Editor’s note. This “Pro-Life Perspective” can also be heard at www.prolifeperspective.com.
Throughout history, the best stories, the best films, have always followed the arc of an individual, often small and “insignificant.” The individual is faced with a daunting challenge, opposed by forces much great, much stronger, and much meaner. Yet despite pitfalls and sometimes insurmountable odds, that one individual goes on to change their world and the world of all around him or her. All good stories focus on the incredible significance of one solitary life.
No greater issue fits that bill than the one that transcends all other concerns and interest: the value and significance and worth of each individual human life. It’s rare, however, that the true nature of that issue gets shared, especially in mainstream filmmaking.
Many of us are familiar with the Sundance Film Festival in Utah and the Cannes Film Festival in France. Rarely, if ever, do films presented at these festivals tell stories which promote the value and dignity of human life. In fact, films like that have never really had a place to grow and develop…until now.
Over the second weekend in May, the third annual LifeFest Film Festival will take place in Hollywood, California. The event is presented in part by our state affiliate, the California Pro-Life Council.
What sets Life Fest apart from festivals like Sundance or Cannes is that it’s dedicated to showcasing films that reinforce the intrinsic worth of innocent human life, and the profound significance of each life. The goal is to encourage the developing of such films within the current Hollywood community, and to encourage the bevy of developing and aspiring filmmakers to make a difference. By facilitating the networking and interaction of these younger filmmakers with the older, more established set, Life Fest aims to dramatically impact the future of American storytelling.
Some of the event’s participants have included actor/producer Clint Howard, Disney Director Jonathan Flora and his wife, actress Deborah Flora, actors John Schneider and Joe Estevz, actress Mell Flynn and character actor Charlie Holliday.
Perhaps the most dynamic aspect of the Life Fest is that it aims to transcend the political and religious divides that often drown out the most fundamental issue of life. The festival isn’t ‘about’ abortion. Certainly, abortion may be addressed, but the right of the innocent to be respected and protected is not merely about abortion-it’s bigger still. And the unique nature and dignity of each human life is not exclusively a matter of faith; it is fundamental to our very existence and collective ethic.
Much like the entire right-to-life movement seeks to bring together people from all walks of life with the common goal of protecting life, the Life Fest is designed to unify the very diverse-and oftentimes adversarial-people within the Hollywood community and the community of film fans at large, in a common concern for the uniqueness of each and every human life. In that, Life Fest states that it is “dedicated to visual storytelling that affirms and promotes the most extraordinary of ideas – the value and significance of life – for that it is beauty, sadness, pleasure and challenge of being human.”
In addition to screenings and panels, Life Fest is currently reaching out to film students across the country and around the world to submit films for the festival’s 5-by-5 competition. Essentially, students are given 5 days to complete a 5-minute film that will then be reviewed and critiqued by some of Hollywood’s most experienced directors and producers giving the students a tremendous opportunity to learn from some of the great minds in the business. If you know of a film student that might be interested, send them our way.
We’ve put links to more information on Life Fest, including the 5by5 competition on our website at prolifeperspective.com. Even if you can’t be in Hollywood in May, you can still participate online. More details can be found at http://lifefilmfest.com.