'Cheer Dad' Is the Father's Day Film That Earns Every Cheer
ENTERTAINMENT
Cheer Dad Movie Based on the Award-winning Book "Dad in a Cheer Bow" by Patrick Riccards.
Father's Day films tend to fall into predictable territory, tearjerkers about sacrifice, comedies about bumbling dads, or inspirational sports stories with familiar beats. Cheer Dad is all three of those things at once, and somehow completely its own thing.
Vision Films announces the North American Transactional VOD release of Cheer Dad on June 16, 2026, landing just in time for Father's Day, with a limited theatrical run to follow in select cities including New York, Indianapolis, Houston, and Atlanta. The film is based on the Eric Hoffer Book Award-winning memoir "Dad in a Cheer Bow" by Patrick Riccards, Ed.D., and it tells a story that is genuinely unusual: a father so committed to showing up for his adoptive daughter that he ends up coaching her competitive cheerleading squad.
The Story Behind the Story
Riccards didn't invent this premise. He lived it. From 2017 to 2020, he coached his daughter on the West Windsor-Plainsboro Wildcats cheer teams in New Jersey, where their squads achieved top finishes at YCADA Global and Pop Warner Nationals. He then wrote about the experience in "Dad in a Cheer Bow," which earned recognition from both the Eric Hoffer Book Awards and the Indie Book Awards before catching the attention of award-winning filmmaker Joyce Licorish.
Licorish, CEO of DreamEmpire Films, partnered with Riccards to write, produce, and direct the feature adaptation, Riccards' debut screen project. Shot on location in and around Atlanta, the film features members of the local competitive cheerleading community, with scenes filmed at real cheer gyms Tumble Pros and Jay Hawks. That authenticity shows.
What the Film Is About
When a young girl and her family move to a new town, she finds belonging through her school's cheerleading squad. Her adoptive father, inspired by her dedication to the sport, comes out in support, and ends up recruited as assistant coach. What follows is a story about a father and daughter growing together, learning a world neither of them expected, and finding out if they have what it takes to win the championship.
It's funny, warm, and rooted in something real: the particular kind of love that shows up in unexpected places and doesn't care how it looks doing it.
Riccards put it directly: "Cheer Dad is my story. I lived it. But it also shows the impact a father can have when he plays an active role in his daughter's life. This movie is for all those dads who show, each and every day, that #girldad is more than just a hashtag. It is a core value."
The film has received the Dove Seal of Approval for Ages 12+ from the Dove Foundation, recognizing its themes of acceptance, love, perseverance, and breaking stereotypes. It stars Tim Perez-Ross, Joey Victoria Lezama in her first role, Stephanie Olney, Michele Decker, and Nadean Barton.
Licorish summed up what drew DreamEmpire to the project: "Cheer Dad celebrates fatherhood in such an unexpected and beautiful way. It shines a light on the love, sacrifice, and humor that come with showing up for your child, even when that means stepping into a world you know nothing about."
For Father's Day, that's exactly the right message. Cheer Dad lands on VOD June 16.
Related Stories
Lotti Media © 2025-2026
Lotti MEDIA is your go-to source for multi-industry insights, innovation, and more.
Stay in the Know
Join our mailing list today.
Powered by: Lotti Communications