Envision - National Dialogue on Pornography

New Campaign Aims to Start National Dialogue on Pornography

67% of young men and 49% of young women say that pornography is an acceptable way to express one's sexuality. In reality, the women sexualized in marketing, pornography and sex trafficking are real people...in fact, they are somebody's daughter. Somebody's Daughter is a movement initiated by concerned parents and groups who are committed to creating a national dialogue about pornography, and its role in driving demand for sex-trafficking and violence against women and children. The campaign officially kicks off on October 1st in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma Governor, Mary Fallin has declared it She's Somebody's Daughter Day and on that day the first of what is hoped to be many billboards will be unveiled to promote the message. The organizers invite the public to visit the SSD website and blog and interact on the topic via Facebook and Twitter. As the distributor of the DVD, Somebody's Daughter Vision Video is proud to offer our support to this very important campaign. We pray that the dialogue will spread like wildfire throughout the country and that the true story of pornography's impact will be heard.

Vision Video to Sponsor Churches Making Movies Festival

Due in part to the incredible success of Facing the Giants, Fireproof and Courageous, films produced by Sherwood Baptist Church stating in 2007, many other churches have jumped into the director's chair. Now the movement has its own festival. The 1st annual Churches Making Movies Festival will take place October 11-13 in Clark, NJ (just outside the Big Apple.) Featuring dramas, documentaries and shorts primarily produced by churches. The goal of the festival is to "harness the power of film to impact culture" as well as to equip and train church-based film-makers in the art and craft of film production. Vision Video is pleased to be one of the sponsors of this event. Two of our programs will be screened at CMM. The Watchers: Revelation, a church produced sci-fi thriller with a biblical message about the spiritual realm will have its world premiere on October 12th. And For Love's Sake, a Vision Video/True Films drama dealing with mental illness in the church and the importance of family will have it's North American premiere on October 13th. Click here for more info.

Bill Curtis Honored with ICVM President's Award

Gateway Films/Vision Video President and General Manager, Bill Curtis was presented with the President's Award at the annual International Christian Visual Media Conference held in St Louis in June. ICVM President, Brad Mix presented the award, citing Curtis's honesty, humility and integrity. Curtis, say's he was "shocked and speechless" upon hearing the news. Bill Curtis has been integrally involved in the Christian media field for over 30 years and assumed the leadership of Vision Video after his father, Vision Video founder, Ken Curtis passed away in 2011.



  Bill Curtis speaking at the annual ICVM conference.

EnVision - Hope for Dalits - January 2014

Hope for India's Dalit Population

Two recent news stories highlight the ongoing injustice being perpetrated against the Dalit people of India formerly known as Untouchables. On December 30th, 2013 the Wall Street Journal reported   the case of Lalasa Devi, Dalit woman who was raped by a higher caste man in her village of Dalan Chapara. Although an arrest has been made in the case it remains unclear whether  justice will prevail. The Journal reports that "women across India face daunting obstacles in pressing sexual assault allegations. An unfriendly justice system and fear of social stigma make many reluctant even to report such crimes..." In another recent case a 17 year old girl who was kidnapped and raped by two men, committed suicide after the police failed to take her case seriously. Sexual abuse of Dalit woman is just one form of discrimination practiced against the Dalit community. Fortunately more attention has been given to the problem in recent years and the Indian government seems to be taking positive steps to end the deep rooted discrimination. But it will take more than legislative action to change hearts and minds and heal the deep wounds within the Dalit community. India's Untouchables, a 3 DVD set does an outstanding job of explaining the problem and highlighting hope for a new beginning  through the healing of Jesus Christ.
 

Taking AIM at Sex Trafficking

Vision Video is honored to partner with Agape International Ministries (AIM) in the fight against international sex trafficking. Recently Vision Video licensed The Pink Room, an  eye-opening documentary about the exploitation of women and young girls in Cambodia. The Pink Room does more than highlight the terrible problem it also highlights the change  being  brought to Cambodia through dedicated and passionate Christians. We encourage you to discover more at AIM's website and consider supporting their work financially.

New Year...New Releases

With over  50 new releases in our website you'll find DVDs and downloads for every age group and interest!  New Dramas: The Watchers: Revelation, Sidewalk Singer and For Love's Sake. New Children's Programs: The Corrie ten Boom Story and Jovis Bon-Hovis. Inspiring documentaries: About Miracles, David Brainerd: Missionary to the American Indians, and The Pink Room. New bible study Curriculum: Toward's Belief, The Shortest Way Home: CS Lewis and Mere Christianity and The Bible on Trial. Click here to browse all our new releases.

EnVision-Gospel Films Archive - February 2014

The Gospel Films Archive: Rescuing Classic Christian Films 

Some may think Christian movies are a relatively recent phenomenon but in actuality Christian films can be traced back almost to the dawn of film making itself.  Perhaps the golden age of Christian film took place roughly between the 1930's and 1960's. During this era many "religious" films and TV shows were made by some of Hollywood's top producers, directors, writers and actors. For instance, did you know that Bob Hope and Bing Crosby starred in a 1954 film called You Can Change the World which presented a strong faith based message? Or that James Cagney starred in A Link in the Chain a movie about a professor who seeks the meaning of life? While several topical faith-based stories were made in this era, other films such as I Beheld His Glory reverently dramatized biblical accounts of Jesus' life and other stories from scripture. While very much of their time, these classic films have an appealing warmth, simplicity and sincerity that many long for today. Recently we were contacted by veteran TV producer and film archivist, Bob Campbell who told us about his passion for rescuing these rare Christian films and making them available to the public once again. Without the efforts of Mr. Campbell and his associates many of these films might be lost to the ages and an important aspect of church history would be forgotten. We encourage you to take a look at Bob's Gospel Films Archive project. He just launched a campaign on Indiegogo to raise initial funds for film transfers, packaging and reissuing the first six DVD collections of rare films and TV shows that helped spread the Gospel in the 20th century. Vision Video encourages you to support this important project.

 

New Release Spotlight: About Miracles 

About Miracles  is a new 1 hour program featuring four dramatic true stories about modern day miracles. Using gripping re-enactment scenes and interviews with the actual people involved, About Miracles powerfully demonstrates that God continues to do supernatural acts that defy logical explanation. Indeed, as the tag line for the program says, "sometimes the only logical explanation is God!" But as powerful and faith-building as these miracle stories are, perhaps the most powerful of all is the story of Neville a man who lost his sight at a young age. He and his family prayed for a miracle for years but it became clear that in Neville's case, the miracle was not to be in restored sight but in the gift of faith and joy in the face of disability. In a recent review on Crosswalk.com, Debbie Holloway writes, "About Miracles didn’t leave me with this incomplete version of God, a God who only demonstrates favor by miracles." Holloway goes on to summarize the program brilliantly, "About Miracles provides a twofold lesson to believers. One is the reminder that nothing is too big for God to handle, and sometimes he intervenes in the most amazing and supernatural ways. The second, and perhaps most important lesson, is that the absence of observable miracles does not equal the absence of God." See the full review here. About Miracles is now available from Vision Video on DVD and as a download. 
 

The Pink Room to Screen at the Justice Film Festival

The award winning documentary, The Pink Room will be screened as part of the annual Justice Film Festival. The festival is part of the Justice Conference to be held February 21-22 in Los Angeles. Each year attendees of the annual conference and film festival learn about the meaning of biblical justice and explore ways the church can be faithful in our mission to set captives free. This year's conference speakers include N.T. Wright, Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Lynn Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church. The Pink Room takes on the dark subject of human trafficking in Cambodia and shows how Christian organizations such as Agape International Missions are combating this evil and bringing the hope and healing of the gospel to victims of modern slavery.

 

EnVision - NRB Film Comittee - March 2014

NRB Film Committee Events a Resounding Success! 

Several Vision Video staffers attended the recent National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville. The annual NRB convention brings together Christian communicators from around the world, including television and radio broadcasters, web and print publishers, producers, distributors and an array of other ministries for the purpose of better communicating the Christian worldview through modern media.  A new feature of this year's convention were events sponsored by the recently formed NRB Film Standing Committee. The Committee which is chaired by Ted Baehr of the Movie Guide, was created by faith-based film producers to help promote their work and connect them with broadcasters and other distributors. The Commitee also intends to deal with the economic problems that prevent Christian television from providing much quality dramatic programming, whether that be TV series or movies. Film Committee events featured several educational sessions on topics such as, scriptwriting, the power of networking and production budgeting. Included amongst the speakers was Andrew Walkington, the producer/director of For Love's Sake, a recent Vision Video release. According to Committee member Paul Sirmons, the minimum attendance at the educational sessions was 40 and at least two of the sessions had over 80 attendees.  Another popular event was the Pitch-a-Thon which provided producers with an opportunity to "pitch" their ideas to a group of nine distributors including Vision Video. The Pitch-a-Thon was well attended with about 35 producers bringing their ideas to participating distributors. Vision Video looks forward to continued collaboration with the Film Standing Committee.
 

Come Follow Me, A New DVD for Home Use and an Exciting Outreach Tool for Churches 

Vision Video is pleased to be the home video and retail distributor of Come Follow Me, a new evangelistic program that tells the story of the Apostle Peter and his relationship with Jesus. The film was written by the Emmy-Award winning team that brought you The Road to Emmaus. Like that popular film, Come Follow Me stars Bruce Marchiano in the role of Jesus. Individuals may purchase the video for home use through Vision Video here. Retailers interested in stocking Come Follow Me in their stores or churches interested in purchasing bulk copies for outreach purposes are invited to contact us for more information.

Envision - Polycarp: Destoyer of gods! April 2014

Coming Soon: Polycarp: Destroyer of Gods 

We are always eager to help promote films that tell important stories from Christian History. Recently, we became aware of a new production that tells the true story of the early church father, Polycarp.  Having seen a rough cut of the film we feel that it has great potential to make a positive impact. If you ever wondered what happened to the early Christians after the Book of Acts, and what trials they faced and overcame, Polycarp: Destroyer of Gods is like a journey to the past, giving us a glimpse of that world.

Click to learn more about the movie

2nd Century historical drama

Polycarp: Destroyer of Gods is an authentic and heartfelt story that will inspire viewers of all ages. Produced by Henline Productions, this character-driven period drama has potential to become a timeless movie for the whole family to enjoy!

A tool for parents
Parents will love that this movie is filled with Scripture and will make a lasting impression on young people. Viewers will be challenged to take their faith seriously and be willing to sacrifice all for the sake of Christ. Of course, Polycarp is also a tool to introduce young people to a great hero from Christian history!

Current need
Please join us in prayer for the completion of this production. A Kickstarter campaign has been launched to raise the funds needed to complete the film with excellence, and they are offering a number of great rewards for various donation levels! We encourage you to take a moment to check out the Polycarp Kickstarter Campaign and share it with others!

Three VV Programs Part of New Roku Channel Launch

  Three Vision Video licensed programs are part of the line-up on the new Olive Tree Pictures Roku channel. Bringing Joshua Home, The Pink Room and La Mama  join dozens of other documentaries, narrative films and short films featured on the streaming channel who's mission is to present "life transforming stories." The films will be available for 72 hour digital rental.  Olive Tree Pictures distributes  award-winning, life transforming films and uses part of the proceeds to support non-profit (often Christian) organizations that are making a positive difference in the world. Roku is a set top device that streams content from several providers including HBO, Disney, Hulu as well as smaller players such as Olive Tree Pictures. Many of these smaller channels feature Christian content. Over 5 million Roku devices have been sold since 2008.

 

Corrie ten Boom, Come Follow Me Winners at the Christian Worldview Film Festival 

Torchlighters: The Corrie ten Boom Story, a co-production of the Christian History Institute and Herald Entertainment won the award for Best Animated Program and the 1st annual Christian Worldview Film Festival held in San Antonio in March. Come Follow Me, a program licensed by Vision Video and produced by Boettcher-Trinklein Productions won in the short film category. Vision Video was honored to take part in the week-long event which featured several excellent workshops for Christian film-makers along with screenings of many noteworthy films. The Christian Worldview Film Festival was produced by Phillip Telfer and his ministry, Media Talk 101. As with that ministry, the focus of the festival was on media discernment. Festival speakers focused on what it means to effectively and honestly convey a Christian worldview in a media landscape saturated by distinctly non-Christian messages. Film makers were encouraged to check their hearts and make sure Christ is first in their lives and in their work. Despite the fact that this was the inaugural year of the festival, attendance was very high with an estimated 500-600 participants. The festival was extremely well organized and well received. Plans are already underway for the 2015 festival - March 10-14 in San Antonio!

 

EnVision - Torchlighters - May 2014

The Torchlighters Series: Impacting Lives Young and Old With Stories of Faith and Commitment

It was almost twelve years ago that Vision Video President, Bill Curtis gave a biography about missionary Glady's Aylward to his daughter Michelle. After reading the book, 10-year old Michelle exclaimed thoughtfully, "Dad, I know what I want to be when I grow up. I want to become a missionary!" The impact of Ayward's story on his daughter gave Curtis  an idea for a series of children's videos highlighting some of the outstanding  heroes of the Christian faith. The Torchlighters series was born!  Today there are 12 episodes in the series and lives both young and old continue to be touched by these true stories of faith, courage and commitment to Christ. The latest Torchlighters release, The Corrrie ten Boom Story, has been out for several months, and The John Wesley Story will release this fall.  Each Torchlighters episode contains, not only the 30 minute animated program for children, but also a 1 hour documentary about the subject. So, the entire family is engaged by the material.

The First Torchlighters Book

Now a new chapter in the Torchlighters story is underway. The first ever Torchlighters biography will be released at the end of this month. Corrie ten Boom is a 93 page illustrated biography written by Christian History Institute's own, Kaylena Radcliff, and illustrated by the Torchlighters production team. Like the video series, the new book is intended for children, ages 8-12.

According to the author, the book will be a resource for educators, including home-schoolers, who want a new tool to share a powerful, faith building story with their students. "Children will certainly be engaged by the action, the images, and the message of God’s power" said Radcliff.  "My goal when I first started was to learn as much about Corrie ten Boom as was possible. I began by reading primary sources, such as The Hiding Place, and then reading biographies about her. Once I felt that I knew Corrie and her story intimately, I tried to write the story of her life from her perspective," explained Radcliff who is now a first time author.

Radcliff went on to explain the importance of retelling Corrie ten Boom's story to a new generation. "Corrie’s story is important because in so many ways, it explores and displays the depths of God’s love, sovereignty, and incredible gift of forgiveness and salvation to all who would believe."  "I personally felt such a strong connection to Corrie because in all her writings, she was never afraid to bare her soul. It is impossible to read her story without feeling that this wise and courageous woman of faith is ministering to you specifically!"

Set Apart

Dawn Moore, CHI Editor, had a leading role in the Corrie ten Boom book project. She say's the new book is unique. "What sets our book apart from others is this: We've produced a genuine biography for children, that is just as engaging as the fictionalized biographies that are currently prevalent. The lively pictures and page-turning story line make this book a perfect next step for children who are ready for true stories. And we're not surprised that adults like it too!" say's Moore.

More Biographies to Follow?

The book will be released at the end of May and will be available on the Vision Video website and at other online sites. Will other Torchlighters biographies follow? "Absolutely!" says Radcliff. "We are currently in the beginning stages of our next biography on Jim Elliot.  I would love to have a companion biography for each episode, Lord willing, but for now we are approaching the series on a book-by-book basis."

Now that Radcliff has finished work on her first book, she is busy planning for another first. She and her husband, Tim, are expecting their first child any day now!

 

Vision Video Products in Lifeway Christian Stores

Lifeway Christian Stores which operates over 160 shop in two dozen U.S. states, will carry Vision Video products starting in June. Vision Video programs available from Lifeway will include drama. documentary and many of our award-winning Torchlighters programs for children. Of course, the easiest way to purchase Vision Video products is through the Vision Video website, www.visionvideo.com or via our toll free phone number, 1-800-523-0226.