EMMY-WINNING DIRECTOR STEVE FELDMAN TO DIRECT “A SEASON OF MIRACLES”

Producer Dave Moody Signs Feldman to Rusty Whitener-created Film

(Nashville, Tenn) Four years ago, after thirty years in the motion picture industry, Emmy-winning director Steve Feldman decided to pack up and leave Hollywood for greener pastures.

“When I realized that 75% of the nation’s population lives within a 700-mile radius of Nashville, I knew I’d found the right town,” Feldman said. He moved his family to Music City and settled in, quietly meeting with fellow industry veterans at Edgehill Café, taking his time to find the right story. “By living here, I find stories that are appropriate for the general population, not just the ‘idea’ of the population that Hollywood holds.”


Now, four years after his move and hundreds of meetings later, Feldman is once again applying his directing skills to a project—“A Season of Miracles” written by Rusty Whitener, produced by Elevating Entertainment, and based on the novel of the same name that released from Kregel Books in August.

“As soon as I met Steve earlier this year, I knew I wanted to work with him,” said Dave Moody, President of Elevating Entertainment. “His credentials and background will be tremendously helpful in creating a quality film from Rusty’s screenplay.”

Filming is set to begin next year. For more information, visit www.elevatingentertainment.com. Moody and Feldman are available for interviews.

Steve Feldman is an Emmy award winning TV director who’s worked with talent as varied as Bill Nye, Linda Ellerbee, Bill Maher and Elmo for PBS, CBS, Disney, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, MSNBC and Discovery. His credits include Sesame Street, the ‘Nick News, Politically Incorrect, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Suess, LazyTown and the debut musical theatre production for Walden Media, Rock Odyssey. He is Owner of The Sam Hill Group.

Dave Moody is an artist, songwriter, producer and filmmaker with numerous industry awards and peer acknowledgements to his credit. As a member of his family group, The Moody Brothers, he earned two Grammy Award nominations in the ‘80s, and spent most of the ‘90s in Paris, France working for The Walt Disney Company. From 2001 to 2010, he won 2 Dove Awards and earned 19 nominations. As a filmmaker, he has won numerous festival awards for the motion pictures he’s directed, produced, and contributed to, working with Hollywood veterans and respected actors, including: BILL COBBS (Night At The Museum, That Thing You Do), Golden Globe nominee LEE MERIWETHER, ROB SCHNEIDER (Saturday Night Live), JOHN de LANCIE, CATHERINE HICKS, MARGARET O’BRIEN, and others.

Official Voyage of the Dawn Treader Movie Trailer

It's here! Finally! Read our review of the Prince Caspian the movie here.

Karen Kingsbury Like Dandelion Dust movie trailer unveiled

The trailer for the movie version of Karen Kingsbury's novel Like Dandelion Dust has just been unveiled! Coming to theaters in September, you can watch it now on the official movie website.

Synopsis:
Based on the novel by New York Times best-selling author Karen Kingsbury, "Like Dandelion Dust" is a compelling drama that focuses on a young boy who lives an idyllic life with his parents on the coast of Florida. Joey’s days are spent playing with his cousins, sailing with his dad, and making up stories with his mom. It's a perfect life until the day they receive a disturbing phone call: a stranger's decision could tear Joey away from the comfort and security of the only home he's ever known. One family is determined to keep the son they love, the other is determined to begin a new life, the life they've always dreamed of. Joey's future rests in their hands and someone must make the bravest decision of their life. Sometimes the greatest love is letting go.

Read our interview with Karen Kingsbury.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Movie Poster

Thanks to our friends at NarniaFans.com for revealing the first official Voyage of the Dawn Treader movie poster!

Click the image to enlarge and see all the cool details.

Then head on over and read our feature on The Characters of Narnia for a recap of some of our most memorable Narnia friends.

You can also check out our review of Prince Caspian the movie.

What If movie trailer debut!

The movie trailer for the upcoming PureFlix & Jenkins Entertainment movie What If has just debuted! Watch it below and check out more at their Production Blog. Or visit the official movie website.

What If Theatrical Trailer from Pure Flix on Vimeo.

Dallas Jenkins & Stephen Baldwin on FOX News

Great clip here from filmmaker Dallas Jenkins and actor Stephen Baldwin on Hollywood and faith-based films. They talk briefly about The Blind Side and trends in faith-based filmmaking.

Next Sherwood Pictures Movie: Courageous

Sherwood Church, home of the hit independent movies FLYWHEEL (DVD only), FACING THE GIANTS, and FIREPROOF (2008’s top indie film), at its Sunday evening service tonight, announced the theme and title for Sherwood Pictures’ fourth movie. Senior Pastor Michael Catt, Executive Pastor Jim McBride, and ministers Stephen and Alex Kendrick—collectively the leadership team of Sherwood Pictures—made the announcement.

“The movie is about fatherhood and the title is one word: COURAGEOUS,” Alex Kendrick said, briefly outlining the plot. “Four fathers who are all in law enforcement—who protect and serve together—go through a terrible tragedy,” he said. “They begin looking at their role as fathers . . . and they begin challenging one another to fulfill God’s intention for fathers."

That single-word title, Pastor Catt said, echoes God’s call for men to “rise with courage” in their homes and as leaders. This at a time when 4 of 10 marriages end in divorce* and more than a third of all children live away from their biological fathers.

“The statistics on fatherless children are devastating,” McBride said. “And because the family is the building block of society, one important place to rebuild families is through fathers who stay and lead and love."

“God led us,” co-writer and producer Stephen Kendrick said to the audience of church members, many of them volunteer crew, cast, or catering in earlier Sherwood movies. “We believe God is calling men to rise up with strength and with leadership in their homes, with their families and with their children."

"For more then a year we’ve prayed to be sure that we’re pursuing God’s idea and not our own,” Catt said. “With action, drama, and humor, this film will embrace God’s promise in the Bible to, turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers."

Focusing on Fatherhood

“We focus on the crucial role of father; it’s not just to be a father who loves his kids,” said Alex Kendrick, co-writer/director of COURAGEOUS. “It’s to be engaged with a purpose—to be a father on purpose."

All four leaders of Sherwood Pictures are husbands and fathers. Pastor Catt has two children; Pastor McBride has four; Stephen Kendrick has four; and Alex Kendrick has six.
More Than a Movie

Sherwood movies entertain as they touch audiences where they live, and they show the means to live more fully through faith in God. FLYWHEEL focused on compromise and business integrity; FACING THE GIANTS on despair and hope; FIREPROOF on a dying marriage rekindled.

With previous Sherwood movies, fans, churches, and organizations across the country (and world) became “partners” in the movie’s impact—giving prayer support for production, distribution, and the movies’ messages. Ministries and outreaches used the films in creative ways. Churches built series and group studies on the topics; Sunday schools seized the momentum of good entertainment that emphasizes life-changing truths.

“It’s been the Bible’s story of Jesus multiplying the boy’s fish and loaves,” Alex Kendrick said. “God has multiplied these movies beyond our wildest dreams."

Principle filming of COURAGEOUS begins March 2010 in Albany. Like the previous three Sherwood films, COURAGEOUS will be marketed by Provident Films.

Sherwood Pictures is a ministry of Sherwood Church of Albany, Georgia, under the leadership of Senior Pastor Michael Catt and Executive Pastor Jim McBride.

To learn more, visit:

COURAGEOUS www.CourageoustheMovie.com
Sherwood Pictures www.SherwoodPictures.com

Read our interview with Stephen Kendrick.

What's Next for Sherwood Pictures?

This just in from Sherwood Pictures:

The leaders of Sherwood Productions have been "preparing their fields" for another motion picture. They believe God has directed them to a new story line for the next Sherwood movie.

What is it?

We have an answer for you ... almost. What we can tell you is that the question will be answered next month!

The leaders of Sherwood Pictures—Michael Catt, Jim McBride, Alex Kendrick, and Stephen Kendrick—have been praying about the story for the next movie. Their prayer hasn't been for a good movie; it's been for a God movie. As was the case first with Flywheel, then with Facing The Giants, and most recently with FIREPROOF, they believe God has answered their prayers.

Can't bear to wait? Each week between now and mid-November, we will be releasing a video that searches the Sherwood archives for hints about what the next movie might be. Find out more at The Next Sherwood Movie website.

Read our interview with Stephen Kendrick.

Riven movie update

The making of Riven the movie, based on Jerry B. Jenkins dynamic novel, is underway. According the the Jenkins Entertainment website a screenwriter has been chosen:

Jenkins Entertainment has commissioned screenwriter Nathan Scoggins to pen the screenplay for the upcoming feature, Riven. Shooting is scheduled to begin in late 2009 or early 2010, with the intention that this is the second film in the multi-picture deal with Pure Flix Entertainment.

Read our review of Riven.
Read our interview with Jerry B. Jenkins.

Jenkins' Entertainment film What If Update

Jenkins Entertainment has just finished principle photography for its forthcoming film "What If..." starring Kevin Sorbo ("Hercules," Hallmark's "Avenging Angel"), Kristy Swanson ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Big Daddy,") Debby Ryan (Disney's "Suite Life on Deck") and John Ratzenberger ("Cheers," all Pixar films). "What If...", the sixth film from the father/son duo of Jerry and Dallas Jenkins, was filmed in Michigan in July.

In the tradition of "It's a Wonderful Life" and "The Family Man," "What If..." tells the story of Ben Walker (Sorbo) who 15 years ago left the love of his life, Wendy (Swanson), and ignored his ministry calling in order to pursue a business opportunity. Now, as a high-powered investment banker with a trophy fiancée, he has little or no interest in faith or building a family. But suddenly, on the day he is named partner in his firm, Ben is visited by a mysterious (divine, perhaps?) tow truck driver (Ratzenberger) who knocks Ben into an alternative reality--the life he should have had. Ben awakens on a Sunday with his wife Wendy and two daughters getting ready for church, where Ben is scheduled to give his first sermon as the new pastor. If Ben wants to escape this "What If..." scenario, he must first learn the value of faith and family. The screenplay was written by Cary Solomon & Chuck Konzelman and Andrea Nasfell.

"What If..." is the first film in a two-picture partnership between Jenkins Entertainment and Pure Flix Entertainment. Jenkins Entertainment is owned by New York Times bestselling author Jerry B. Jenkins and operated by his son Dallas Jenkins. As with the majority of their projects, Jerry will serve as executive producer and Dallas will direct both films. Pure Flix Entertainment will produce and supervise marketing and distribution for the films.

"Our partnership with Pure Flix is perfect for us because they're experts at everything we're not," said Dallas Jenkins. "Working with them so far has been fantastic and has allowed us to concentrate on our interests and strengths."

"The Pure Flix partnership with Jenkins has been a wonderful experience due to their strong creative ideas and Dallas's directing, which has allowed 'What If...' to become a truly inspiring film," said Michael Scott, Pure Flix managing partner. "We can't wait for the next one, 'Riven,' as well."

Dallas added, "I've never been this optimistic after shooting a film."

Jenkins Entertainment and Pure Flix have created a website for the film, http://whatifmovie.wordpress.com, which includes a "director's diary" video blog from each day of shooting, interviews with the cast and crew, behind-the-scenes photos and updates on the film's progress.

For more information about Jenkins Entertainment, visit www.jenkins-entertainment.com. For information on Pure Flix Entertainment, see www.pureflixentertainment.com.