A Nova Scotia-produced documentary on Dolly Parton’s literacy campaign will have its premiere on Sept. 20 at the 28th annual Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax.

The Book Lady features the country music legend and pop culture icon, whose Imagination Library non-profit organization mails free age-appropriate hardcover books to children in the U.S. and the U.K. The film chronicles the recent launch of the program in Canada.

‘I have always admired Dolly. I grew up listening to her music,’ said producer Brad Horvath in an e-mail. ‘So, when I heard Dolly was bringing her children’s literacy program to Canada, I thought, ‘I have to tell this story.”

Support for the project came from Film Nova Scotia, the National Film Board and CBC. The doc was also presold to Bravo! and BookTelevision. It is executive produced by Thom Fitzgerald and Doug Pettigrew under their Emotion Pictures shingle, and directed by Natasha Ryan, with whom Horvath used to work at Halifax production house imX communications.

‘I think everyone thought it was interesting that of all people, Dolly Parton was bringing a children’s literacy program to Canada,’ said Horvath.

Miley Cyrus (who is Parton’s goddaughter), Keith Urban, Canadian singer/songwriters Sarah Harmer and Justin Rutledge and internationally acclaimed Canadian children’s author Robert Munch all feature in the doc, as well as Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster, who grew up near a community that is receiving books from Parton’s program and has promoted reading and education herself.

Horvath was impressed that Parton granted the filmmakers use of five of her songs, including Jolene, 9 to 5 and Backwoods Barbie – the title track to Parton’s new CD – without charging them for it.

‘That, of course, says a lot about her,’ said Horvath. ‘One, that she wanted to do that, and two, that she was able to do that. Very few artists actually own the publishing rights to their songs, but Dolly does. That’s a testament to how smart she is!’

Horvath believes that the AFF is the ideal place to premiere the film, beyond the fact that it was produced in Halifax, because the Imagination Library is benefiting all 13 First Nations communities in Nova Scotia and two families featured in the doc are Nova Scotian.