• When filming about Jesus' birth, animals don't always follow script - Catholic News Service
• 'God slots' embrace the spirit of the age: Attracting audiences to religious programmes has always been a challenge. But an injection of reality television seems to be providing the answer London Independent
• Churches Take Their Shot at Hollywood Spotlight: Opening their facilities to filming offers extra income. But some topics can get projects rejected - Los Angeles Times
• Evangelicals vs. Christian Cable: Under 'a la Carte' Plan, Viewers Could Bar Certain Channels - Religion News Service
• Christian stations wary of "a la carte" cable - TV Squad
• Does 'PG' rating mean 'pro-God'? Film with miracles, talk about Jesus draws parental warning from MPAA - WorldNetDaily
• New film to prove accuracy of Bible? 'Exodus' project documents evidence from Joseph, Red Sea, Mount Sinai - WorldNetDaily

 Thousands of churches are mobilizing to oppose the movie The Da Vinci Code. But wouldn't it make more sense for Christians to distribute and support Christian movies in the theaters?

 Recently the Christian movie Unidentified opened in six theaters and was the top film in three of the theaters.

 In Unidentified two reporters for Both Sides magazine launch an investigation after a reported UFO sighting near their office. Questions the reporters must answer: Are the UFOs a hoax? Or if they are real, why are they here? Ultimately, the movie is not so much about UFOs as it is about spiritual truth and deception.

 With a limited budget, producer/director Rich Christiano is partnering with Christian radio stations to promote his new film. The radio stations receive a percentage of the box office in return for radio promotion.

 While lead actors Jonathan Aube and Josh Adamson appear in their first Christian film project, four actors in the film have appeared in Christian movies. Jenna Bailey in Late One Night, Michael Blain-Rozgay in Believers Among Us, Rebecca St James in Left Behind, and Lance Zitron in End of the Harvest and Second Glance.

 Unidentified will play in a few theaters during the summer while Rich Christiano prepares for a wider fall release. Churches are also hosting special screenings of the film. If your church is interested in hosting a public screening, contact Five & Two Pictures (lauren@christianmovies.com).

Links: Unidentified | Trailer | Internet Movie Database

Ken Anderson went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, March 12, 2006.

Anderson was serving as editor of Youth For Christ's magazine in the late 1940s when Bob Pierce,the future founder of World Vision, invited him on a mission trip to China. During the trip Anderson and Pierce produced the documentary China Challenge.

Soon Anderson joined Baptista Films, a pioneer in the field of Christian film production, where he wrote and directed his first dramatic films.

In 1949 Anderson moved to Muskegon, Michigan, to establish Gospel Films. His writing skills resulted in at least one new film each year through 1960. Ken and his wife Doris had shared a vision for missions since their early years of marriage. Gospel Films' first overseas dramatic production, filmed in Singapore, was Something to Die For. Then, with a desire to produce films beyond North America, they moved to Warsaw, Indiana, in December, 1960, to establish Ken Anderson Films.

Ken Anderson Films produced over 200 Christian films including original dramas in many foreign countries. Anderson may be best remembered for Pilgrim's Progress, produced in 1977. Featured in this story is Liam Neeson in his first screen role, playing the character, Evangelist. Over 1400 copies went out as 16mm film prints. Other significant films released by Ken Anderson Films include Christiana, Fanny Crosby, Hudson Taylor, and In His Steps.

After retiring from the Christian film industry, Anderson published the book Where to Find It in the Bible in 1996. More than four million copies have been published. In 1991 Ken Anderson Films was replaced by InterComm, a nonprofit organization involved in producing additional language versions of many of the Ken Anderson Films international productions. In 2005 Intercomm reported 262,606 decisions for Jesus Christ from 1,142,986 people viewing movies from Ken Anderson Films.

For more information about Ken Anderson:

• Max Elliot Anderson has written a biography about his father's life

• Greater Syracuse Christian Film Festival May 4 - 11
• Damah Film Festival - May 18-20 in Culver City, California
• International Christian Visual Media's Catalyst Conference July 11 - 15
• Christian WYSIWYG Film Festival - October 17-21 in San Francisco
• San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival - October 19-21 in San Antonio Texas
• Sabaoth International Film Festival - November 16-18 in Milan, Italy

• 1,000 Prayer Vigils Against The Da Vinci Code - Christian Wire Service
• Hollywood puts its faith in holy films London Sunday Times
• Christians embrace the power of movies: Film festival is touted as a perfect way to marry pop culture with Christianity Syracuse Post-Standard
• Christian Civic League calls for boycott of movie theaters WLBZ