Here’s today’s dispatch from the crossroads of faith, media and culture.

UP TV  is partnering with the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) on a new initiative called “UP Flips the Script to Series: Remixing the Development Pipeline.” Designed to generate content as part of the network’s expansion of original scripted and unscripted series for multicultural audiences, the new initiative replaces the successful five-year run of the UP Faith & Family Screenplay Competition which generated five feature-length films for UP. Content creators with unique and original series concepts that entertain and uplift are invited to submit ideas. Submissions must be received by 11:59 PM (ET) on Wednesday, May 27th. Submission details can be found at www.abff.com. 

Perfect together. Like a lost letter that his finally found its way to its intended recipient, Stevie Wonder classic hit Signed, Sealed, Delivered is now theme song of Martha Williamson’s enjoyable Hallmark Movies & Mysteries series of the same name. The next movie installment of Signed, Sealed, Delivered airs Saturday, June 6th. The episode, titled From Paris With Love guest stars Poppy Montgomery (Unforgettable)  as Holly, the estranged  wife of lead postal detective Oliver (Eric Mabius).

For the Stevie Wonder version of the promo, check the show’s Facebook page here.

Mary Alice Monroe’s novel The Beach House is being adapted into a 2016 Hallmark Channel Original Movie starring and executive produced by three-time Golden Globe^–nominee Andie MacDowell who currently heads the cast of Hallmark Channel’s Cedar Cove which returns for season three on Saturday, July 18. 

Coming Attraction:

Risen gets Friday, Jan. 22, 2016 release date. The film tells the story of a top Roman official ordered to prove Jesus’ resurrection was a hoax by finding His body. AFFIRM Films Senior V.P. Rich Peluso says “Christians know it was no hoax. But seeing a doubter, a skeptic, unravel the mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection brings a new outsider’s perspective to the Gospel’s account of the most important event in human history.” Risen is produced by LD Entertainment and distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment’s TriStar Pictures in association with AFFIRM Films which is known for faith-and-family films such as Soul Surfer, Courageous and When the Game Stands Tall.

Quote of the Day: Give the world the best you have and the best will come back to you. – Madeline Bridges

And, as always,…Encourage one another and build each other up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

John W. Kennedy (john@jwkmedia.com) is a writer/media consultant.