Mormon cinema
Though Latter-day Saints have been involved in the film industry in various ways since the early 20th century, independent Mormon cinema is a relatively new phenomenon. Many scholars and filmmakers accredit
Production of Mormon films has slowed since the early 2000s, but those in the niche industry continue to release movies covering distinctly LDS topics, such as
Defining "Mormon cinema"
There is debate surrounding what should and should not be classified as "Mormon cinema." For example, Don Bluth's animated films, such as The Land Before Time (1988) and Anastasia (1997), carry some themes and undertones that coincide with the director's religion but lack overtly LDS characteristics.[2]: 23, 30–32 Preston Hunter, one of the creators of ldsfilm.com, limits the definition of Mormon cinema to films released commercially. They must be made, according to Hunter, by members of the church, and feature "overtly Latter-day Saint characters or themes."[2] This definition would exclude Brigham Young (1940) because its director, Henry Hathaway, was not a member of the church. That film, however, harbored obvious Mormon aspects; church leaders at the time even had a hand in its production. In the absence of definite criteria, the definition of Mormon cinema often shifts to reflect whatever is included in the annual LDS Film Festival.[2]
History
Early 20th-century Mormon films
Prior to the advent of filmmaking, a major shift occurred in the LDS Church from isolationism to a period of growth. In the 1890s, the practice of
Silent film era
Between the years 1905 and 1915, nineteen known movies portraying Mormonism were produced. These were not, however, made by Latter-day Saints; many were lurid tales of hypnotic missionaries and Western pioneer stories with storylines revolving around massacres or kidnappings.
One Hundred Years was considered a large-scale production for its time; it was 90 minutes long and involved "a cast of over a thousand, an elaborate reconstruction of sections of [the city of] Nauvoo, and four concurrently running cameras".[5]: 194 It told in detail the story of the LDS Church, beginning with the birth of its founder, Joseph Smith,[3] and constituted one hundred scenes. In the realm of Mormon cinema, One Hundred Years of Mormonism "remains the single most important commercial film release of the silent cinema," mainly because of its being directly influenced by people who themselves had been Mormon pioneers. It was shown in theaters worldwide; cinemas in Buenos Aires, Sydney, Peking, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Paris, and London requested reels.[8]: 73–80 Only a few minutes of the film survive today.[3]
From 1916 to 1929, brothers Shirley and Chester Clawson made the first documentary-style films for the church. They recorded segments of the church's semiannual
Growth and development, 1958–2000
In the 1950s, the
The range of years from 1973 to 2000 has been called the "Mass Media Era" in Mormon cinema.[1] Particularly in the years before the internet, the church encouraged its members to look to its "correlated"—that is, church-produced—films and filmstrips for information and faith-building entertainment.[11] The films produced during this time mostly fit into that category; they were products of the church itself, not of its members independently. However, a growing number of Latter-day Saints began to work in the entertainment industry.[1]
The birth of modern Mormon cinema: 2000-2006
In more recent decades, Mormon-made and -themed films produced neither by the church nor by big Hollywood film studios have garnered recognition among LDS audiences. The Mormon cinema movement began in 2000, when director
Mormon comedies
Observing the financial success of God's Army, Kurt Hale and Dave Hunter founded
Films that rely heavily on the viewers' understanding of LDS vocabulary, social norms and self-deprecating cultural humor rarely find success among general audiences.
Efforts at mass appeal and growth
LDS film directors have been attempting to appeal to a national audience since the early 2000s. The 2003 crossover film Pride & Prejudice: A Latter-day Comedy, for example, avoided direct references to Mormonism. Its director, Andrew Black, sought to focus on other elements of the story, with Mormon culture as "just a backdrop."[26] Professor Travis T. Anderson argues that LDS films revolving around universal human themes—such as "challenges, struggles, desire, and day-to-day experiences"—with just a splash of religious undertones achieve success in the movie market despite the Mormon cultural aspects they carry, which can seem strange to general audiences. He cites The Other Side of Heaven (2001), Saints and Soldiers (2003), Napoleon Dynamite (2004), and New York Doll (2005) as examples of such "critical and financial success stories in Mormon cinema."[27] Saints and Soldiers gained recognition at multiple small film festivals; and the 2001 murder mystery Brigham City, while not praised by audiences, received critical acclaim.[28] The documentary New York Doll tells the story of a member of a rock band—who also happens to be Mormon—and the reconciliation of his two worlds. It demonstrates the commonly-held goal of Mormon filmmakers to bridge the gap between how Mormons are perceived and the concept of the typical American.[1] Larry Miller, owner of the Utah jazz, invested millions of dollars into producing The Work and the Glory (2004) in an effort to tell the story of the history of the LDS Church.[23] Mormon filmmakers have often made the argument that films with distinctly Mormon characteristics have the potential to appeal to general audiences.[23] Additionally, LDS films have been featured in theaters around the United States.[28] Mormon cinema has also been the subject of aesthetic discussion. Doc Films, a student film society at the University of Chicago, hosted a Mormon film series in 2007.[29]
Some Mormon films were marketed differently to the larger market than they were to their niche audience. The national release DVD cover of Brigham City, for example, featured "much more implied violence" than the cover released to the Mormon Corridor.[2] When new films were released, their launch was often accompanied by the creation of a website dedicated to promoting the film.[30] Most of the family-oriented films marketed to Mormon audiences never made it to theaters, but went right to DVD distribution through large and small e-commerce websites, such as Amazon and LDSVideoStore.com.[15] Deseret Book Company and Seagull Book were at the forefront of Mormon DVD distribution.[30] In general, the most successful Mormon films were those made with high-quality equipment and distributed by an entertainment company, such as Halestorm or Excel Entertainment.[15]
As the Mormon film industry blossomed, so did commentary and criticism. In 2000, the Association for Mormon Letters created a film category for its AML Awards.[5] That same year, Preston Hunter and Thomas Baggaley created ldsfilm.com,[2] which became the central hub for discussions and announcements concerning Mormon cinema.[30] The site provided a place for "a Mormon film community" to form, helping visitors stay apprised of upcoming LDS movies.[2] Then in 2001, the first LDS Film Festival was held in Provo, Utah.[5] Attendance more than doubled at the event's fifth year.[23] The modern Mormon cinema movement was large enough to spawn celebrities, such as Kirby Heyborne, within the Mormon community.[31] As of 2009, there were 4,591 entries of film or television shows in the Mormon Literature and Creative Arts Database.[2] The term "Mollywood"—a portmanteau of "Mormon" and "Hollywood"—was used to describe the films of this era.[32][17]
Present day
Eric Samuelsen, associate professor of theatre and media arts, has noted that "many [LDS] films from 2005 onward have performed so poorly at the box office that the movement seems to have lost at least some of its momentum."
Mormon filmmakers have continued to produce movies centered around LDS missionaries, but often from new perspectives;
The LDS Film Festival is still held annually in Orem, Utah,[39] usually around the same time as the Sundance Film Festival.[1] The 2020 festival commemorated 20 years of Mormon cinema: 20 years, that is, since the release of Richard Dutcher's God's Army, the film credited with starting the movement.[39] The subgenre has become an important part of cultural expression for Latter-day Saints.[1] Director and screenwriter Randy Astle has argued that, "along with music and temple architecture, [film] is the most prominent Mormon art form".[2]: 19 LDS films are commonly made in the Rocky Mountains, New England, New York City, and Los Angeles.[35]
MPAA ratings
One aspect of the culture of LDS cinema is heightened concern over
Selected notable companies
- Excel Entertainment Group
- Halestorm Entertainment
Selected filmography
Drama
- Joseph Smith's death.
- Bad Bascomb (1946) – Two outlaws hide out in a Mormon wagon and one of them befriends a little girl.
- Wagon Master (1950) – Forced out of Crystal City, a group of Mormons head west in search of the promised land.
- Paint Your Wagon (1969) – Two unlikely prospectors share the same wife in a Californian mining town.
- Messenger of Death (1988) – A film about an attempt by a water company to start a family feud among fundamentalist Mormons to take the family's land for the company.
- God's Army (2000) – The first general release, modern Mormon cinema film, about LDS missionaries; directed by Richard Dutcher.
- God's Army 2: States of Grace(2005) – A sequel to God's Army, by Richard Dutcher
- Brigham City(2001) – A murder mystery, also by Dutcher.
- LDS missionary, as documented in his memoir In the Eye of the Storm.
- The Other Side of Heaven 2: The Fire of Faith(2019) – Sequel to The Other Side of Heaven.
- The Book of Mormon Movie, Vol. 1: The Journey (2003) – An ambitious film about the Book of Mormon, which was the fourth highest-grossing movie in LDS cinema.[41]
- The Best Two Years (2003) – An LDS missionary's experience in the Netherlands, based on the play The Best Two Years of My Life.
- Saints and Soldiers (2004) – A World War II movie that has muted LDS overtones and significant mainstream appeal.
- Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed (2012) – sequel
- Saints and Soldiers: The Void (2014) – sequel
- LDS and historical fiction series The Work and the Glory.
- The Work and The Glory II: American Zion(2005) – sequel
- The Errand of Angels (2008) – The experiences of a female LDS missionary from Idaho serving in Austria.
- Emma Smith: My Story (2008) – The story of Joseph Smith's wife, Emma. Based upon the true story of her life.
- Forever Strong (2008) – Will rugby reunite a broken family?
- Willie Handcart Company. The main character is Levi Savagewho joins and supports the company despite serious misgivings about their unpreparedness and late start.
- Ephraim's Rescue (2013) – The story of Ephraim Hanks who was one of the first rescuers to leave Salt Lake City to help save the stranded Willie and Martin handcart companies.
- The Saratov Approach (2013) – Based on the true story of two missionaries kidnapped and held for ransom while serving LDS missions in Russia in 1998.
- Freetown (2015) – based on the true story of a group of native Liberian missionaries traveling from Monrovia, Liberia to Freetown, Sierra Leone during a time of civil war in 1990.
- Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisisand the miraculous spiritual experiences that happened there.
- Spirit of the Game (2016) – based on the true story of the Mormon Yankees, an American basketball team which played in exhibition games before the 1956 Summer Olympics..
- Hill Cumorah. They are initially shunned by the local townspeople, but over the years gradually gain their deep respect and love.
- Out of Liberty (2019) – the individuals surrounding Joseph Smith's captivity in Liberty Jail in 1839.[42]
Romance
- Saturday's Warrior(1989) – popular release among Latter-day Saints of the De Azevedo and Stewart musical, directed by Bob Williams. De Azevedo released a remake of the movie in 2016.
- Out of Step (2002) – a young dance student leaves Utah for schooling in New York City. She falls in love with two different men and must choose between them.
- Pride and Prejudice: A Latter-Day Comedy (2003) – a modern adaptation of the Jane Austen novel Pride and Prejudice, set in Provo, Utah.
Comedy
Several comedies, mostly produced by Dave Hunter, have also been released. Because the humor of these films often relies on specifically Utah-centric Latter Day Saint culture, they tend to have a smaller audience than the other LDS subgenres, even among Mormon viewers.
- The Singles Ward (2002) – The title refers to an LDS congregation (ward) composed only of single adults. A comedy with romantic aspects.
- The R.M. (2003) – About the experiences of a returned missionary.
- The Best Two Years (2003) – LDS missionaries' experiences in the Netherlands, based on the play The Best Two Years of My Life.
- The Work and the Story (2003) – A mockumentary about LDS cinema when Richard Dutcher (fictionally) disappears. Written, produced and directed by Nathan Smith Jones; co-produced by Miriam Smith.
- The Home Teachers (2004) – Slapstick comedy about polar opposite home teachers that "fulfill" their responsibility on the last day of the month. "Home teaching" is the LDS practice of a home teaching companionship – a holder of the Melchizedek Priesthood and a 14-year-old teacher or older – visiting and teaching families in their ward each month.
- Baptists at Our Barbecue (2004) – Longfellow – consistently called "Longwinded" by the inhabitants – is a small town that is religiously divided equally between Baptists and Mormons. A newcomer becomes the tie-breaker. Rather than tilt the scales he decides to bridge the religious divide by organizing an all-faiths barbecue. Based on a novel by Robert Farrell Smith.
- Sons of Provo (2004) – Mockumentary about an LDS boy band named Everclean.
- Mobsters and Mormons (2005) – After testifying against his mob boss, Carmine "The Beans" Zindelli Pasquale and his family are put in the Witness Protection Program in "Happy Valley", Utah, resulting in significant culture clash.
- Church Ball (2006) – In the last year of a basketball league, a church team does not want to place last again. The storyline juxtaposes the desire to win at all costs with the expectation of sportsmanlike conduct in church sports.
- Believe (2007) – A mockumentary about multi-level marketing.[43]
- Inspired Guns (2014) – Two Mormon missionaries begin teaching two members in the mafia in a case of mistaken identity.
- Once I Was a Beehive (2015) – A non-LDS girl attends Young Woman's camp.
- Trek: The Movie (2018) — a group of LDS teens participate in a reenactment of the handcart pioneers.
Fantasy/adventure
- The Legend of Johnny Lingo (2003) – follow on to the classic short film.
- Nephites and Gadianton robbers (tribes and groups mentioned in the Book of Mormon).
- Martinhandcart companies struggling to survive to head to the Great Salt Lake Valley while a multitude of miracles occur.
Documentary
- American Mormon (2005) – A small film crew drove across the United States interviewing people about their perceptions of Mormons.
- New York Doll (2005) – A recovering alcoholic and recently converted Mormon, Arthur "Killer" Kane, of the rock band The New York Dolls, is given a chance at reuniting with his band after 30 years.
- American Mormon in Europe (2006) – Interviews with people in Europe about their perceptions of Mormons, and interviews with European church members.
- Trouble In Zion (2009) – A tragic piece of American religious history is brought to life through the spoken word, folk music, and the vibrant pages of a comic book.
- 8: The Mormon Proposition (2010) – "A scorching indictment [44] of the Mormon Church's historic involvement in the promotion & passage of California's Proposition 8 and the Mormon religion's secretive, decades-long campaign against LGBT human rights."
- Meet the Mormons (2014) – A documentary examining the very diverse lives of six devout members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[45] (actually an official church production, but included here because it was shown in theaters).
- Believer (2018) – Documentary of Imagine Dragons' lead singer, the loveloud music festival, and Latter-day Saint queer folk.
Television
- Bonanza (1959-1973) – Season 8, Episode 4: "The Pursued" (1966).
- The Joseph Smith Papers (2008–2009) – Documentary television series which documented the creation of, and work involved in, Joseph Smith Papers Project.
- History of the Saints (2010) – Documentary television series which focuses on the history of the Latter-day Saints after the death of Joseph Smith, including their exodus to Utah.
- Hell on Wheels (2011–2016) – Western television series which focuses on the building of the Transcontinental Railroad.
- Under the Banner of Heaven (2022) – American true crime drama television miniseries created by Dustin Lance Black based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Jon Krakauer.
Box office
Title | Year | Studio | Actors | Director | Budget | Gross |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Best Two Years | 2003 | Halestorm Entertainment | K.C. Clyde, Kirby Heyborne, David Nibley, Cameron Hopkin, Scott Christopher, Michael Flynn | Scott S. Anderson
|
$400,000 | $1,163,450 |
The Book of Mormon Movie, Vol. 1: The Journey
|
2003 | Halestorm Entertainment | Noah Danby, Kirby Heyborne, Jacque Gray, Bryce Chamberlain, Jan Gardner, Ron Frederickson | Gary Rogers | $1,500,000 | $1,680,020[46] |
Brigham City | 2001 | Zion Films | Richard Dutcher, Matthew A. Brown, Wilford Brimley, Carrie Morgan, Jongiorgi Enos, Tayva Patch | Richard Dutcher | $900,000 | $852,206 |
Charly | 2002 | Jeremy Hoop, Randy King, Heather Beers | Adam Thomas Anderegg | $950,000 | $813,685 | |
Forever Strong | 2008 | Lonesome Highway Productions | Sean Faris, Gary Cole, Penn Badgley, Arielle Kebbel, Sean Astin, Neal McDonough, Olesya Rulin | Ryan Little | $719,556 | |
God's Army | 2000 | Zion Films | Matthew A. Brown, Richard Dutcher, Jacque Gray, DeSean Terry, Michael Buster, Luis Robledo, Jeff Kelly, John Pentecost, Lynne Carr | Richard Dutcher | $300,000 | $2,637,726[47] |
God's Army 2: States of Grace | 2005 | Zion Films | Lucas Fleischer, Jeffrey Scott Kelly, J.J. Boone | Richard Dutcher | $800,000 | $203,144 |
The Saratov Approach | 2013 | Three Coin Productions, Saratov Films | Corbin Allred, Maclain Nelson, Nikita Bogolyubov, Alex Veadov | Garrett Batty | $ | $2,146,999[47] |
Inspired Guns | 2014 | Pitch White Entertainment | David Lassetter, Shona Kay, Dashieli Wolf, Jarrod Phillips, Rick Macy, Charan Prabhakar, Christian Busath, Alix Maria Taulbee | Adam White | $175,000 | |
The Other Side of Heaven | 2001 | Walt Disney Pictures | Christopher Gorham, Anne Hathaway | Mitch Davis | $7,000,000 | $4,720,371 |
The R.M. | 2003 | Halestorm Entertainment | Kirby Heyborne, Daryn Tufts, Will Swenson, Britani Bateman, Tracy Ann Evans, Merrill Dodge, Michael Birkeland, Maren Ord, Gary Crowton | Kurt Hale | $500,000 | $1,111,615 |
Saints and Soldiers | 2003 | Excel Entertainment Group
|
Corbin Allred, Alexander Niver, Kirby Heyborne, Lawrence Bagby, Peter Aste Holden | Ryan Little | $780,000 | $1,310,470 |
Saturday's Warrior | 1989 | Fieldbrook Entertainment | Erik Hickenlooper, Cori Jacobsen, Davison Cheney, Bart Hickenlooper | Bob Williams | ||
The Singles Ward
|
2002 | Halestorm Entertainment | Connie Young, Kirby Heyborne, Daryn Tufts , Michael Birkeland, Lincoln Hoppe
|
Kurt Hale | $500,000 | $1,250,798 |
The Work and the Glory
|
2004 | Excel Entertainment Group
|
Sam Hennings, Brenda Strong, Eric Johnson, Alexander Carroll, Tiffany Dupont, Jonathan Scarfe | Russell Holt | $7.5 million | $3,347,647 |
Meet the Mormons | 2014 | Excel Entertainment Group & Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
|
Jermaine Sullivan, Ken Niumatalolo, Carolina Muñoz Marin, Bishnu Adhukari, Gail Halvorsen, Dawn Armstrong, Jenna Kim Jones | Blair Treu | $5,883,132 (all proceeds donated to the American Red Cross) |
See also
- Christian film industry
- The Book of Mormon (musical)
- Cleanflix - the 2009 documentary about edited versions of R-rated movies
- Mormon pornography
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Anderson, Sky (2012). A Reason to Believe: A Rhetorical Analysis of Mormon Missionary Films (PDF) (M.A. thesis). Colorado State University.
- ^ S2CID 171501211.
- ^ BYU Studies Quarterly. 46 (2): 13–146 – via BYU ScholarsArchive.
- ^ a b c Burton, Gideon O. (2004). The Threat of Mormon Cinema. AML Annual. pp. 199–203.
- ^ BYU Studies Quarterly. 46 (2): 194–196 – via BYU ScholarsArchive.
- ^ JSTOR 23289174– via JSTOR.
- The Young Woman's Journal. Vol. 24, no. 2. Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Associations of Zion. p. 80. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ a b Nelson, Richard Alan (1975). A history of Latter-day Saint screen portrayals in the anti-Mormon film era, 1905-1936 (M.A. thesis). Brigham Young University.
- ^ Wiley Online Library.
- ^ Packer, Lynn Kenneth (17 January 2017). "The Lost Mormon Film: One Hundred Years of Mormonism". Salt Lake Magazine. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- JSTOR 10.18809/msr.2018.0107– via JSTOR.
- ^ a b c Lee, Chris (19 August 2008). "Out of the picture". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ S2CID 251854873– via EBSCOHost.
- ^ "God's Army - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ BYU Studies Quarterly. 46 (2): 214–222 – via BYU ScholarsArchive.
- S2CID 172093434.
- ^ a b c Hummel, Debbie (6 November 2005). "Mormon filmmakers hoping Utah can be a wholesome Hollywood". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ "Excel Entertainment Group: Corporate Bio". www.ldsfilm.com. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ a b c Wallace, C. G. (3 September 2005). "Mormon cinema is on a mission for profits". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ a b Bennett, Jim (25 April 2014). "What happened to the wave of Mormon movies?". Deseret News. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ a b Clements, Derrick (28 September 2016). "A new twist on Mormon cinema: 'The Next Door' goes neo-noir". Daily Herald. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ Amodio, Joseph V. (6 March 2018). "Will Swenson talks Jerry Springer and Mormon movies". Newsday. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Chandler, Michael Alison (26 January 2006). "Big-Screen Religion Mormon Filmmakers Balance Faith With Their Hopes for Secular Appeal". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ ISBN 9780313391675.
- Sunstone Magazine. Event occurs at 19:08. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ ISBN 9780874217735.
- BYU Studies Quarterly. 48 (2): 111–126 – via BYU ScholarsArchive.
- ^ a b Berkes, Howard (15 January 2004). "Mormon Cinema, a Growing Indie Scene". NPR. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ Schonwald, Josh (15 November 2007). "Doc Films explores new frontier with film series on Mormon cinema". The University of Chicago Chronicle. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ BYU Studies Quarterly. 48 (1): 161–168 – via BYU ScholarsArchive.
- ^ a b Harris, Elizabeth A. (13 October 2019). "Lights. Camera. Prayer. A Mini-Hollywood Grows in Utah". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ Hyde, Jesse (21 June 2003), "Let's hear it for Mollywood", Deseret News
- ^ Clark, Cody (22 August 2008). "Feminine Side: New film tells LDS missionary story from female perspective". Daily Herald. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ Gambles, Sarah (9 April 2015). "'Freetown' is an inspirational movie of faith-filled missionaries fleeing for their lives". Deseret News. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ S2CID 254492244– via JSTOR.
- ^ Toone, Trent (12 September 2019). "'Out of Liberty' is historically accurate but meant to be a 'Western jailbreak thriller,' director says". Deseret News. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ Toone, Trent (5 April 2019). "New film 'The Fighting Preacher' is 'the best church history story you've never heard of,' director says". Deseret News. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ Saints Unscripted (16 March 2021). Mormon Cinema: The good, the bad, the ugly (Video). Archived from the original on 22 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Where you can celebrate 20 years of Mormon cinema". FOX 13. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- S2CID 154460847– via Research Gate.
- ^ "Films Made by Latter-day Saints - Box Office Receipts Compared". ldsfilm.com.
- ^ Out of Liberty - SAMUEL GOLDWYN FILMS
- ^ "Believe (2007)". Riverfront Times. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
- ^ 8: The Mormon Proposition (2010) - IMDb, retrieved 25 August 2022
- ^ "Meet the Mormons". Meet the Mormons.
- ^ "Book of Mormon Movie (2003) - Box Office Mojo". boxofficemojo.com.
- ^ a b "1984 Yearly Box Office Results - Box Office Mojo". boxofficemojo.com.
Further reading
- Astle, Randy (2013). "Mormons and Cinema". In Hunter, James Michael (ed.). Mormons and Popular Culture: the global influence of an American phenomenon. Santa Barbara, California: OCLC 776495102.
- Baggaley, Thomas (2004). "LDS Cinema Gets Better and Gets a Bum Rating". Meridian Magazine. Archived from the originalon 2 February 2010.
- Halter, Ed (13 January 2004). "Missionary Positioning: Indie Mormon Cinema Attempts a Mainstream Conversion". The Village Voice.
External links
- LDS cinema at LDSFilm.com
- LDS Film Festival at LDSFilmFestival.org
- Means, Sean P. (5 October 2012). "Looking back: Ten films show the best from 'Mormon Cinema'". The Salt Lake Tribune.