'Fireproof', 'Christmas Choir' Win $100K Awards for Most Inspiring Entertainment
Faith-based movie "Fireproof" added another notch to its string of successes winning the $100,000 Epiphany Prize for the most inspiring movie of 2008 on Wednesday.
"Our friends at Movieguide hosted the 17th Annual Movieguide Faith & Values Awards Gala at the Beverly Hills Hilton on Wednesday. And Fireproof won the biggest award," announced the movie's promoters on Thursday.
Every year around Oscar time, Movieguide hosts its Faith & Values Awards Gala, where the media ministry unveils its annual report to the entertainment industry and awards the best family-friendly movies and TV shows of the previous year, as well as the most moral and Christ-centered films for mature audiences.
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This year's event drew over 400 studio executives, celebrities, producers, filmmakers, television artists, faith-based leaders, opinion leaders and their guests, as well as nearly 100 representatives from national and international news media.
The top prizes this year were doubled from last year's $50,000 awards thanks to the John Templeton Foundation, which Movieguide founder Dr. Ted Baehr said "continues to see the impact that positive, spiritually uplifting entertainment from Hollywood can have on our culture."
"This is an extremely gracious decision by the Templeton Foundation," Baehr said.
While "Fireproof" took home the top prize for most inspiring movie, the Epiphany Prize for the most inspiring TV program went to "The Christmas Choir," a Hallmark Channel original movie based on the inspiring story of a man who organized and led a Christmas choir of homeless men to success, financial security, and personal confidence.
Additionally, $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000 Kairos Prizes for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays by Beginning Screenwriters were awarded to, respectively, Christina D. Denton of Martinsville, Va., for "A Matter of Time;" Rusty Whitener of Pulaski, Va., for "Touched;" and Darcy Faylor of Greenville, S.C., for "Moody Field."
Other awards that were presented Wednesday evening included the Grace Award for Most Inspiring Performance in Movies or TV in 2008, which went to Adriana Barraza for "Henry Poole is Here," and the Faith and Freedom Awards for Promoting Positive American Values, which went to "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" for movies and "John Adams" and "The Medal: Celebrating Our Nation's Highest Honor" for TV (tie).
Monetary prizes were only awarded to winners of the Epiphany Prizes and Kairos Prizes, while Crystal Teddy Awards were handed to the 10 Best Movies for Families and 10 Best Movies for Mature Audiences.
The following are the lists of Crystal Teddy Award winners:
The Ten Best 2008 Movies for Families
1. WALL-E
2. FIREPROOF
3. THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
4. BOLT
5. JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH 3D
6. NIM'S ISLAND
7. KUNG FU PANDA
8. THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX
9. MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA
10. HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR
The Ten Best 2007 Movies for Mature Audiences
1. IRON MAN
2. GRAN TORINO
3. VALKYRIE
4. CHANGELING
5. THE LONGSHOTS
6. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
7. EXPELLED: NO INTELLIGENCE ALLOWED
8. TYLER PERRY'S THE FAMILY THAT PREYS
9. MARLEY & ME
10. HENRY POOLE IS HERE
