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Don't Let Hollywood and Film Schools Rule Over Christian Filmmaking

Contact: George Escobar, Advent Film Group, 540-751-1021

PURCELLVILLE, Va., May 3, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Only a dozen spots remain available for Advent Film Group's Annual Film Workshop in Purcellville, VA, June 23-25, 2011 at Patrick Henry College. Sixty filmmakers have already registered. The three-day workshop includes special courses, featuring Victoria Emmons, COME WHAT MAY co-star and Rebekah Cook, actress and casting assistant for ALONE YET NOT ALONE. They will cover acting, auditioning, and conduct a casting demonstration. Another program highlight is a preview screening of Advent's newest movie, HERO, a father-son baseball movie. Afterwards, the producers will reveal how HERO was made under God's guidance and provisions.

"We insist that filmmakers serve others in order to take the focus away from themselves," explains George Escobar, Advent founder. "Filmmaking is a very ego-centric business. As Christians in film, we must resist that temptation and instead follow Christ's example to love and serve others."

"The idea that a Christian filmmaker should approach his work with an attitude of service to and in partnership with other organizations has just totally opened my thinking. Building on this idea, taught us that this service/partnership approach is both how a Christian film gets made and why it gets made. There's no way I could put a monetary value on this one idea," says Nathan McKinney, attorney and workshop alumnus.

In four years, over 350 filmmakers have received training from Advent. About 100 of them earned professional crew credits on three Advent movies. Several former interns are now making their own micro-budget feature films. "Our training program equips a student toward becoming complete filmmakers," said Mike Snyder, Advent co-founder. "They can learn every discipline of filmmaking beyond production, including business, legal, finance, sales, marketing, and distribution. We offer a comprehensive alternative to film school at a significantly lower cost."

Every year Advent selects a dozen or more workshop attendees to join them during the production of one or more of its feature films. Another half-dozen work at Advent's production office developing stories, prepping new productions, editing, and serving the local community.

"It's also about telling God's stories, how He is working in people's lives, allowing everyone in the audience, whether believer or not, to know God better and have a relationship with Him," adds Snyder.

The workshop includes 24 hours of instructions, a COME WHAT MAY movie DVD, production forms, marketing templates, business plans, case studies, lunch and refreshments, and one-on-one sessions with Advent's production team.

Visit www.adventfilmgroup.com/Workshop to learn more.