Mistakes Happens, Tragedy Happens, Life Happens, Thank God….Faith Happens!
What do a drug addict, a feisty old lady, an African refugee, an ex-boxer, a salesman and a Chinese entrepreneur have in common? They all go to the same church.
Nine year old Amy, who says she’s been grown up a long time, deals with problems far beyond her years. She wonders why bad things happen and whether God is out there looking after us. John, the pastor, deals with the same questions as his wife struggles with cancer and his estranged son has dropped off the face of the earth. Others in the congregation have different issues.
They discover that miracles do happen, tragedy strikes when you least expect, and God is not always easy to understand. For some, faith happens. For others, it never does. This carefully woven tapestry of people, intersecting at the point of faith, is rich with the “stuff of life”.
Faith Happens is a hard hitting drama that takes you on a personal journey from the heart to the soul.
“On hearing this, Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” (Mark 2:17, NIV)
The church is at its best when it is helping people in need and real-life stories of grace and mercy from church pews have far more intrigue and drama than anything Hollywood could dream up. For example, what do a drug-addicted artist, a feisty senior citizen, a mother dying of cancer, a woman caught up in adultery, and a salesman with the greatest “product” in the world have in common? They are all real people with real issues from one community church whose stories are interwoven in the new movie Faith Happens.
The film opens with nine-year-old Amy telling us she has “been grown up a long time.” Like many of the characters we meet, our sinful world has left its ugly stain on Amy and her family. Life has this precocious girl wondering why bad things happen … and whether or not there is a God looking out for us.
She’s not the only one wrestling with this question: there’s the prodigal son and his pastor father; there’s the scorned wife and the unwed mother; there’s the has-been thug and the thug wannabe; there’s the African refugee and Chinese political player.
Amy—like nearly all of the characters—discovers that tragedy strikes when you least expect it, miracles still happen, and God is not easily understood. Despite all of this (or maybe because of it), faith happens in this small church.
Sometimes we’re thrown curveballs, but it’s in the catching of those circumstances that life is fully lived. This is what Amy and others discover. Miracles do happen, tragedy strikes when you least expect it, and life goes on. Just as each one of us has our own defining moments, each character faces their moments of truth. For some, that truth means hope and freedom. For others, it means a broken nose. This carefully woven tapestry of people, intersecting at the point of faith, examines both.
Faith Happens is a hard-hitting drama that takes moviegoers to the edgier side of life; yet these real-life occurrences beautifully illustrate the amazing grace that is offered by our amazing God. This film is about hope; believing in spite of the evidence, then watching the evidence change!
Award-winning film producer Rick Garside has helmed a dozen or more successful films in his 20-plus year career but observing a growing debate even among religious Americans about the need for churches, decided it was time to go back to his roots and make a film about the place that changed the course of his life: the church he grew up attending. Partnering with longtime friend, Hollywood legend Pat Boone as Executive Producer, Garside and Boone have delivered a film that is based upon the real-life experiences that actually happened in Garside’s church.
This powerful drama is packed with emotion and power and targets issues like; domestic violence, crime, corruption, abortion, religious persecution, drug abuse, adultery, divorce, illness, brokenness and family loss. Most people wonder why bad things happen and whether God is still out there looking after us, Faith Happens sheds insight on this ever struggling question. This film will take the viewer on a personal journey from the heart to the soul as it shows that God is real and present in every situation.
Bruce Marciano who acted the role of Jesus in the Gospel according to Matthew and Acts Visual Bible series is one of the main characters in the film Faith Happens.
Premieres will be held across South-Africa on the 12 August 2009 for church leaders, ministry co-ordinators and representatives of community organisations. Faith Happens will be released in cinemas nationwide on the 21st of August 2009 and with your support we can see this film be on the box office circuit for many weeks! Christian film releases on the big screen needs the support of local churches, cell groups and individuals to ensure a success and open the way for more Christian film releases on the big screen. Contact Humble Pie Entertainment if a representative of your church or ministry would like to attend a premiere pre-screening of this film.
Humble Pie Entertainment in association with DrawBridge Productions and Side by Side Films brings this amazing film to South Africa. All marketing, distribution and community screenings of the film will be managed by Humble Pie Entertainment. In the marketing of Faith Happens specific target groups are being mobilized to support the film. NGO’s, churches and the general public are also being educated about movie rights, piracy, public screening rights and Unashamedly Ethical throughout the entire campaign. Faith Happens is an excellent ministry tool and various resources and marketing tools will be made available to individuals and communities to enable them to use the film to impact their community, our nation and the hearts of thousands of people.
Everyone has issues but how you deal with it is what makes the difference. Be sure not to miss out on this remarkable film that shows when real conviction and devotion ignite God's people, Faith Happens!
Quotes and comments about the movie: “I laughed, I cried, I cheered” S. Konte “I was totally blown away” L Moore “A story that will hit home for just about every body” B & Y Nobel “The movie was incredible!!! I’m still thinking about it today” L. Blackwell “A powerful drama dealing with very tough issues, yet without hope” H. Reimche “Wonderfully unique and ambitious. I was touched” J. Robinson “Packed with emotion and the power of brining many to tears” J. Tankard “This film is well worth watching, not only once but several times” D. Rath
CAST Bruce Marciano (Peter) Peter Husmann (John) James Wong (Jimmy) Austin Kemie (Masa) Cole Barager (Eddie) Sandra Staggs (Renee) Patricia Place (Alice) Freddy Douglas (Jacob) Victor Lopez (Carlos) Lisa Cole (Cathy)
