Here’s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 05/12/23

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyyyKcfJRGQ

What’s ahead for Angel Studios? The innovative company empowering filmmakers with full creative control to crowdfund, create, and distribute films and TV series globally, has unveiled its upcoming original content lineup. Topping the list is the thriller Sound of Freedom starring Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ) which is set to arrive in theaters nationwide on July 4th. Directed by Alejandro Monteverde (Bella), the movie tells the incredible true story of a former government agent-turned-freedom fighter who embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue dozens of children from human trafficking. The star-studded cast also includes Mira Sorvino, Bill Camp, José Zúñiga and Eduardo Verástegui.

Angel Studio’s other announced 2023 content includes:

• Tempest–A sweeping multiseason, animated allegory of the seven deadly sins (meets Moby Dick).

• Homestead–A dystopian story of the power of family in the pressure cooker of an apocalypse.

• Drybar Unscripted–An improv comedy series expanding the popular Drybar brand.

• Gabriel and the Guardians–Epic, anime-style saga based the ancient scrolls of the Dead Sea.

• The Axiom Chronicles–An explosive animated series paralleling the story of Moses.
  

• Quitters–A multi-season drama chronicling the human side of overcoming addictions.

• Live Not By Lies–A documentary series exploring the stories of dissidents in Communist Eastern Europe.

• Telegram–A feature film thriller about the sacrifice of one priest to keep Christianity alive in Communist Romania.

• After Death (aka Discovering Heaven)–A feature length documentary exploring near death experiences and realizations about life beyond this one.

• Founding Fathers (Working Title)-Multi-season TV series created by Jon Erwin about the founding of America.
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Click hate. A tragic irony of the social media era is that the pursuit of and obsession with “likes” has contributed to so much self-loathing – especially among young people (girls in particular) distressed by what they perceive as their failure to meet the standards of online perfection, notably physical perfection. Since the rise of social media, depression has reportedly increased by 52% resulting in a 25% increase in teen suicide. Actress Jenn Gotzon (The Farmer and The Belle) recalls the pressure to meet media standards of physical perfectionism – and that was before the internet ramped it up to a Spinal Tap-like 11.  Now that she has a three-year-old son and a daughter on the way she’s more determined than ever to offer push back against the accelerating madness with the YA book Beauty & Likes: Experiencing God’s Truth about Your Looks and companion documentary What is True Beauty? releasing today (5/12) on YouTube.

When I asked Jen what she hopes teens, in particular, take from the book the documentary she told me “The devastation of depression that has overwhelmed our population with the focus on our teens because they are seeking likes (and) positive comments from images that they post on social media as a way to connect and to communicate. My heart is to be able to equip these girls (particularly) with a strategy, to let them know ways to find victory and, in essence, the ability to not rely on those endorphin releases that happen when you get hearts and likes on social media. Therefore, the book Beauty & Likes, along with the documentary What is True Beauty?, creates five strategic tools that the teen can actively focus to be able to find to find freedom and purpose and, ultimately, really understand who God created them to be…and why they really truly are a magnificent masterpiece based on the unique quality that the Creator God made them divinely for.”

Toward that end, the book is divided into five easy-to-read sections that cover building acceptance in your appearance, inner healing from negative words and criticism, joyful giving (employing true beauty-building strategies based on 1 Peter 4:10 which says “Use whatever gift you have received to serve others”), building self-confidence through your life purpose and gaining your love and acceptance from God as opposed to people and social media.

Gotzon says she and her co-authors (twenty-four-year-old Morgan Threadgill and youth therapist Dr. Lynnette Simm) utilized positive biblical and psychological principles and a test group of adolescents from 12 to 18 to ensure that each segment is relatable and contains practical strategies to build confidence against body image insecurities. The book contains personal stories, psychological insights, renewal prayers and affirmation tools designed to help teens see through the false insecurity-promoting media matrix.

Asked if boys are also affected by that social media matrix, she replied “A thousand percent!,” adding “We had John Schneider and Corbin Bernsen (who) worked on the movie (The Farmer and the Belle), the main message of which is about inner beauty. They spoke directly about their own journeys with image challenges. In the documentary you will hear them reveal these insights that for women, I think, are fascinating because they talk about the themselves in relation to this, you know, concern about their appearance and being socially accepted. Then they also explain, along with some other men, what they believe makes a woman beautiful. Now, these are men, not boys – but for women it really (helps) us to realize that we don’t need to have these perfect body types when, really, it’s the element of confidence (and) the element of walking in your purpose and your calling (that mature people find attractive). You have to watch the documentary to get all the other insights. It was just revolutionary to me.”

Meanwhile, Gotzon and her husband, co-star and co-producer Jim E. Chandler are busy with pre-production on The Farmer and the Belle 2: A Rodeo Marriage.
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Devon Franklin’s Hot ticket. The producer of such uplifting theatrical hits as Heaven Is for Real and Miracles from Heaven, is reaching for the snack bowl for his next project. Flamin’ Hot, directed by Eva Longoria, tells the true story of Richard Montañez, a Mexican American Frito Lay janitor who came up with the concept of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, an idea that shook up the snack  food industry and became a global pop culture phenomenon. The aspirational PG-13 movie streams nationwide on Hulu and Disney+ beginning June 9th. A new trailer for the much-anticipated film was just-released this week. 

John W. Kennedy is a writer, producer and media development consultant specializing in television and movie projects that uphold positive timeless values, including trust in God.