By Jennifer Tramel, Baptist Press
RIDGECREST, N.C. – I noticed slight bass from the vibrations of thunder when I checked into Ridgecrest for the Gideon Media Arts Conference and Film Festival. Then, the lights slightly flickered.
It was appropriate that the event for Christian media would begin in dramatic fashion.
This was the third year for the conference and film festival and the number of attendees rose to 230, a significant increase from the 50 attendees at the first event.
As I began interviewing for the news video, it was clear that each one of those individuals had one thing in mind: spreading the message of the Gospel by means of Christian mass media.
“More people go to the movies on Sunday than go to church,” said David Nixon, director of “Letters to God” and producer of “Facing the Giants” and “Fireproof.” “The culture has changed,” he told attendees, “and why shouldn’t we, as Christians, be affecting the culture through popular mediums? We should go where the masses are.”
Upon hearing these words during the first night’s opening speech, I could see ambition in many faces, but also concern.
David was spot on, but the problem for many attendees was their lack of technical background or the experience it takes to make Christian films, novels or screenplays.
However, throughout the week, I saw that expression of worry turn to excitement.
Individuals were equipped through workshops, question and answer sessions after film screenings, one-on-one sessions, networking opportunities and guidance from pros in the business.
People were shocked at the amount of help they received, which I thought was strange at first. But then I learned that Christian media has, in the past, been a difficult field to navigate because of Hollywood’s lack of support and intense competition.
With the recent success, however, of films such as “Fireproof” and “The Passion of the Christ,” the demand for Christian media is on the rise and Los Angeles is listening. Opportunities grow daily for new Christian films to be made.
Leaders at Gideon stressed that the time has come to break down jealous barriers and help each other spread the message of Christ instead of breaking apart before that message can even be formed.
Selfishness and fear should be replaced with encouragement and openness. Gideon served as an example for just that.
Perhaps the best model of this was during the awards banquet, during which awards were given for films, acting performances and screenplays. It was a time to rejoice and celebrate each other’s accomplishments – a time to share tips and tricks of the trade.
I feel confident that Gideon will continue to be a portal for artists of all kinds to pass through in order to learn, regroup and move forward to create films that will inspire the world.
The skies were blue as I left the conference and film festival. Indeed yes, there is a bright future ahead for the Christian media industry.
View the video news coverage from the 2010 Gideon Media Arts Conference and Film Festival at YouTube.com/LifeWayNews, the LifeWay News channel on YouTube.