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Advent Film Group
Company typeFilmmaking
Founded2007
FounderGeorge Escobar, Michael Snyder
HeadquartersUnited States,
Purcellville, Virginia
WebsiteAdventFilmGroup.com

Advent Film Group (Advent) is an independent Christian film production and distribution company founded in 2007 by George D. Escobar and Michael Snyder.[1] The company trains young Christians to be filmmakers, focusing on excellent storytelling and upholding a Biblical worldview. Advent's films include the 2009 drama Come What May,[2] which starred Kenneth Jezek and his wife, Karen Jezek, and the 2014 historical drama Alone Yet Not Alone, which was a work-for-hire project for Enthuse Entertainment. Advent's latest film, "HERO" was released in September 2014. The company is now in post-production with their latest feature film, The Screenwriters (set for a 2015 release).

Advent Film Group has been endorsed by Michael Farris, founder and chancellor of Patrick Henry College (PHC); Graham Walker, president of PHC; and Michael Smith, president of Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA).[3]

History

Founding

When George Escobar (former Vice President of Product Development for Discovery, Executive Director for AOL/Time Warner) attended the 2006 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival, he met and spoke with Stephen Kendrick, co-founder of Sherwood Pictures (Courageous, Fireproof, Facing the Giants). The conversation challenged him to rethink his entire career path, with the purpose of using his skills and talents for the glory of God. In January 2007, Escobar founded Advent Film Group, basing out of northern Virginia.[4]

Mission

Advent Film Group has a unique goal: to “turn the whole film school model upside-down.”[5] The aim is to train young Christians to be excellent filmmakers and enable them to tell stories that uphold Biblical values and speak about issues relevant to our culture today. Heavy emphasis is placed on maintaining a clean and compelling storyline, while striving for increased production value. Advent provides various training opportunities through internships, production volunteer positions, and film workshops (also on DVD), as well as an online screenwriting course.[6]

Come What May

Their first feature film, Come What May [1] (formerly Moot Courting),[7] was a collaborative effort between Advent and PHC. The story follows two PHC students who attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade at the American Collegiate Moot Court Association National Championship. Forty homeschooled students served on the cast and crew alongside a handful of industry professionals.[8] Students learned not only about production, but also the business, legal, financial, marketing, and distribution process involved in making and releasing a full-length movie.


Come What May was given a virtual release online through the American Family Association (AFA)[9] and GodTube[10] (now called Tangle), and shown free to the viewer during the two weeks before the 2008 U.S. elections. It was released on DVD in the spring of 2009, and, due to its strong pro-life message, quickly became a popular film for church screenings.[11] Come What May was also the winner of the Redemptive Storyteller Award for 2008 from the Redemptive Film Festival.[12]

Alone Yet Not Alone

caption
Alone Yet Not Alone poster

Advent’s first for-hire project was Alone Yet Not Alone,[2] produced by Enthuse Entertainment and co-produced by Advent founders, George Escobar (who also co-wrote and co-directed the film) and Michael Snyder.[13] Alone Yet Not Alone is based on the true story of Barbara and Regina Leininger, who were taken captive by the Delaware Indians in 1755 during the French and Indian War. The novelization of the story, upon which the film is based, was written by a descendent of the Leiningers, Tracy Leininger Craven. Principal photography took place at historical locations in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.[14]

Alone Yet Not Alone received a limited release on September 27, 2013, on 11 screens across the country through a unique distribution platform, Seazty,[3] founded in 2013. Seatzy posts information and trailers about its films on its website, encouraging movie-goers to reserve tickets several weeks in advance. If 500 tickets are pre-sold in a certain area, Seatzy uses the guaranteed ticket sales to entice a local theater into showing the movie for at least one week.[15] In this limited, week-long release, Alone Yet Not Alone garnered one of the best per-screen averages for an independent, faith-based film, due to its pre-sold tickets.[16][17]

In January 2014, Alone Yet Not Alone received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. The titular song, written by 10-time Emmy Award-winning composer, Bruce Broughton (who previously received an Oscar nomination for Silverado)[18] and Dennis Spiegel, is sung by quadripelegic inspirational speaker, Joni Eareckson Tada. Two weeks after the nomination, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rescinded the nomination, claiming Broughton had violated ethics rules by emailing voters about the song prior to the nomination.[19] The controversial decision by the Academy drew some accusations that the film was targeted for being both small-budget and Christian,[20] as proponents of other Oscar-nominated projects have engaged in similar behavior to no consequence.[21]

Alone Yet Not Alone received a wide release on June 13, 2014, across 103 screens nationally, finishing fourteenth in nationwide box office sales on its opening weekend and third in average per screen box office sales.[22] [4]

Current projects

Hero

Advent’s most recently released film is Hero [5] (formerly One Good Man). Co-written and directed by Manny Edwards,[23] the family-friendly movie follows Little League coach Joe Finn (Burgess Jenkins), whose broken relationship with his son fills him with determination to make a difference in the lives of the fathers and sons in his town. He forms a youth baseball team designed to involve both fathers and sons in a common effort; Joe’s persistent actions affect everyone from the local prison inmates to fathers and sons in neighboring towns. The story is inspired by Malachi 4:6, depicting God's desire to “restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers” (NASB).[24]

Eighty cast and crewmembers, along with 250 families and volunteers, converged on Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for three weeks of principal photography and a week for pickups and reshoots. [25] The film released to DVD in September 2014. [26]


The Screenwriters

The Screenwriters [6] (formerly Writers’ Block) is a full-length feature film and the inaugural film of Advent’s Advent Associates Film Program, which seeks to advance the careers of young filmmakers by putting those who have worked on previous Advent productions in leadership positions.[27] The story follows two 1940s screenwriters, down-and-out veteran, Stu Harvey (Jeff Rose [7]), and eager newcomer, Chip Leninskovich (Jason Burkey [8]), who have 24 hours to write a full-length screenplay or be fired.[28][29] The screenplay was written by 18-year-old Elizabeth Stinnette based on a story by George Escobar [9] and filmed in Purcellville, Virginia on a production budget of $20,000.[30] The film is slated for a spring 2016 release.[31]

Filmography

References

  1. ^ "The Passion of the Christian Filmmaker". FilmStew. July 16, 2007. Retrieved April 8, 2009.
  2. ^ Strom, Ron (January 8, 2008). "Homeschoolers produce full-length film". WorldNetDaily. Retrieved April 8, 2009.
  3. ^ Phan, Katherine T. (September 14, 2007). "Homeschoolers: Future Directors of Christian Movies in Hollywood?". The Christian Post. Retrieved April 8, 2009.
  4. ^ "Homeschooling Dad and Founder of Advent Film Group George Escobar". World Net Daily. March 11, 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  5. ^ "Homeschooling Dad and Founder of Advent Film Group George Escobar". World Net Daily. March 11, 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  6. ^ Walker, Angela (August 18, 2009). "Advent Film Group in Pre-Production of 'One Good Man'". ChristianCinema.com. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  7. ^ Pride, Sarah (July 11, 2007). "Advent Film Brings Full-length Feature to College". Tales From a Traveler blog. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  8. ^ "Come What May - New pro-life movie could impact presidential elections". ChristianFilmNews. September 12, 2008. Archived from the original on 6 May 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Movie over abortion battle streaming on Web". World Net Daily. October 22, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  10. ^ Howard, Jim Bob (October 29, 2008). "FREE Online Screening of COME WHAT MAY". Billy Joe Jim Bob blog. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  11. ^ "College Portrayed in Pro-Life Movie, COME WHAT MAY, Wins Its Fourth National Championship". 3D Film Spot. January 20, 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  12. ^ "Moviemaker's goal: Real life imitating art". World Net Daily. October 10, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  13. ^ "Filmmakers Who Make Oscar Nominated Movie, Now Accepting Students for Training". Christian Newswire. January 22, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  14. ^ "Enthuse Entertainment Announces National Theatrical Release for ALONE YET NOT ALONE". ChristianCinema.com. May 6, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  15. ^ "Controversial 'Alone Yet Not Alone' to Be Released in 200 Theaters". The Hollywood Reporter. April 7, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  16. ^ "Enthuse Entertainment Announces National Theatrical Release for ALONE YET NOT ALONE". ChristianCinema.com. May 6, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  17. ^ "Controversial 'Alone Yet Not Alone' to Be Released in 200 Theaters". The Hollywood Reporter. April 7, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  18. ^ "Filmmakers Who Make Oscar Nominated Movie, Now Accepting Students for Training". Christian Newswire. January 22, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  19. ^ Koch, Jeff (January 31, 2014). "Christian song's composer not the only one lobbying for an oscar nod". World News Group. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  20. ^ "Controversial 'Alone Yet Not Alone' to Be Released in 200 Theaters". The Hollywood Reporter. April 7, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  21. ^ Koch, Jeff (January 31, 2014). "Christian song's composer not the only one lobbying for an Oscar nod". World News Group. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  22. ^ "Oscar-Rejected Christian Film Finishes in Top 15 of Weekend Box Office". The Christian Post. June 16, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  23. ^ "Advent Film Group spins off new Christian production company--Brightline Pictures". June 25, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  24. ^ "Malachi 4". New American Standard Bible. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  25. ^ Walker, Angela (March 15, 2010). ""Hero" from Advent Film Group in Post-Production". ChristianCinema.com. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  26. ^ http://www.herofamilymovie.com/HERO_Movie_Official_Site/Home.html
  27. ^ "Don't Let Film School Interfere with Your Filmmaking Career". Christian Newswire. August 30, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  28. ^ "Do You Have "Writers' Block"?". ChristianCinema.com. August 20, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  29. ^ "Filmmakers Who Make Oscar Nominated Movie, Now Accepting Students for Training". Christian Newswire. January 22, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  30. ^ "Don't Let Film School Interfere with Your Filmmaking Career". Christian Newswire. August 30, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  31. ^ Zahn, Drew (May 12, 2014). "Christian Moviemakers Prepare to Rock Hollywood". World Net Daily. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
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