Rick Santorum Becomes New CEO of Christian Film Company
Former GOP presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Rick Santorum has accepted the position as CEO of the Dallas-based Christian film company EchoLight Studios, saying in a statement that he believes that in a similar way to politics, entertainment can work to reinforce one's religious values.
"This is the right place and right time, and I've jumped in with both feet," Santorum said in recent press release by EchoLight, which describes itself as "America's fastest-growing faith & family film company."
"I often say that culture is upstream from politics, and I know entertainment also can be strength and light for people who want to be uplifted and reinforced in their values," Santorum added.
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Santorum, who has spent the past year working with EchoLight to develop its brand, went on to state that he believes Dallas can become "the Hollywood of the faith-and-family movie market," and he hopes to continue building and expanding the Christian film industry to create an "authentic product truthful to the faith in people's lives."
The former senator from Pennsylvania announced his new position as the company' CEO while speaking on former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's Fox program, "The Huckabee Show."
Santorum added in an emailed statement to Patriot Voices, a website he launched in 2012, that he believes it is important for the Christian film industry to have a greater impact on America's youth than the morals associated with many mainstream Hollywood films.
"For too long, Hollywood has had a lock on influencing the youth of this country with a flawed message that goes against our values. Now, we can change that," Santorum said.
EchoLight Studios, which has released eight films since its 2011 founding, describes itself as the "first movie company to produce, finance, market and distribute faith-based, family films across all releasing platforms."
The company currently has four films in post-production, including "The Redemption of Henry Myers," which is slated to hit theaters this fall.
Santorum has long been expressive of his Catholic beliefs and his desire to stay true to his moral convictions in politics, such as opposing same-sex marriage, birth control, as well as seeking to protect religious freedom in the workplace.
The former GOP presidential candidate, who also officially endorsed Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential election, told The Wall Street Journal that while working at EchoLight he will do everything from read scripts to arrange meetings with influential conservative and Christian leaders.
Bobby Downes, a former missionary who founded EchoLight in 2011, told the WSJ that the marketing, production and distribution company hopes to tap into the extensive church network in the U.S.
"There are 328 churches in North America, with 70-100 people in each church, that's a 90 million person reach," Downes told the WSJ.
"Hollywood cannot buy that network and we feel like that's what Jesus did, through movies we are reaching out to people and making sure to take care of them," Downes added.
