$HHSE Pursuing THREE Oscar-Categories for 2025
Post# of 102986
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
https://hannoverhousemovies.blogspot.com/2025...ories.html
Greetings HHSE Friends & Followers - Momentum is building for every aspect of HHSE's growth - including our current activities for eligibility and consideration in the 2025 Academy Awards (given out in March 2026). We are pursuing THREE awards categories for which we feel the company's releases have a legitimate opportunity:
BEST DOCUMENTARY - "TORN" - has garnered top acclaim and reviews already. There is an official Academy Screening TOMORROW (Aug. 20) in New York City - and the film's qualifying engagement starts Sept. 5 in NYC and Sept. 12 in L.A. We are told that the film is on the "short list" for most documentary committee members; accordingly, we feel that there is a reasonable chance of an Oscar nomination as BEST DOCUMENTARY.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG - "ADAYGAYUDI" from the movie "WILDFIRE." Two years ago, a Native song was NOMINATED (from "Killers of the Flower Moon"

BEST SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION) - This is an unusual category because it is VERY DIFFICULT for an entry to qualify. You see, films in this category must have either a specific festival win (from a handful of selected festivals).... OR... must have a qualifying theatrical release of seven consecutive days and four-showtimes per day. Obviously, this is difficult to get for a "short film" because theatres and audiences prefer their movies to be 90 minutes to two-hours in length.
However, we have circumvented this obstacle by making "TRAIL OF TEARS: THE HYMN" a "bonus feature" with the WILDFIRE theatrical release (added to our program master for theatres in Los Angeles and New York only). The film has terrific production values and is socially and historically meritorious: qualities that the Academy members prefer.
SO, we think this is a good candidate for a nomination in the BEST SHORT FIL
Cherokee Film Director Pursues 2025 Oscars for “Trail of Tears” Short Film
(Tahlequah, OK) Cherokee Nation filmmaker, Chris Coursey has embarked on an ambitious production that he feels could be of interest to the Motion Picture Academy in 2025. “Trail of Tears: The Hymn” is a 20-minute, dramatic film based on the true story of a Cherokee hymnal that was lost for over 160 years. The actual manuscript is now on display at the Cherokee National Research Center, and was the inspiration for Coursey to tell the story of this incredible journey.
“The forced marches on the ‘Trail of Tears’ is a dark chapter in American history,” said Coursey. “Thousands died on the 1,100 mile march from North Carolina to the Indian Territory, and those that made it have few items from their past. This film tells the story of David Brown, who transcribed a song his grandmother frequently shared with him. The book containing the lyrics in Cherokee was lost along the Trail of Tears. Our film tells his story, including the discovery of the book and the hymn’s adaptation into a choral song for our Cherokee choir.”
The lyrics were adapted by Marlene Glass Ballard (a first-Cherokee native speaker) and the Cherokee choir was directed by Oklahoma music legend (and Cherokee Nation member) Monica Taylor. Principal Native performers appearing in the film include Gaby Nagel, Codey Poindexter, Marlene Glass Ballard, Michael Sloan, Marcus Thompson, Lucas Wildcat, Cliff Wofford, Michael Rowe, Brandon Eagle and Bonnee Terrio Wolf Collar. Principal non-native performers include Rico Simonini, Sean Gestl, Eric Parkinson, Mike Graham, Garrett Mussett and Faron Ledbetter.
Most of the principal photography occurred in late April at the Prairie Grove National Battlefield Park in Arkansas, with filming occurring along the actual Trail of Tears. Other locations included a home in Tahlequah, Trail of Tears scenes at the Illinois River and a finale’ at the Celebration Grounds for the United Keetowah Band of Cherokee Indians.
“TRAIL OF TEARS: THE HYMN” will be released as the lead title to the Chris Coursey feature anthology, “NATIVE FABLES, ” which also features four additional Native-themed short films by Chris Coursey. The Trail of Tears segment will be exhibited theatrically with Laemmle Theatres in Los Angeles, commencing Sept. 26, as a qualifying theatrical run for the Best Short Film (Live Action) category of the Oscars.
“We are very pleased with how the movie turned out, and hope that our marketing efforts will let it be seen by a large audience,” said Coursey. “Although it’s very difficult to get an Academy Award nomination, we are doing everything within our powers to meet the eligibility rules and to help spread the word. The history of our native peoples should not be brushed aside for political expediency. We are telling a story of hope that emerged from tragedy. We owe it to those who lost their lives on the Trail of Tears to not let their stories be forgotten,” he concluded.
“TRAIL OF TEARS: THE HYMN” and “NATIVE FABLES” will be released by Hemdale Film Corporation, an affiliate releasing label of independent film distributor Hannover House, Inc. (OTC: HHSE).
Principal producers of the film are CHRISTIAN LARGE (Cherokee Nation), ERIC PARKINSON, RICO SIMONINI and MIKE GRAHAM.
Other key production personnel include Cinematographers DAVID HUFF and JOSHUA IRWIN, Art Director MARCUS THOMPSON, Sound Recordists JON McCALLUM and JACOB WALEMA, Wardrobe Designers JERILYN WEBER, JESSE PHIPPS and GARRETT MUSSETT and Hair / Make-Up by HARLEY RASKEY. A large number of horses and other animals (including goats and a donkey) were provided by wrangler Cody Crank, an experienced motion picture animal handler and member of the Choctaw Nation. The forced marching scenes included over forty Native performers as villagers and twelve uniformed Army officers and soldiers. Scenes were shot along the actual Trail of Tears, including the overnight camping locations.
For More Information Contact:
CHRIS COURSEY, Native...@gmail.com / 918-822-3433,
or to ERIC PARKINSON, EnterLi...@gmail.com / 818-481-5277.

