Adoption Documentary to Contend With 'Courageous' in Upcoming Christian Film Festival

By Chris Strong, CP Contributor Thursday, January 26, 2012

"Rescued: The Heart of Adoption and Caring for Orphans," a soon-to-be-released documentary on the quandary of orphans, has succeeded in placing alongside major films such as "Courageous" as a semifinalist at the 2012 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival.

With a release date of February 24th, "Rescued" shares the adoption stories of several Christian families while exploring how the church can influence and aid families who decide to adopt. The film was shot in various locations around the United States as the filmmakers interviewed adoptive families and pastors.

Randy Winton, the producer of "Rescued," partnered his family with another family, the Hendricks, to make the film possible. He told The Christian Post on Thursday about the inspiration behind the film.

"We've both adopted, domestically and overseas, and our hearts are in it fully and both families have the same passion," said Winton. "That was the heartbeat behind the entire film."

The buzz being generated by the film is staggering, with many praising its powerful and sensible vision of how the Gospel can reflect our daily lives, the life in the church, and in our own families.

"Everyone is called to care," Winton said, "Adopting a child is doing the Great Commission."

He continues by highlighting that James 1:27 was vital in producing the film and spreading the word about adoption.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Furthermore, he explained that, "the film is endorsed by some phenomenal people" and that it has helped the film tremendously.

Marc Andreas, the vice president of Client Marketing at Bethany Christian Services and a supporter of the film, told CP: "The film is another great tool to help share God's biblical message about orphans."

This film is creating waves in what some consider "the new era of Christian filmmaking."
"It presents some strong family testimonies and some theological discussions about adoption," Andreas said. "It's great to see the Holy Spirit moving in such an incredible way."

The producers of the film have been awed and thrilled that "Rescued" is seeing contention as a semi-finalist at SAICFF, which runs from February 23-25.

"We think it's a great film, and to present the idea of adopting a child into a home to hear and respond to the Gospel is worth it," Winton told CP. "The adoption process is completely worth it."

Among the other competitors at the festival are "Seven Days in Utopia" and the hit drama "Courageous," a film about small-town police officers urged to spend more time with their families. "Courageous" has grossed nearly 16 times its budget, earning over $34 million in ticket sales worldwide.

"We are very grateful and excited to be expanding into theaters in over 20 countries, [God] carried us through the whole production," Stephen Kendrick, the producer of "Courageous," told CP Thursday. "I feel good about where the movie is heading."

Kendrick went on to say that the film has become such a big success abroad that the film replaced "Mission Impossible 4" in a Puerto Rican cinema because every other showing for "Courageous" was sold out.

Talking about the upcoming film festival, Kendrick also expressed his gratitude for documentary submissions saying, "I'm so grateful for these documentaries that are being submitted, and for the filmmakers who have come so fast and so far, it's very inspiring."

"Rescued" is currently in the process of setting up screenings in churches and homes across the country.

More information on both films can be found at rescuedthemovie.com and courageousthemovie.com.