3 of 3

"We live in a world of niche content," says Cooke. "We have outdoors channels, gay channels, women's channels, men's channels, sports channels, movie channels. There's no reason in the world that the Christian audience should not be a niche market. If people feel called to make stuff for an explicitly Christian audience, I say 'Go for it.'"

McKay sees value in entertainment designed specifically for the churchgoing audience. "There's still a market to write movies that only Christians will enjoy. And what's wrong with that? Christians need entertainment, too." But she adds, "My hope is that movies born from these new faith-based departments will express a Christian worldview without alienating the rest of the population."

Cooke admits, "I worry that the people we're trying to reach are going to run screaming from the room when it comes to faith-based films."

Swain argues that the Christian audience is quite different from niche markets like the gay audience and ethnic minority audiences. "Those markets have a lot more solidarity than a Christian market does as far as what the audience is looking for. The Christian market is a much, much more diverse market."

Joseph points out that Christians represent the vast majority of the American public. "Ninety percent believe in God," he says. "Eighty percent call themselves Christians, and 47 percent are evangelical. Those are not 'niche numbers.' FoxFaith should become FoxNormal. The rest should be called FoxSecular—they're the niche audience."

With a background in Christian music, Joseph has seen these trends before, and finds it all "a little horrifying."

"We're at a crossroads," he explains. "But the Christian music phenomenon has gone ahead of us, and we can learn so much from that. If we recreate the Christian music paradigm, and create separate venues, we'll have very little influence."

Are there any examples of films that take faith seriously, that show courageous artistry and uncompromising excellence, and that appeal to a mass audience?

"I think Amazing Grace does that to some degree," says Joseph. "It was a step. But I think it would have helped the picture to have a star. More people would have seen it."

In this exciting, bewildering time of transition, one question leads to many others.

Will "faith-based" film departments produce lights that shine in the darkness, or will they ultimately hide them under a bushel—being seen only by a Christian audience?

Will Christian movies establish a reputation for truth, courage, and uncompromising artistic standards? Or will they produce shoddy sermons, airbrush the reality of the Christian experience, and perhaps only pander to what audiences want to see?

Will faith-oriented films have a significant, lasting influence in Hollywood? Or will they be disposable, forgotten within ten years?

And what about success? What will Christian filmmakers do if they succeed the way Facing the Giants did, turning a $100,000 project into a $10 million box office surprise? Is financial success a sign of God's blessing, a sign of merely appealing to a niche market's wants, or a reflection of an audience that doesn't demand artistic excellence?

Many of these questions will only be answered through the successes, failures, and testimonies of those who blaze new trails for Christian media.

The Biola conference's theme this year was, "Gold Rush: Mining for Opportunity in the New Hollywood." Screenwriter Craig Detweiler, the conference host, summed it all up when he welcomed attendees with this question:

"Have we hit the mother lode, or will we fall for fool's gold?"

© Jeffrey Overstreet 2007, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

first page |  3 of 3