Sherwood Pictures: church backed makers of the movie 'courageous'

Sherwood Pictures is one of the leading independent film makers behind the new wave of high quality faith inspired movies taking on the big Hollywood studios with box office hits and bestselling DVD releases worldwide.

The makers of recent big success 'Courageous' and 2008 hit 'Fireproof', Sherwood Pictures is another adventurous outreach initiative of Sherwood Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia. Concerned that church was sliding down the scale of popularity, the leadership team looked around for new opportunities to get the Christian message into the mainstream.

Sherwood’s leaders realised that spending time in church was listed way behind sports, education and movies. With the mindset that it was better to address the situation than complain about it, Sherwood set about the development of The Sports Park, Sherwood Christian Academy and Sherwood Pictures.

In 2001 Sherwood’s leadership team we went off on retreat to Orlando, Florida but took a day out to visit Disney World. Observing the attention to detail everywhere, they were challenged to think that if a secular company can be this committed to excellence, why can’t the church of Jesus Christ?

In 2002, associate pastor Alex Kendrick founded Sherwood Pictures with $20,000 in donations and a team of visionary volunteers bolstered with a handful of industry professionals. Picking up steam in 2003, the company released its first feature length film, ‘Flywheel.

The simple script about life change in a dishonest car salesman was written by Alex Kendrick and his brother Stephen. With the $20,000 raised from church members they bought a digital camera, boom mike and some lights from Home Depot. 60 church volunteers made up the cast and crew and filming went ahead in the evenings with the cameras running ‘dolly tracks’ made of PVC drainpipe.

‘Facing the Giants’ followed in 2006, and in 2008 Sherwood Pictures released ‘Fireproof’ – passing even Hollywood’s new releases the highest-grossing independent film of the year.

Sherwood’s latest movie, ‘Courageous’, is a police action drama that explores vital roles of fatherhood in family, church and community. The new movie presents men with the opportunity to step up and take back their responsibilities of husband and father.

‘Courageous’ is filmed in Sherwood’s home town of Albany, Georgia some of it actually in the church where the congregation's 3,000 members gather to sing and pray.

Filmed in seven weeks of April-May 2010, Sherwood Pictures have much in common with Calvary Pictures, makers of ‘The Grace Card’ with their church base in Memphis, Tennessee. Calvary Pictures using Sherwood as the model for their work, also relies heavily on the practical, financial and prayerful support of their visionary home church.

Sherwood Pictures makers of ‘Courageous’: The Trivia Files
Courageous is distributed by Humblepie, specialists in distributing and marketing faith based films. Humblpie also provide the in flight movies for South African airlines.

Quick Guide to

Eden.co.uk - quick guide: Sherwood Pictures

Sherwood Pictures - who are they?

The independent movie production based in Sherwood Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia and creators of the movies 'Fireproof' and 'Courageous'.
On of the adventurous outreach initiatives of Sherwood Baptist Chrich, which also works to communicate the Gospel through active involvement in sport.
Makers of faith inspired big screen movies with high production values and strong themes of life change and Christians taking responsibility for their lives.

Sherwood Pictures - why should I buy their movies?

For reliable family entertainment with faith inspired themes to encourage life change and empowerment in Christ.
To explore and develop what it means to have relationship in Christ within family, church and community.
As a gift to encourage another to discover their identity, purpose and focus with the courage to take an active role in family, church and community.

Over to You

What about you?

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Sherwood Pictures and Calvary Pictures are independent movie production companies with the financial, practical and prayerful support of their home churches.

What do you think about this as a means for Christians to find the resources to communicate the gospel through film, is this better or worse than creating the consumer demand for commercial film makers to produce faith inspired movies?

Both Sherwood and Calvary are US based companies making movies primarily for the US market, why do you think are no similar UK based companies, what's your solution to getting faith based films made in the UK for the UK market?

Tell us. Post your ideas, views and tips - Beautiful, bizarre and brilliant at Eden.co.uk