‘HI I’M BLAKE’ Documentary to Premiere Feb. 5

The DFW premiere of HI I’M BLAKE, a film following Blake Hyland’s journey after a traumatic brain injury following a gymnastics accident at 14 years old, will take place Feb. 5 at the SMU Hughes-Trigg Student Center.

The premiere is put on by the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, One Chameleon Entertainment, and Utopia. The free showing will kick off a two-week campaign with 25% of film proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas.

The Hyland family spent almost a year at the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas to be close to Blake as he slowly recovered through intense therapies. The documentary shows the platform Blake built in bringing hope to everyone he meets and his family’s struggles as they wrestled to restore him to his former self.

“The Hyland Family spent so long living in the house that we came to love them as family,” said Jill Cumnock, CEO of the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas. “We were constantly inspired by their resilience and their determination to keep going, keep encouraging, and keep believing in Blake’s recovery and rehabilitation.”

Grapevine filmmaker Jon Michael Simpson directed the film and created an intimate view into the hardships and successes families face when rehabilitation becomes everyday life. The film is inspired by the HI I’M Documentary Anthology Series for Magnolia Network on Warner Brothers Discovery.

“I grew up next door to the Hylands and being able to tell their story has been one of the greatest joys of my life,” Simpson said. “Blake was known as ‘The Mayor of the Ronald McDonald House,’ where we filmed regularly, and I can attest that his charisma, humor, and care for others shine through both in life and the film.”

Doors will open at 3 p.m. and the film will start at 3:30 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session with the Hyland Family, Simpson, and Cumnock. Seats are limited, so to reserve a spot, visit the screening’s Eventbrite page.