SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — September 8, 2005 — Following on the heels of last year’s first-ever San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival and Jubilee Awards, which drew more than seven hundred participants from around the globe, Vision Forum Ministries is pleased to announce a new venture: the 2005 Christian Filmmakers Academy, a technical boot camp for aspiring culture changers.
The first-ever Christian Filmmakers Academy will be held in the Alamo City on October 24-26, followed by the Second Annual San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival on October 27-29.
“In launching the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival and Jubilee Awards last year with its $10,000 grand prize, our goal was to showcase and reward the work of Christian filmmakers who had artfully communicated a Christian worldview through their film production,” explained Doug Phillips, president of Vision Forum Ministries. “With the Christian Filmmakers Academy, our goal is different: it is to give aspiring Christian filmmakers the nuts-and-bolts skills they will need to be successful in this critical arena of the arts.”
The academy will offer more than sixteen hours of formal classroom instruction from seasoned industry professionals, personal discussion and interaction with school faculty and guest lecturers, and the opportunity to network and build professional personal relations with like-minded individuals interested in independent Christian filmmaking.
Veteran filmographers Geoff and Isaac Botkin, producer/director Ken Carpenter, and seasoned adventure cinematographer David Rasmussen will be the featured faculty for the academy.
Classroom topics will include: an introduction to Christian philosophy of independent film, lighting techniques, camera-work, editing basics, animation, production logistics, choosing projects, making public affairs documentaries, producing a human interest short, how to direct a television multi-camera studio project, a live critique/analysis of students’ work, ideas, projects, and more.
“When it comes to the medium of film, our goal is not to curse the darkness, but to light a candle,” observed Phillips. “The Christian Filmmakers Academy is a candle- lighting endeavor which we hope will equip filmmakers to produce motion pictures that communicate the most noble biblical values with technical excellence and creative artistry, and which make sound business sense. ”
For more information on both the Christian Filmmakers Academy and the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival, visit the official Web site at: www.independentchristianfilms.com.
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Press Contact:
Wesley Strackbein
Vision Forum Ministries
press@visionforum.org
www.independentchristianfilms.com