A whopping 250 films, totaling close to 250 hours of combined film review time, in about a half dozen categories, have been submitted for the 2010 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. This is the largest number of submissions in the history of the SAICFF. The deadline for submissions for feature films ended on Saturday. Now the work is in the hands of the judges who will be responsible for reviewing close to six business weeks worth of footage to determine the semi-finalists. One of these films will go home with the grand prize of $101,000.

Thank you for remembering both our judges and our contestants at this time. May the Lord be glorified through every aspect of the process, as we seek to take every [frame] captive to the obedience of Christ.

Filmmaking siblings plan to stay home, no matter where career takes them

By Janet Ortegon, Sheboygan Press staff

Ask filmmakers Chris and Philip Leclerc about the first movie they ever made, then stand back and watch them turn red.

The brothers, 20 and 22, are well on their way to a successful film career — racking up numerous awards in regional film festivals and creating award-winning commercial videos — but please, ask them about “Finally Home.”

The brothers were 15 and 17 at the time (Philip is older), and the home-schooled teens from Glenbeulah decided to enter the San Antonio Independent Film Festival because a friend of theirs had already done it.

So they took the money they’d saved up from a little business they’d been running breeding and selling Labrador puppies and bought some equipment.

And the movie they made, about boys who escape from a boys’ home, made the cut and was accepted into the festival.

They didn’t win anything, but just having made it into the festival was an enormous achievement.

“The fact that we were accepted ...” started Philip.

“We were, like, freaking out,” Chris finished.

They now squirm and grimace when they talk about that 33-minute film, which starred buddies of theirs and was the epitome of low-budget.

And after it was all over, Philip was ready to move on to something new, but Chris knew they could do another movie, and do it better, if they tried again. After some cajoling, Philip signed on and the result was a 10-minute film (budget: $200) called “The White Handkerchief.”

The movie, a modern twist on the story of the prodigal son, made it into the festival and then won two awards, including runner-up to Best of Festival.

After that, neither of them ever considered another career.

They still live in their family’s home, with their four siblings (ages 7, 9, 15, 18) three foster and soon-to-be-adopted siblings (ages 2, 3 and 4) and their parents, Jeff and Jennifer.

They worked for several years out of the piano room in their parents’ home, and then converted the attic into a studio. In the spring of this year, they moved into Jake’s Café, a new local headquarters for creative thinkers in the former Jacobson-Rost Advertising building.

Tryg Jacobson, who recruited the Leclercs to move into Jake’s Café, sees nothing but success for them in the future.

“I have so much respect for their abilities and I’m so excited to be part of what I know is not only going to be a successful venture for them, but terrific opportunity for Sheboygan,” Jacobson said. “It’s rare that you get this kind of talent, particularly at this age.” ...read the rest of the article on the Sheboygan Press website here.

]]> http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2010/06/who_needs_hollywood/ http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2010/06/who_needs_hollywood/ Tue, 29 Jun 2010 09:06:29 -0600 Editor’s Note: Isaac Botkin is a faculty member of the Christian Filmmakers Academy, author of the book OUTSIDE HOLLYWOOD, and writer of the blog Outside-Hollywood.com.

By Isaac Botkin

Twelve years ago, James Cameron made the world’s most expensive movie, which turned out to be the world’s highest grossing movie (unless you adjust for inflation, of course). A vast majority of its colossal budget went to the painstaking detail of historical authenticity; custom carpets woven by the same companies that outfitted the real Titanic, handmade mahogany furniture built from 1911 blueprints, and costumes fit for the wives of turn-of-the-century rail barons.

Unfortunately, Cameron then populated these precisely replicated sets with 1990s characters speaking lines from his 1990s worldview. True stories of romance and heroism were ignored so that a fictional tale of forbidden love in a fabricated class war could be told. Needing more villains for his melodramatic conclusion, Cameron rewrote the historic words and actions of real White Star crew members seemingly at random, erasing or misrepresenting their legacies.

Despite all that, or perhaps because of it, Titanic went on become a global phenomenon, which teenage girls would buy tickets to see again and again. The tremendous scale of Cameron’s artistic vision overshadowed his flat characters and cheesy dialog to create an overwhelming spectacle. These same strengths and weaknesses are also apparent in Avatar, but with more of a videogame feel...

Read the rest of the article on Outside-Hollywood.com.

]]> http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2010/01/film_review_avatar/ http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2010/01/film_review_avatar/ Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:50:09 -0600 Welcome to the official blog of the SAICFF. The purpose of this blog is to provide you with the latest news and information about the SAICFF and Christian Filmmakers Academy, as well as articles and commentary about film and culture, reviews of films and equipment, and other items of relevance to the growing independent Christian film movement.

You may have noticed that the SAICFF website has undergone a significant overhaul. In addition to the new look, and we’ve added a lot of new features to the site. We’ve redesigned the menu system and added search functionality to make site navigation easier. We’ve also added this blog, and the ability for filmmakers to share posts that they find interesting on various social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Digg, and StumbleUpon. Filmmakers will also be able to submit trailers for the films that they enter for competition, and semi-finalists will have their trailers displayed on the SAICFF website.

Be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed, and share this blog with your friends. We’d also encourage you to follow the SAICFF on Facebook and Twitter.

]]> http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/12/welcome_to_the_saicff_blog_1/ http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/12/welcome_to_the_saicff_blog_1/ Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0600 Dean Jones, star of such Disney movie classics as The Love Bug and Snowball Express, was honored with a special Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. During a special lecture to the students of the Christian Filmmakers Academy, Mr. Jones offered sage words of advice regarding the role of Christian filmmakers in discipling their moviegoing audiences (you can download his message titled Personal Message To The Next Generation Of Christian Filmmakers from BlueBehemoth.com).

Mr. Jones recently offered further thoughts regarding the role of film in discipling culture in an interview with Christianity Today:

“[Y]ou become what you see and hear. Film and television have been partially responsible for the disconnect between our nation and our God. Dynamic but righteous entertainment can help reverse this trend.

Obviously, family entertainment brings families together. If there are positive results from the characters in the film not succumbing to perversion, anger and self-centeredness, the film lifts the quality of life for that family. If a new generation is brought up in an atmosphere filled with the triumph of goodness and mercy and life, then a new generation is better prepared to solve the problems of the real world.

How does your faith come into play when considering a script?

Jones: First of all, I won’t blaspheme God. This immediately eliminates most scripts, but I see no reason, since I need all the help I can get, to encourage God to vacate the premises.

The spirit of a film is decisive. With the least bit of discernment, you can figure what motivates a person, their business, the movie they produce or direct, or the character they play in it. The spirit of a character can be discerned and matched up against the Spirit of God. Is it a spirit of hope and love, or the result of their lives being a series of angry blasts and fears? I try and discern the spirit of a script—what does it do in the final analysis, what is its effect upon an audience, how will they react? Will they leave the theater anxious and angry, or will they see a way, as a result of what’s in the film, to attack the problems they face? In other words, does the movie produce good or evil? That’s the bottom line for me...”

To read the rest of the article click here.

]]> http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/09/dean_jones_on_the_role_of_film/ http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/09/dean_jones_on_the_role_of_film/ Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:01:29 -0600 The San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival is pleased to announce that the 2010 SAICFF and the presentation of the $101,000 grand prize award for Best of Festival will take place the week of October 28-30, 2010 at the Municipal Auditorium and the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio.

In God’s providence, a fundamental renovation of our primary event facility during the time scheduled for the SAICFF has opened the door for a date change, and with the date change comes a fresh opportunity for filmmakers who will now be able to submit films for competition between December 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010 for consideration.

The SAICFF is looking into the possibility of adding other cash prize awards for the 2010 festival in our effort to promote and honor the broad depth of talent represented by our filmmakers. Also, we are pleased to announce that we will be holding an advanced, specialty filmmakers boot-camp in February of 2010, details to follow shortly.

]]> http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/08/announcing_the_2010_san_antoni/ http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/08/announcing_the_2010_san_antoni/ Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:12:37 -0600

The Widow’s Might, winner of the $101,000 Best of Festival Award at the 2009 SAICFF, continues to make news. The following is an excerpt of an email we received from Director John Moore (published by permission).

A lot has happened since the film festival in January! Along with continuing to work on the film, improving the sound and visuals, we have been in negotiations for a DVD distribution contract. We received a dozen offers for television or DVD distribution, some from very notable companies. We’re excited to have that kind of exposure and opportunity so quickly after the festival.

A very interesting thing happened though, in the beginning of March. A man called my cell phone, with a rugged southern voice. A brief conversation later, I learned that this man, Jerry Dalton, hadn’t heard that our film was an award winner of any type, but had searched the web for a God honoring film shot on a RED camera, and found us. He requested a screener, and after watching the film, called back with an offer for theatrical distribution to 94 screens.

It didn’t give us a lot of time to promote the film, but theatrical distribution on any level opens so many doors for DVD distribution down the road, we felt like it was a good decision.

Well, since then, we’ve been on television, broadcast over hundreds of radio stations nationwide, and in various internet and print articles about the release of the film. It started a buzz, and since then we’ve had over one hundred thousands unique visitors come to our site and look up information about the film. Things are going very well!

At this time, David and I have gathered up the necessary gear and we’re prepping for a cross country excursion to capture interviews with various folks that supported the film. Our purpose is to create the special features and commentaries for the DVD over the next month. The DVD will be released to the homeschool market in July, so keep checking back to TheWidowsCry.com for news and updates, including an announcement about a short film competition for families and filmmakers who want to feature their work on The Widow’s Might DVD.

The Widow’s Might is built on a foundation of prayer, so we ask that you continually pray for us, that we would be wise and honor the Lord as we finish this project.

God Bless, and Thanks!

John

]]> http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/04/latest_news_2009_saicff_winner/ http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/04/latest_news_2009_saicff_winner/ Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:14:53 -0600 No one should have been surprised when Hollywood gave its highest honor to an actor portraying radical homosexual activist Harvey Milk. Nor should anyone have been surprised when Sean Penn accepted his award by declaring: “You commie, homo-loving sons of guns.” Upon accepting the best actor award for his portrayal of the slain San Francisco supervisor and gay rights leader Harvey Milk.

Each year millions of viewers tune it to see the glitz, the glamour, and the best that Hollywood has to offer. And each year — without fail — the Oscars are turned into an advertisement for sodomy.

Penn used his platform to declare “shame” on those who defended marriage by voting for Proposition 8 in California: “For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.”

]]> http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/02/how_sean_penn_accepted_his_osc/ http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/02/how_sean_penn_accepted_his_osc/ Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:41:54 -0600 Kirk Cameron of Fireproof, and speaker at this year’s SAICFF was quoted as making this comment about why Fireproof makes a great gift:

“It’s a great gift to give to somebody else. I think all of us know someone who is struggling in their marriage, people who are contemplating divorce or going through one,” he notes. “You can talk to someone all you want, but if you can follow that up with a movie where they can see what it looks like when a man really devotes himself to loving his wife, that can turn the course of everything.”

]]> http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/01/kirk_cameron_on_encouraging_ma/ http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/01/kirk_cameron_on_encouraging_ma/ Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:44:49 -0600

I had the privilege of attending the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival and Academy this year and saw firsthand how Vision Forum is stepping up to fill a vital need right now. Their vision is much greater and far reaching than most people realize.

The digitalization of media is bringing a massive flood of new young filmmakers on the scene. My deep concern has been that they can afford the equipment, but may not be morally responsible or theologically grounded enough to use this powerful influence for good. This festival and academy are exactly what is needed right now to steer them toward producing films that are professional, commercially viable, and also fruitful for eternity.

A close friend of mine, who graduated Valedictorian from a well known film school, attended the academy and festival with me. After the week, he commented how much he learned at the academy and how much more honorable and classy the festival was than others he had attended in the past. But more than that, he left with a clearer vision to use his skills for the glory of God rather than for leading others into decadence and vanity.

I believe that decades from now, we will see filmmakers who are changing the world who will undoubtedly state that this festival and academy was what God used to help ground them and prepare them for long term success.

Stephen Kendrick

]]> http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/01/stephen_kendrick_of_fireproof/ http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/01/stephen_kendrick_of_fireproof/ Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:44:38 -0600

The Widow’s Might is a groundbreaking film, even though it is a first feature film from a teenaged director. It is one of the most original high-concept features in recent film history. The story is innovative in ways that can inspire the next generation of filmmakers, many of whom are looking for ways to break out of tired cinematic clichés, especially the weak theological clichés of the Christian “altar call” movie.

This film attempted and achieved a wholesome family message, illustrating the difficult-to-capture functional family environment. Its message addressed a very complex theological issue which is a defining issue of our generation: a form of taxation that asserts the state’s presumed authority over God. The clash over sovereignty between man and God is a topic Christian filmmakers will be exploring for decades to come.

The film employed a clever story line to make rich use of complex subplots, including an illustration of the abusive use of media.

Finally, the film used aesthetic elements to set new standards for taste and humor, charting a delightful course for tomorrow’s filmmakers who will make a clean break from patterns of discourse that have taken American culture in the wrong direction for several decades.

Geoff Botkin

]]> http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/01/geoff_botkin_on_the_significan/ http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/01/geoff_botkin_on_the_significan/ Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:50:00 -0600 Review by Adam McManus
Host of KSLR’s The Adam McManus Show

When Geoff Botkin warned the 2009 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival audience that the G-rated Walt Disney film entitled “Princess Diaries 2” was filled with toxic messages antithetical to a biblical worldview, you could have heard a pin drop.

But, in scene after scene, Mr. Botkin revealed how this seemingly innocuous movie wasn’t innocuous at all!

Indeed, in the very opening scene, Mia Thermopolis portrayed by Anne Hathaway — the Crown Princess of Genovia — is graduating from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of International Policy. Mr Botkin described Woodrow Wilson as the second most treasonous president in terms of constitutional fidelity — the one who instituted the income tax system and established the Federal Reserve Bank. We learned that in the world of film making, nothing is there by chance. It’s all scripted to a “t” - including the decision to honor Woodrow Wilson over Ronald Reagan.

Throughout the movie, we hear the Princess declare over and over again the politically correct mantra “This is the 21st century!” — a notion no doubt instilled in her in the classrooms of the Ivy League. The message? Throw off the constraints of family, tradition, and religion and find your own “truth.” While the servants are conducting a slide show of possible suitors in order to help to get married within 30 days and retain the crown, Anne Hathaway’s character and a friend, without pause, yell out approvingly when they discover that one young man has embraced the abomination of homosexual behavior. In other scenes, materialism, lust, rebelliousness, and rudeness are all exalted as character traits in keeping with a Princess who wants to rule the country of Genovia as Queen.

Honor is a concept far from her mind, as Mia sneaks out the window to meet the cute boy, despite the fact that she is not only engaged, but literally hours away from holy matrimony. From Disney Company’s perspective, I suppose, it’s totally innocent since they don’t engage in sex.

I believe Walt Disney himself would be horrified at how the good, masculine, and honorable guy is presented as boring, and the bad, effeminate, skirt-chasing guy is seen as desirable. What messages are we sending both our young girls and boys if we allow them to watch this movie without an immediate biblical critique, or watch it at all? And why would a Christian pastor claim that Princess Diaries 2 was “loaded with virtue”?

Isaiah 5:20 comes to mind: Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil.

For too long, parents and pastors alike who profess to follow Christ have allowed the pagan culture to desensitize them to the dangers in the world’s films, TV shows, and music, missing critical moments for Christ-like discipleship. If, as Geoff Botkin suggests, we are to “take every frame captive for Jesus Christ,” we all need to look at the world through a biblical lens, not at the Bible through the world’s lens.

]]> http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/01/how_hollywood_is_poisoning_our/ http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/01/how_hollywood_is_poisoning_our/ Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:28:04 -0600

]]> http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/01/dean_jones_prays_for_christian/ http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/01/dean_jones_prays_for_christian/ Mon, 19 Jan 2009 12:28:59 -0600

]]> http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/01/ken_wales_producer_of_amazing/ http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/01/ken_wales_producer_of_amazing/ Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:22:11 -0600

]]> http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/01/young_filmmakers_gathering_at/ http://www.saicff.org/news/blog/2009/01/young_filmmakers_gathering_at/ Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:20:32 -0600