Christian TV pioneer has helped blaze trail for high quality faith and family cinema

Contact: Susan M. Zahn, WDC Media PR, 877-862-3600, office@wdcmedia.com 

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 15 /Christian Newswire/ -- As founder and president of Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), the world's largest religious broadcaster and America's most watched faith channel, Dr. Paul Crouch has been on the cutting edge of inspirational television and media for nearly 40 years. On October 17th, Dr. Crouch will be honored for his many years of service to Christian broadcasting and filmmaking as he receives the Redemptive Storyteller Award for Lifetime Achievement at the Fourth Annual Redemptive Film Festival in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Dr. Chris Cunningham, co-founder of FireWorks International, which hosts and produces the Redemptive Film Festival, noted that Dr. Crouch's long and fruitful history as a pioneer in both Christian television and filmmaking made his selection for the award an easy one. "Dr. Paul Crouch was selected by the nominating committee because of his tireless efforts to tell the greatest redemptive story ever," explained Dr. Cunningham, "primarily through Christian broadcasting, but also through his role as Executive Producer of several high quality films."

Among the many award-winning feature length films with which Dr. Crouch has been closely involved over the last 20 years are China Cry, The Revolutionary and The Revolutionary II (based on the life of Jesus), The Emissary (about the life of the apostle Paul), The Omega Code, Megiddo, One Night with the King, and the 2008 family film The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry.

Beginning in the 1960s as a filmmaker with the Assemblies of God denomination, Dr. Crouch developed a vision for how television could be used to creatively take the gospel message around the world. That vision became the inspiration for Trinity Broadcasting Network, which Dr. Crouch launched with his wife Jan in 1973 as a single UHF television station. Today TBN's five major networks beam inspirational and family-friendly programming around the globe via 70 satellites and more than 12,500 television and cable affiliates worldwide.

Paul Crouch Jr., TBN's Chief of Staff and the oldest son of the network founder, said that his father has always carried a strong vision for using television and film to change lives. "Using the latest technology for the propagation of the gospel is what God has called him to do," he said.

He added that TBN is the largest distribution vehicle of television programming in the world, and through Dr. Crouch's leadership movies have become a major part of the network's evangelical strategy. "Jesus Himself used parables to illustrate his teachings," he noted, "and we are simply using modern technology in a similar fashion to help effect and change peoples lives."

Matt Crouch, an award-winning movie producer and Dr. Crouch's younger son, added that what his father has accomplished through television and film goes far beyond anything he could have imagined. "Even greater than his significant role in developing these powerful tools to reach a world in need," he said, "my father has demonstrated what it means to pursue with relentless abandon the purpose and destiny God has placed within each of us."

The Redemptive Film Festival, which has attracted hundreds of entries from dozens of countries around the world, offers professional and student filmmakers alike the opportunity to exhibit films reflecting the beauty and force of God's redemptive powers. The Fourth Annual Redemptive Film Festival kicks off on Friday, October 16th, with screenings of some of this year's winning films in animation, comedy shorts, documentaries, music videos, and short- and full-length narratives. The public is invited to the screenings free of charge.

The festival's award ceremony will be held Saturday, October 17th at 5:00 P.M. in the School of Communication's main theatre at Regent University. Tickets are available online for $10 at boxoffice@regent.edu or by calling 757-226-4245. For more festival information, call 757-966-0312 or e-mail redemptiverfilms@cox.net.

About Trinity Broadcasting Network
Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) is the world's largest religious network as well as America's most watched and most requested faith channel. Each day TBN offers 24 hours of commercial-free inspirational programming that appeals to viewers in a wide variety of denominations. Beginning in 1973 as a single UHF station in southern California, TBN now reaches every major continent via 70 satellites and more than 12,500 television and cable affiliates worldwide. In the United States, TBN is available to 92 percent of the total households, and its website receives more than 27 million visitors monthly. In addition to TBN, the network owns and operates seven networks, including: The Church Channel, JCTV youth network, TBN Enlace USA Spanish network, and Smile of a Child TV children's network. For more information on TBN, visit www.tbn.org.