$101K-Winning Christian Film 'Widow's Might' Hits the Big Screen
The winner of the largest single film festival prize to date is currently being shown in 94 cities across the nation.
"The Widow's Might," directed by and starring 19-year-old filmmaker John Moore, has been out since Monday and will continue showing in theaters until April 18. The movie tells the story of a family that comes together to help an elderly widow who is about to lose her home due to outrageous property taxes.
The film's release this week comes three months after it was awarded with "Best of Festival" Jubilee Award and the $101,000 cash prize that went with it during the San Antonio Christian Film Festival (SAICFF). To win, the film had to beat out faith-based box office hit "Fireproof," which grossed over $33 million in theater sales last year, and "Expelled – No Intelligence Allowed," which raked in more than $7 million in theaters to become the twelfth highest-grossing documentary film in the United States.
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"The Widow's Might" not only emerged as the winner, but the 101-minute film also walked away with the "Audience Choice Award," receiving more than twice the votes of the closest contender.
Now, the movie's creators, HeuMoore Productions, are looking to reach a larger audience through the theatrical release of "The Widow's Might."
"[W]e believe ourselves up to the challenge of a theatrical release feature film with excellent production values and rich moral landscapes to inspire Christians across the nation," say John Moore and David Heustis, who started HeuMoore Productions as two homeschooled teens from Alaska.
"[T]he power of word-of-mouth is astounding, and is the key to reaching the world with messages of hope found in Christian films," they add as they try to utilize a strategy that has made faith-based films like "Fireproof" big successes.
Since their big win at the SAICFF – including the third time in four years that a HeuMoore Productions was voted as the audience favorite at the SAICFF – Heustis and Moore have made a number of media appearances.
They have so far been interviewed on Generations Radio with Kevin Swanson, Moody Radio, and CBN News, among others.
HeuMoore Productions was unofficially started in 2003 and began entering films in the SAICFF in 2005. Other films produced by HeuMoore include the documentary "A Lifetime of Childlike Faith" and "Heatstrings."
"The Widow's Might," according to filmmakers, was their "biggest, most intense production," though still small compared to Hollywood standards.
