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TheChristian film industry is an aspect ofChristian media forfilms containing aChristian-themed message or moral. They are ofteninterdenominational films, but can also be films targeting a specificdenomination of Christianity.
Popular mainstream studio productions of films with strong Christian messages orBiblical stories, such asBen-Hur,The Ten Commandments,The Prince of Egypt,The Robe,Sergeant York,The Blind Side,The Book of Eli,[1]Machine Gun Preacher,Risen,Hacksaw Ridge, andSilence, are not specifically part of the Christian film industry, being moreagnostic about their audiences' religious beliefs. These films generally also have a much higher budget, production values and better-knownfilm stars, and are received more favorably withfilm critics.
Many films from the Christian film industry are produced by openly confessingChristians in independent companies mainly targeting a Christian audience. This has been on the rise since the success ofSherwood Pictures whoseFireproof was the highest-grossingindependent film of 2008.[2]
Catholic priestAthanasius Kircher promoted themagic lantern by publishing the bookArs Magna Lucis et Umbrae in 1646.[3] Controversy soon followed aspriests andmasons used the lanterns "to persuade followers of their ability to control both the forces of darkness and enlightenment," and temperance groups used the lanterns to fightalcoholism.[4] In the 1800s,missionaries such asDavid Livingstone used the lanterns to present theGospel inAfrica.[5]
Through the years, many Christians began to utilize motion pictures for their own purposes.[6] In 1899,Herbert Booth, as part of theSalvation Army, claimed to be the first user of film for the cause of Christianity.[6]
In the 1940s, Christian film libraries emerged. Harvey W. Marks started the Visual Aid Center in 1945. Around 1968, Harry Bristow launched Christian Cinema in a smalltheater in theGermantown area ofPhiladelphia, and in the early 1970s, the ministry moved to a theater inAmbler, Pennsylvania. Christian Cinema operated a movie theater that showed only Christian films, but it closed down in the mid-1990s. The growth of Christian film libraries led to the Christian Film Distributors Association (CFDA) being formed in 1974. The CFDA began holding a conference each year for Christianfilmmakers anddistributors. The Christian Film and Video Association (formerly the Christian Film Distribution Association) gave out Crown Awards for films that "glorifyJesus Christ."[7]
Spencer Williams's 1941race filmThe Blood of Jesus was screened in cinemas and in Black churches.[8] The film was produced inTexas on a budget of US$5,000. To present the afterlife, Williams used scenes from a 1911Italian film calledL'Inferno that depicted souls entering Heaven and in addition to Williams, the cast was made up of amateur actors and members of Reverend R. L. Robinson's Heavenly Choir, who sang the film's gospel music score.[8] The film's commercial success enabled Williams to direct and write additional feature films for Sack Amusement Enterprises, including two films with religious themes:Brother Martin: Servant of Jesus (1942; now considered alost film[9][10]) andGo Down Death (1944).[11]
The 1971Christploitation filmIf Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? was based on a sermon byEstus Pirkle held on January 31, 1968 at Camp Zion inMyrtle Mississippi with the title "If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do?". The sermon was made available by print, and Estus W. Pirkle joined with filmmakerRon Ormond in their first collaboration, and converted the sermon into a film. The pair made a number of other films together (The Burning Hell in 1974 andThe Believer's Heaven in 1977), but this first film is the team's most well-known. The film became widely distributed among churches and church camps in the 1970s.[12][13]
SinceThe Great Commandment opened in movie theaters in 1941, many Christian filmmakers have attempted to pursue theatrical releases. World Wide Pictures was a pioneer in partnering with churches to bring Christian films to the cinema. Gateway Films (nowGateway Films/Vision Video) was "formed with the express purpose of communicating the Christian Gospel in secular motion picture theaters" and releasedThe Cross and the Switchblade in 1972. In 1979, theJesus film appeared in theaters across the United States. This film, based on theGospel of Luke, was made for $6 million byCampus Crusade for Christ.[14]
In 1993, Tom Saab launched theMerrimack Valley Christian Film Festival inSalem, New Hampshire. Each year, this festival is held duringEaster week and draws an audience of thousands to a theater to watch Christian films for free. Saab's organization Christian Film Festivals ofAmerica has also presented film festivals inSalinas, California, andOrlando, Florida. In October 1999, the Voice of Pentecost Church inSan Francisco hosted the first AnnualWYSIWYG Film Festival. Other Christian film festivals include theSan Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival, the168 Hour Film Project, and the Redemptive Film Festival.
Many Christian films have been released to theaters since that time, such asThe Omega Code (1999),Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 (2001),Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (2002),Facing the Giants (2006),The Ultimate Gift (2007),Amazing Grace (2007), the CGI animated version ofThe Ten Commandments (2007),[15]Fireproof (2008),The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry (2009),To Save a Life (2010),Preacher's Kid (2010),Letters to God (2010),What If... (2010),The Grace Card (2011),Courageous (2011),October Baby (2012),Last Ounce of Courage (2012),Home Run (2013),Grace Unplugged (2013),I'm in Love with a Church Girl (2013),Son of God (2014),God's Not Dead (2014),Persecuted (2014),Old Fashioned (2015),Do You Believe? (2015),War Room (2015),Beyond the Mask (2015),I'm Not Ashamed (2016),I Can Only Imagine (2018),Breakthrough (2019), andOvercomer (2019), The Forge (2024)[1]
In 2006, nearly 50 Christian-faith films were produced. The films grossed an average of $39 million. All five of the major Hollywood studios have created marketing departments to target the growing demand for faith-based and family fare.Movieguide publisherTed Baehr said, "There is competition for the Christian audience now that there hasn't been before. I thought at some point it would level off, but so far it's getting bigger and bigger. It's more than I could have possibly imagined. One of the audiences that has become stable and even grown forbooks,music and movies is the Christian audience."[16]
The proliferation of Christian movies and Christian films has led to the establishment of manyonline retailers that focus their business exclusively on the sale and distribution of Christian movies and family-friendly films such as Parables.tv,Exploration Films based in Monument, Colorado, FishFlix.com,ChristianCinema.com and ChristianMovies.com.Parables TV also providesstreaming andlinear TV. In 2013, FishFlix.com opened the first ever DVD store devoted completely to Christian DVDs inTulsa, Oklahoma.[17]
The 2014 filmGod's Not Dead is one of the most successfulindependent Christian films of all time[18] and the 2015 filmWar Room became abox office number-one film.[19]
Faith-based, family-values films are popular inSouth Africa due to its predominantly Christian audience, includingFaith Like Potatoes, a 2006biopic offarmer-turned-preacher[20]Angus Buchan.[21]
Nigerian Christians are actively contributing to the booming Nigerian film industry known asNollywood. Christian films make up about 20% ofNigerian films. Independent companies, ministries, and large churches producing hundreds of Christian films often see themselves as an alternative to Nollywood. Nevertheless, they have also participated in mainstream success and many of these films appear onstate television channels.[22]
TheRedeemed Christian Church of God founded Dove Studios, its studio became the country's biggest movie studio and distributor.[23] More than 50,000 copies of their movies were sold before April 2006.[24] The Gospel Film Festival (GOFESTIVAL) is also a major Nigerian film attraction.[25]
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