The Heart of the Game: Newsletter #15

Greetings to all new and old timers to The Heart of the Game newsletter! With the release of the DVD, the film is catching a new wave, with over 100,000 people seeing it for the first time in March and April. We are also receiving confirmed sightings at airlines, hotels, Internet downloads and pay-for-view. This film has been an incredible community project from the opening whistle eight years ago and a continuing testimony to the fact that life is a team sport.

DVD Wins High Praise from Critics and Audience

The Heart of the Game DVD won 3.5 out of 4 stars from USA Today as well as:

4.5 out of 5 stars from Amazon users
5 out of 5 stars from iMovie users
4 out of 5 stars from Netflix users
7.3 out of ten stars from IMDB users.

Help Support Women's Programs

If you order your DVD off our website (which links you to Amazon at the same price) we are able to donate a portion of the proceeds to programs that support women and girls. Buy your DVD today or get copies as gifts at www.heartofthegame.org.

Heart Wins Billie Jean King Award

The Heart of the Game won the top Entertainment Award from the Women's Sports Foundation in Los Angeles on April 11th. Hosted by Geena Davis and treated to a performance by Elton John, over 750 people attended the gala at the Beverly Hills Hilton, saw clips of the movie and applauded Ward on stage.

Read: Ward's acceptance speech

View: photo of Ward receiving the award

Order Original Movie Posters

We found a box of original movie posters in the closet! To order a signed or unsigned copy in various sizes, e-mail Lesley McClurg at lesley@heartofthegame.org.

View: movie poster

A Summary of Heart's Awards and Notable Screenings:

Winner Best Documentary — Portland International Film Festival
Winner Best Documentary (tie with An Inconvenient Truth) — Maui International Film Festival
Winner Billie Award Best Entertainment — Women's Sports Foundation
Nominee Best Documentary Screenplay — Writer's Guild of America
World Premiere — Toronto International Film Festival
Opening Night Feature — IDA/Discovery/Silver Docs Festival, Washington, DC
Runner up Best Documentary — Seattle International Film Festival

26 and Other News

Ward was selected by Seattle Magazine as one of the 26 most influential people in Seattle for 2006. Me and Paul Allen baby! Funny thing is, they usually do the top 25, but this year they had to add one more and I was it. So around the office now they call me Veinte seis. In other news, big thanks to Warren Etheredge and the Warren Report for hosting a public program at Silver Platters in Queen Anne featuring Bill Resler and I promoting the film and Bill's new book, The Heart of the Team (order it at www.heartofthegame.org). Bill is on the talk circuit these days, appearing before Starbuck's execs next week and then Las Vegas.

Final Word for Now

At my acceptance speech for the Billie Award, I stated my belief that the very survival of the planet depends on the full valuing, welcoming and bringing to the front of the bus women's vision, voice, power, integrity and wisdom — and that this is good news for men! The Heart of the Game is my offering in service to this. I leave you with one of the many e-mails we have received:

I cannot begin to tell you how much your documentary touched me, a basketball mom, and my 15-year-old daughter, at times to tears and then to jubilation. "The Heart of the Game" is by far the best sports documentary I've seen; actually it's one of the best overall documentaries I've had the pleasure to watch.

Rarely does a film change its path so naturally through the course of filming and end up with such an empowering story. This film is a magnificent portrayal of acceptance, strength, determination, unity, and what belief in oneself can do, despite the odds. Even the "Bonus Features" kept us glued to our seats. "The Heart of the Game" is definitely a keeper as its message is timeless. Thank you for a truly inspiring and heartfelt movie.

— Barbara & Siobhan Willow (Duncan, British Columbia)

Love Works.

— Ward
www.heartofthegame.org