Christian film industry

De **Christian film industry** be aspect of Christian media give films wey dey contain a Christian-themed message anaa moral. Dem often interdenominational films, but sanso fi be films wey dey target a specific denomination of Christianity.  

## Ein criteria
Popular mainstream studio productions of films plus strong Christian messages anaa Biblical stories, such as *Ben-Hur*, *The Ten Commandments*, *The Prince of Egypt*, *The Robe*, *Sergeant York*, *The Blind Side*, *The Book of Eli*, *Machine Gun Preacher*, *Risen*, *Hacksaw Ridge*, den *Silence*, no be specifically part of de Christian film industry, being more agnostic about demma audiences' religious beliefs. Dem films generally sanso get much higher budget, production values den better-known film stars, den be received more favorably plus film critics. 

Many films from de Christian film industry be produced by openly confessing Christians insyd independent companies mainly dey target a Christian audience. Dis get dey be on de rise since de success of Sherwood Pictures wey *Fireproof* be de highest-grossing independent film of 2008.

## Ein history
**Beginnings**

Catholic priest Athanasius Kircher promoted de magic lantern by publishing de book *Ars Magna Lucis et Umbrae* insyd 1646. Controversy soon followed as priests den masons used de lanterns *"to persuade followers of their ability to control both the forces of darkness and enlightenment,"* den temperance groups used de lanterns to fight alcoholism. For de 1800s insyd, missionaries such as David Livingstone used de lanterns to present de Gospel for Africa insyd.

Through de years, many Christians began dey utilize motion pictures give demma own purposes. For 1899 insyd, Herbert Booth, as part of de Salvation Army, claimed to be de first user of film give de cause of Christianity. 

### 20th century
For de 1940s insyd, Christian film libraries emerged. Harvey W. Marks started de Visual Aid Center insyd 1945. Around 1968, Harry Bristow launched Christian Cinema insyd a small theater for de Germantown area of Philadelphia insyd, den for de early 1970s insyd, de ministry moved to a theater insyd Ambler, Pennsylvania. Christian Cinema operated a movie theater dat showed only Christian films, but e close down for de mid-1990s insyd. De growth of Christian film libraries led to de Christian Film Distributors Association (CFDA) being formed insyd 1974. De CFDA began dey hold a conference each year give Christian filmmakers den distributors. De *Christian Film and Video Association* (formerly de *Christian Film Distribution Association*) gave out Crown Awards give films dat "glorify Jesus Christ."

Spencer Williams ein 1941 race film *The Blood of Jesus* wey dem screened insyd cinemas den for Black churches insyd. Dem produce de film for Texas insyd for budget of US$5,000 top. To present de afterlife, Williams used scenes from a 1911 Italian film wey dey bell am *L'Inferno* dat depicted souls wey dey enter Heaven den in addition to Williams, dem make de cast up of amateur actors den members of Reverend R. L. Robinson's Heavenly Choir, wey sang de film ein gospel music score. De film's commercial success enabled Williams to direct den write additional feature films give Sack Amusement Enterprises, wey dey include two films plus religious themes: *Brother Martin: Servant of Jesus* (1942; now considered a lost film) den *Go Down Death* (1944).

De 1971 Christploitation film *If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do?* be based for sermon top wey Estus Pirkle hold am for January 31, 1968 top at Camp Zion for Myrtle Mississippi insyd plus de title "If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do?". Dem make de sermon available by print, den Estus W. Pirkle joined plus filmmaker Ron Ormond for demma first collaboration insyd, den converted de sermon into a film. De pair made a number of oda films togeda (*The Burning Hell* in 1974 den *The Believer's Heaven in 1977*), but dis first film be de team ein most well-known. De film became widely distributed among churches den church camps for de 1970s insyd. 

### Movie theaters den film festivals
Since *The Great Commandment* opened insyd movie theaters for 1941 insyd, many Christian filmmakers have attempted dey pursue theatrical releases. World Wide Pictures be pioneer insyd dey partner plus churches to bring Christian films to de cinema. Gateway Films (now Gateway Films/Vision Video) be "formed plus de express purpose of communicating de Christian Gospel for secular motion picture theaters insyd" den released *The Cross and the Switchblade* for 1972 insyd. Insyd 1979, de *Jesus* film appeared for theaters insyd across de United States. Dem made dis film, based on de Gospel of Luke, give $6 million by Campus Crusade give Christ.

For 1993 insyd, Tom Saab launched de Merrimack Valley Christian Film Festival for Salem insyd, New Hampshire. Each year, dem hold dis festival during Easter week den draws an audience of thousands to a theater to dey watch Christian films for free. Saab ein organization Christian Film Festivals of America sanso be presented film festivals for Salinas, California, den Orlando, Florida insyd. For October 1999 insyd, de Voice of Pentecost Church insyd San Francisco hosted de first Annual WYSIWYG Film Festival. Oda Christian film festivals dey include de San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival, de 168 Hour Film Project, den de Redemptive Film Festival.        

### Recent years
Dem release many Christian films to theaters since dat time, such as *The 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), de CGI animated version of *The Ten Commandments* (2007), *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), den *Overcomer* (2019), *The Forge* (2024).

Insyd 2006, dem produce nearly 50 Christian-faith films. De films grossed an average of $39 million. All five of de major Hollywood studios have created marketing departments to target de growing demand give faith-based den family fare. *Movieguide* publisher Ted 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 for books, music and movies is the Christian audience."*

De proliferation of Christian movies den Christian films has led to de establishment of many online retailers dat dey focus demma business exclusively on de sale den distribution of Christian movies den family-friendly films such as Parables.tv, Exploration Films wey dey base for Monument, Colorado, FishFlix.com, ChristianCinema.com den ChristianMovies.com insyd. Parables TV sanso dey provide streaming den linear TV. For 2013 insyd, FishFlix.com opened de first eva DVD store devoted completely to Christian DVDs insyd Tulsa, Oklahoma.

De 2014 film *God's Not Dead* be one of de most successful independent Christian films of all time den de 2015 film *War Room* became a box office number-one film. 

## Christian film for Africa insyd

### South Africa
Faith-based, family-values films be popular for South Africa insyd sekof its predominantly Christian audience, wey dey include *Faith Like Potatoes*, a 2006 biopic of farmer-turned-preacher Angus Buchan.

### Nigeria
Nigerian Christians be actively dey contribute to de booming Nigerian film industry known as Nollywood. Christian films dey make up about 20% of Nigerian films. Independent companies, ministries, den large churches wey dey produce hundreds of Christian films often see demmaself as an alternative to Nollywood. Nevertheless, dem sanso be participated for mainstream success insyd den many of dem films dey appear for state television channels top.

De Redeemed Christian Church of God founded Dove Studios, ein studio became de country ein biggest movie studio den distributor. Dem sell more dan 50,000 copies of demma movies before April 2006. De Gospel Film Festival (GOFESTIVAL) sanso be major Nigerian film attraction.
## References


### Read further
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* Lindvall, Terry The Silents of God (Scarecrow Press, 2001)
* Lindvall, Terry Sanctuary Cinema (New York University Press, 2007)
* Lindvall, Terry and Andrew Quicke Celluloid Sermons: The Emergence of the Christian Film Industry, 1930–1986 (New York University Press, 2011)
* Shen, Hsiang Yen, Cross-cultural effectiveness of Christian message films: Taiwanese responses to the concepts of God and Christianity in the film "Bruce Almighty",(ProQuest, 2010).