“Coming Attractions” EMDC Film Festival 2022

Traditionally, EMDC has been an annual gathering of cross-cultural ministry practitioners who come together in Thailand or the Netherlands to focus on media and tech, whether they come from more of a professional/trainer side of things or field worker wishing to learn or upgrade their skills. In 2020-2021, the community shifted online to create an entire platform that has grown into numerous areas including ongoing training or affinity groups using Zoom, a podcast, “Taste & See” Scripture Engagement Guide, a blog and more.

The conference part of EMDC has not happened over the last few years, but did return to meet in person to a smaller crowd in April of 2022 in the Netherlands. A film festival is a regular part of these gatherings and is used to share about media resources that are relevant and useful to the EMDC community.

For 2022, Steve B. hosted the event and renamed it to “Coming Attractions”. If you find this interesting, check out what was featured in 2020 and 2021.

This year there were a few selected titles which were duplicates from previous years, so I have not included them below: Live What You Believe (Empower Women Media), Second Chance (Create Mobile & Joel Productions), Amazing Stories (GNPI), Chosen Witness (Jesus Film Project), Choices (GemStone Media), and The Book (Create Mobile). One title has been removed due to security concerns.

Ministry Promos

• Keyman (LTD & SIL)
  Keyman can help small language speakers use their language to text and on social media.

• Names of Jesus (LTD & SIL)

• T Tribe Dedication (Global Bible Translation -Nepal)
  An unreached people group in Nepal receives a special present, many years in the making.

• Campfire Promo (Create Labs)
  Campfire is a community of artists who love Jesus and want to share him with the world. We're all about telling stories. Small stories, and world-changing stories. Here, you can learn the skills to tell better stories, find friends to collaborate with, and turn those ideas into reality.

• Let There Be Light (Create Mobile)
  A promotional video for Create International’s Frontier Filmmaking Seminar produced during our seminar in Sierra Leone, November 2018.

Movie Trailers

• Destiny (Pamir Ministries)
  The one common story of many Afghans is hoping and dreaming for a better life elsewhere. What does a better life mean? What happens when those hopes and dreams come true? Or do they ever come true? Watch Destiny to find out more.

• My Story (Pamir Ministries)
  A video series showing Afghans telling their life story of how God changed their life around. Watch and hear them share their own stories for the first time ever.

• Det Mwen Yo Peye / Paid in Full (Rogue Marble)
  The story of a rural family as their life trajectories begin to show an ever-growing contrast between a life following Jesus and the animistic practices of Voodoo. This true, contextualized film was shot entirely in Haiti and the Haitian Creole language, with an amateur cast, a 3-person crew, and a single interpreter.

• The God’s Stories series (GII & Savos Productions)

Animation

• The Great Victor (Create Seeds)
  A gold medal award-winning epic tale of betrayal overturned by redeeming love, in a richly illustrated storybook that explains the Gospel for the whole family told in 2D video format.

• True Merit (Create Labs)
  From creation to Christ’s redemptive act on the cross, this animated short covers the big questions of Kharma, honour, and sin in a short gospel presentation. This contextual presentation is especially beneficial for Thai Buddhists serving as a wonderful bridge to the hope of the gospel message.

• Moksh 6: Ultimate Sacrifice (Create Labs)
  Perfect relief from earthly chains and the burden of death. Story 6 of seven stories from the ancient scriptures told using henna. How did the Mukti-giver break the chains of the eternal cycle of death and rebirth? How did God create a way for you to attain liberation? This episode tells of his final and greatest work - the supreme sacrifice to bring us Moksh. This true event took place in Asia 2000 years ago, at the time of the festival of Mukti; the perfect time for the Moksh-giver to break the chains of the curse forever. This event would open the way, for all who would accept his sacrifice, to receive Moksh, as a completely free-gift.

Animated Short Films

• District 18 (Empower Women Media)
  District 18 is the story of a young woman living in a society where diversity is shunned, but she longs for freedom of belief. She finds it in a land where Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is celebrated: Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. A film by Maral Karaee

• Restored (Jesus Film Project, part of the Wonder series)
  We’re meant to be part of God’s family, living with dignity and purpose. But rebellion plagues humanity and separates us from God. This film explores how we can be restored with honor and welcomed back into a relationship with the Creator.

• The Story of the Contaminated Water (MediaWorks)
  It’s a beautiful day and a man decides that a cup of tea will just make the day even better. He makes his way to a local café and before long, he is happily sipping a steaming brew while enjoying nature’s beauty. But then, suddenly the beautiful moment is ruined...

• Has the Injil Been Corrupted (Journey to Truth ep. 3 of 8)
  Ali corners Abdullah and asks him where he's getting these ideas... They discuss whether the Injil (Bible) has been corrupted. Listen to the evidence and make up your own mind.

Live Action Short Films

• Happiness is $1.25 (Jesus Film Project)
  Satisfaction in life is hard to find. Can anything or anyone truly bring us happiness and joy? "For God satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things." Psalm 107:9.

• Ciwa Cangatenda Odi / Death Does Not Give a Warning (Mobiles & Media Team -Malawi/Mozambique)
  A modern retelling for a Yawo, Muslim audience of the story Jesus told about a rich man who got surprised by the Lord's rebuke and sudden death.

• Thirst (Jesus of Istanbul series, Ten40Films -Turkey)
  A Syrian refugee finds herself coming over and over again to a simple fountain in the center of town where she seeks to cleanse herself from the compromises she is forced to endure to survive and protect her child. She finds herself spiraling downward into despair until she meets a thirsty teacher (Hoca) with a life-changing perspective.

• Candlelight (GemStone Media)
  Where do you turn if you're facing anxiety? Look for a light in the darkness.