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Christian Films Tempt $$$-Hungry Hollywood

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 21, 2009 5:34 PM CST

(Newser) – Lurking behind the mainstream film industry is a low-budget, high-return business poised to break through: the world of Christian filmmaking, NPR reports. Fireproof, a tale of marital woes and redemption, was the highest-grossing independent feature of 2008—a fact trumpeted at a Christian film festival in San Antonio last month. “Christian filmmaking is coming of age!” festival organizer Doug Phillips told an enthusiastic crowd.

The festival's $101,000 prize—the biggest in the business—is also turning heads, but studio moguls won't "ever get it," said one attendee. "They will try to mimic it, but you can't mimic Christ. They'll never get the love part. They'll never get the forgiveness." Phillips says Christians need their own production houses. "We're going to have our own Steven Spielbergs," he said.

Kirk Cameron is shown in a scene from Fireproof.
Kirk Cameron is shown in a scene from "Fireproof."   (AP Photo)
Young evangelicals are the prime market for Christian fare.
Young evangelicals are the prime market for Christian fare.   (AP Photo)
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A trailer for "Fireproof."   (YouTube)
The opening of "The Widow's Might."   (YouTube)

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The path He has set before us—which can be seen by the blessing He's put on this industry so far in this very short movement—I think that is evidence for the fact that He wants us to work in an entirely new industry. - John Robert Moore, The Widow's Might

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 8 comments
BlahBlahBlah
Feb 24, 2009 4:43 AM CST
markherbert42 ,you took the words however simple and to the point right out of my mouth
Thinker
Feb 22, 2009 6:19 AM CST
Just what we need ... more violence and lies in the name of God. When will people wake up and realize that Religion is the root of all evil?
riffran
Feb 22, 2009 3:14 AM CST
religion is the opiate of the masses........There is a lot of truth to that old adage, for a reason.......The basic tenets of christianity make good sense....thou shall not kill, tell falsehood, covet thy neibhors wife...ect...it's more to the point of "behave" and be nice to each other, that I get from Christianity,,help your fellow man out......but a lot of that seems to get lost in the mix the "higher up" in the ladder you climb...and then you get jerks like Falwell, Roberts, the spanish inquisition, salem witch trials and Cotton Mather..and on and on....I can only act on what I feel......To thine own self be true......at least I can sleep with a peacefull concience

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