Chinese Adventist media team wins bronze award in gospel short film competition

August 15, 2014 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Ansel Oliver/ANN

Tony Chou, left, manager of the Signs of the Times Publishing Association, receives the bronze eagle award on behalf of the producers of the film “My Father” during an August 8 ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan. The film competition was sponsored by the Christian Tribune Foundation. Image courtesy CTF

An Adventist media team in China won third place in a Christian short film competition with an 11-minute movie that tells about a father’s ultimate love for his wayward son.

The Adventist media team won a bronze eagle award for their film “My Father” at the Chinese Gospel Short Film Competition in Taipei, Taiwan, on August 8. The competition drew 65 films and was sponsored by the Christian Tribune Foundation.

Producer Li Ming said he was happy for the team to receive the award as recognition of their work.

“This award is an encouragement to our team. Our young people need a boost like this to stimulate their creativity,” Li said.

“My Father” was created by a staff of eight people working on a budget of $1,500. Filming took 15 days, with post production taking another 20 days. The film was shot in a small village in China’s Northeast Liaoning Province.

The team has conducted Internet evangelism outreach for six years. They began making short films two years ago. The group received positive feedback from viewers who emailed their thanks, which motivated them to participate in the film competition, said “My Father” director Shi Tou.

“The purpose of our participation was not to win the prize, but to attract and encourage more young people to participate in Internet evangelism ministry,” Shi said.

The 22-member team is based in Southern China, where they conduct Internet evangelism training and produce video and audio programs for online distribution, said Daniel Jiao, executive secretary of the Adventist Church’s Chinese Union Mission.

Jiao said the Chairman of the Christian Tribune Foundation, Dr. Simon Hung, had words of support for filmmakers when he awarded the bronze statue: “Jesus told Peter to go to the deep water for a catch, and nowadays the deep water is cell phones and movie theaters. …If we do not use them, the world is going to use them. Christians should use audio and video to spread the gospel quickly.”

See the film “My Father” by clicking HERE.