CATHOLIC FILM FESTIVAL

The Festival of Faith is proud to present the first Catholic Film Festival in Orlando.
Entice your spiritual senses and inspire your soul during this one-of-a-kind event. Open your heart to the healing images, the faithful heroes and the message of evangelization and salvation.

The following films will be presented FREE of charge at the Orange County Convention Center South Concourse. One showing will be on Friday, May 9, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. and there will be two showings on Saturday, May 10, 2008, one at 12:00 p.m. and the other at 3:00 p.m. 

Double Feature: Sent Forth, Liturgy & Our Lives - 27 minutes & Faithful Citizenship – 11 minutes
Sent Forth :
Inspiring liturgist Rev. J-Glenn Murray, S.J. explores what it means to be sent forth into our communities and into the world. He encourages us to respond to God dynamically and to commit ourselves to living our faith in concrete ways. In doing so, Fr. Murray explains, we can carry on the spirit of the liturgy so that our lives proclaim "Amen."

Faithful Citizenship :
This film encourages all citizens to be informed, active, and responsible participants in the political process.  By evaluating political platforms and issues in light of the principles of Catholic social teaching, we can work together for a brighter future that benefits the common good.

Power of Forgiveness - 71 minutes
Filmmaker Martin Doblmeier is on the road again—and this time he’s carrying a Big Idea with him that may be a key to world peace. Actually, this idea is as old as religion itself: Forgiveness.

Here’s what’s new about it: Martin has found that, all around the world, writers, educators, social activists, clergy—and even research scientists—are dusting off this ancient religious concept and they’re using it in powerful new ways.

In Northern Ireland, there’s a new campaign to read storybooks about forgiveness to schoolchildren. In American laboratories, researchers are documenting the overall health benefits of forgiving other people. In France, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk is bringing together enemies in unusual retreats that, often, prompt forgiveness.

In rural Pennsylvania, Amish families taught the whole world a lesson about forgiveness after a gunman slaughtered five children, then killed himself in an Amish schoolhouse.

For more than a year, Martin and his film crews circled the globe documenting these stories. Then, they wove them all into a feature-length film that will leave you both inspired and full of questions about how you, too, can use these tools to make a difference in the world.

Famous names in the film include Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, the famous New York City preacher the Rev. James Forbes and the Vietnamese peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh.

Double Feature: Reflections for the Spiritual Explorer - 12 minutes & Inspired:  Stories and Songs Inspired by the Scriptures - 46 minutes
Reflections for the Spiritual Explorer:
During this movie, you will see two different beautiful meditations. The first, With You Always, is six minutes long. It uses reflective images from Scripture and our world to bring to life the song ``Mary Did You Know`` performed by Kenny Rogers and Wynonna. In the second six-minute reflection, Twila Paris` rendition of How Beautiful is paired with scriptural and modern images.

Inspired Stories and Songs :
ValLimar Jansen, noted singer, cantor, and workshop presenter brings to life the stories of The Creation, The Samaritan Woman, The Healing Pool, A Man Born Blind and Celebrating Ethel Waters, a modern-day story of reconciliation. Each story is accompanied by music that deepens the tapestry and artistry of the story. This beautiful, powerful, and expressive collection of stories is sure to inspire faith and hope.

Double Feature: For the Love of It - 25 minutes & Celebrate What’s Right with the World - 30 minutes
For The Love of It : How can you find a way to love what you do? Every day?  Dewitt Jones, National Geographic photographer and author of three best selling training programs, shares with audiences the importance of beginning each day with a full cup. In this new program, Dewitt discusses how we all have the ability to love what we do through honoring our passion, making a contribution to those around us, and expressing gratitude. When you work for the love of it, you will serve as an inspiration to yourself and to those around you. “You can’t wait for it to come to you. You just have to fall in love with what you’re doing, right now. ”

Celebrate What's Right: In Celebrate What's Right With The World, Dewitt Jones asks: Do we choose to see possibilities? Do we really believe they're there? He assures us that there is always more than one right answer. Celebrating what's right with the world helps us recognize the possibilities and find solutions for the challenges before us. This inspirational, best-selling training program utilizes stunning photography and powerful dialogue to help viewers approach their lives with celebration, confidence, and grace

Champions of Faith:  Baseball Edition - 60 minutes
The Champions of Faith: Baseball Edition is a groundbreaking film that showcases the intersection of sports and faith in Major League Baseball by profiling many of the most accomplished and devout figures in the game both on and off the field.

Major League baseball champions Mike Piazza, David Eckstein, Jeff Suppan, Mike Sweeney, Jack McKeon and Rich Donnelly lead an All-Star line-up in this moving and uplifting special presentation that tells the story of faith in baseball like no other film ever made.

Come to the Water:  Adult Journey to Baptism - 58 minutes
This program follows both catechumens and candidates in the year-round RCIA process of adult education and initiation into the Catholic community, culminating with their baptism at the Easter Vigil. Filmed on location in the Pacific Northwest and in the breathtaking interior of St. James Cathedral, the program is a vibrant and moving experience of the adult spiritual journey.

Bella – 90 minutes
This movie promotes a culture of life and shows what it means to live a Catholic life. It tells the story of Jose (played by Latin American heartthrob Eduardo Verástegui), who gives up his career as a soccer superstar after a tragic incident.

He goes to work in his brother’s restaurant, where he befriends a pregnant waitress and begins to resolve some of the pain he stills feel about his life-changing accident. A former telenovela (soap opera) star in his native Mexico, Verástegui abandoned his burgeoning Hollywood career to start a new film company to produce movies with a moral message. Verástegui described his character as a “man who wants to live a life of integrity and sacrifice everything” for family and others.