook, do hair or know how to help his three children without his beautiful wife and her unshakeable faith in God.
Last July, “Summer Snow” made its theatrical debut in Tupelo, Miss., where AFA is headquartered, and Lexington, Ky., where the movie was filmed. Then in August, “Summer Snow’s” successful television debut on UPTV set network records, becoming the second-most-popular movie in the history of the network and also the No. 1 movie premiere in 2014 among women ages 25-54. The film was released on DVD last October, and earlier this year, “Summer Snow” garnered the top spot in the Christian Film Database’s list of favorite Christian films of 2014.
The movie has been called “inspiring,” “exceptional,” “amazing” and “uplifting” and provides a wonderful opportunity for families, Bible studies and small groups to gather and discuss issues of family and faith.
“So many people who have seen the film on UPTV have been sending us notes of encouragement and thanks and saying that they have been challenged to treat their spouses better and to pull together as a family,” said Kendra White, one half of the brother-sister co-writing and co-directing team that brought “Summer Snow” to life. “We’ve seen so many encouraging, positive things that God has done and is doing through the film. Father’s Day is a wonderful time to watch ‘Summer Snow’ together—as a family.”
UPTV is found on DIRECTV Channel 338, DISH Channel 188 and Verizon FIOS Channel 224, as well as most cable systems in the U.S.
For more, visit www.summersnowmovie.com or www.facebook.com/summersnowfilm.
With the tag line “Lead or others will,” www.OneMillionDads.com encourages, motivates and teaches men so they will be equipped with the leadership skills to serve their family, church and country. Men can also stay informed through 1MD’s Facebook page and on Twitter.
