Mission
Messenger Films is supremely dedicated to missionary outreach through one area of the mass media – feature-length motion pictures. We believe that professionally made films, anointed by the Holy Spirit, have a critical role in the task of world evangelization.
There are three scriptural underpinnings to our ministry.
1 Chronicles 16:24 – Declare His glory among the nations; his marvelous deeds among all peoples. Our films must declare and reflect God's glory, beauty, power, and grace through artistic excellence and the embracing of the human condition in all its complexity.
Matthew 28:19 – Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Our films must communicate the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation, as well as provide a link to local churches for the discipleship of new believers.
John 17:21 - ... that they might all be one; just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they might also be one in us in order for the world to believe that you have sent me. Our films must foster unity in the body of Christ, providing rallying points around which Christians present a unified witness to the world.
In contrast to producing "faith-based" or "inspirational" films for a mainly Christian audience, our productions are made for those billions of people around the world who have never been exposed to a contextualized presentation of the gospel in film. Context for us means creating spiritually significant movies that connect with the language and culture of the viewing audience.
We are a 501 (c) 3 ministry because we do not select our projects on the basis of projected financial return; rather, on the basis of projected spiritual impact.
We seek to maintain professional quality in all our productions at modest budget levels while producing in the local language with local acting talent. We also seek to work with local crews where possible and come alongside aspiring national filmmakers to begin making their own productions.
Since 1990, our life-changing films have been shown to more than one billion people on worldwide television; to millions gathered in remote villages, migrant worker camps, city plazas, auditoriums, theatres and church buildings; and to untold thousands more crowded into private homes. Our films have received numerous honors at international film festivals in the USA and Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Tanzania, and South Africa.
Ropa Nueva para Felipe (New Clothes for Felipe), Messenger Films' first project, tells the true story of a Mexican teenager who is diagnosed with a terminal illness, but who finds healing – spiritually and physically – through Jesus Christ. Latin America was the initial target audience for this film, but since its release in 1990, Ropa Nueva para Felipe has been shown throughout the western hemisphere plus countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe. It has been dubbed into fifteen languages with an estimated viewing audience in the tens of millions, while salvation decisions are estimated to be in the millions. All this for a film costing $50,000 to produce!
Other films that have followed in the wake of Ropa Nueva para Felipe are Destino Final (Final Destiny), ¿Con Quién Te Vas? (With Whom Will You Go?), Final Solution (shot in South Africa), More Than Dreams (filmed on four continents), First Landing, The Bill Collector, and Undaunted: The Early Life of Josh McDowell.
In partnership with other ministries, our films have been broadcast extensively through international television as well as through local cinemas and public and private venues. Our goal is to continue producing films that are culturally relevant and spiritually significant in every part of the world.
Messenger Films was founded by Cristóbal Krusen in 1988.
