Inspirational Film 'Little Boy' Honored at Hiroshima Int'l Film Festival

The Film 'Little Boy', scheduled for U.S. release on April 24th, was screened at the Hiroshima International Film Festival in Hiroshima, Japan and received the Spirit Award for excellence in filmmaking, festival producers have announced. The film was represented by director Alejandro Monteverde who appeared via satellite to receive the award and conducted a Q&A session with participants.

The heartwarming story of a young boy who is willing to do whatever it takes to bring his Father home safely from fighting the Japanese in World War II, the story explores the indescribable bond between a father and son. 'Little Boy' was Directed by Smithsonian Institute Award Winning Director Alejandro Monteverde (Bella).

"It was a great honor for me to join in this celebration of film," said Monteverde. "I was happy to be a part of the ongoing dialogue of American-Japanese relations."

"We were delighted to feature 'Little Boy'," said Kyoko Heya, the Festival Director. "It is a special film that speaks to all cultures and generations."

The Hiroshima International Film Festival began as the Damah Film Festival in Hiroshima in 2009, and was renamed this year. It focuses on positive and inspirational films and aims to bring cultures together through film.

'Little Boy' features an all-star cast and two Oscar nominated actors including Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson, Ben Chaplin, Michael Rapaport, Cary Tagawa, TED Levine, David Henrie, Eduardo Verastegui and 7-year old Jakob Salvati. The film is produced by Eduardo Verastegui and Leo Severino and executive produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey.