Tamar Springer with her dad Philip (as a young man) and today.
More Than Santa Baby is more than a song; it’s more than just a documentary about the legendary composer Philip Springer; it’s the product of love and belief.
Daughter Tamar Springer, who wrote and produced the film said, “I have long believed that my father’s music beyond his worldwide classic Christmas song is much deserving of recognition. His story is adorned with legendary artists of the Golden Era and is one of perseverance, hope and resilience. He is still composing and he just turned 99!”
Springer calls himself “a living relic of the golden age of American song” and wrote songs such as Heartbroken, The Next Time, Moonlight Gambler, How Little it Matters, How Little We Know and Did You Know the World is Beautiful?
Tamar said, “the world will never forget the contributions Springer made to songwriting for over the past eight decades.”
The film won the Audience Award for Documentary Short at the 28th Dances with Films, Sunday, June 29, at the TCL Chinese Theater Hollywood. It also won an award at its second festival, the Marina Del Rey Film festival, for Best Sound Documentary Short Film. It has now won Best Short Documentary at the Old Town Film Festival in Santa Ana and the Audience Choice Award at the Fairhope Film Festival in Alabama.
More than Santa Baby is Oscar qualified in the Best Documentary Short category. Voting members will be able to cast their votes December 8 through 12.
There will be a special screening of the documentary at the Palm Springs Cultural Center on December 1. A short live performance of Springer’s songs will follow the screening, and then a Q&A with Tamar, led by Corey Roskin.
“My dad rehearsed the musicians and singers to prepare for this concert,” Tamar said. More Than Santa Baby, is her first film.
Tamar and her father both lost their homes in The Palisades Fire.
Never Realized how much you look like your dad. Great photo. So glad is is still here at 99