Director Laura Dunn divides The Seer: A Portrait of Wendell Berry into chapters–themes really–around Berry’s life and work. And because it’s not just a chronology of his life, it’s even more engaging. The film considers Berry in all of his roles (explicitly and implicitly) as father, farmer, writer/poet, and prophet. In doing so, it reveals that his signature achievement really is that, with the world at his fingertips, he chooses to settle on a small farm in rural Kentucky to make his life. From there, he sets his sights on working the land and cultivating culture.

Touted to be a romantic entertainer, Jessie is a triangular love story that explores the effect of religion on love. Director’s Special, Raate & Boxer fame Dhananjay is playing the hero in the movie.

Pawan Wadeyar has said, “The idea of film came to me when I was doing Govindaya Namaha, when I was passing by a church. This was the time when Vinnaithandi Varuvaya had released and I was impressed to write a story with a Christian boy as hero.”

When viewers watch “The Young Messiah,” they have to view it objectively by separating from historicity or religion. Several scholars of the Bible have very little knowledge about Jesus’ early life or how he looked like in his real life. In fact, there is no mention in the Gospel of his appearance — so what makes some of these scholars so defensive about the film?

It is not unusual for filmmakers to take creative liberties and mix fiction with facts. But there will be always two sides to this logic. A group of people may feel offended while there will be others who may opine that slamming a film, for this reason, is not fair enough.

Jack Huston plays Judah Ben-Hur in Ben-Hur from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Paramount Pictures.

It’s one thing to have the concept for another cinematic take on Lew Wallace’s novel Ben-Hur. It’s quite another to see Jack Huston filling a role once made famous (and famously Oscar-winning) by Charlton Heston. But the first images from the new movie have arrived.

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, this latest Ben-Hur pledges to skirt closer to Wallace’s book than the 1959 film. It’ll chronicle the younger days of Ben-Hur and Messala (Toby Kebbell), best friends growing up in Jerusalem. Ben-Hur is a Jewish prince and Messala the son of a Roman tax collector who is packed off to be educated in Rome for five years. Upon his return, Messala mocks our hero for his religion and, after an accident he pins on his friend, has him sold into slavery. Cue a quest for revenge that includes the chariot race made iconic by the Heston film. Which is definitely included again this time, with Huston and his director spent more than two months rehearsing.

The SAKHI-BEKHIS are mainly known as Krishna devotees – the men who dress up like Radha are ‘lovers’ or ‘female friends’ of Lord Krishna. This film shows us that even today many children are sold all over the country in the name of the religion

Adan (Barkhad Abdirahman), a Somali refugee living in Minneapolis, has nowhere to go. His mother has kicked him out, and his friends are sick of his stubborn ways. With nowhere left to turn, Adan seeks shelter at his local mosque, and it’s there that he begins to learn who he really is. Under the guidance of his god and the members of the church, Adan begins a new life away from the people and surroundings that caused him so many problems in the past. He begins to rebuild, if you will, but soon life throws Adan an unexpected curveball that once again forces change upon the young refugee.
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A Stray probably could have made for a better short, but stretched to a runtime just shy of the 90-minute mark there is barely enough material to reach the finish line. That said, the commanding performance of Barkhad Abdirahman and the beautiful dialogue provided by Syeed makes for a unique experience that matches heart with theology without coming across as being too heavy-handed in its delivery. In a world overflowing with indie films, A Stray is utterly unique, both in the story it has to share and purpose for its existence. The film doesn’t work 100 percent of the time, but what does work will stay with you for many months to come.

‘Canaan Land,’ a feature dramatic film telling a contemporary story of an Elmer Gantryish evangelist, is in preproduction. Written and directed by former healing evangelist Richard Rossi, the film contrasts fake healers with the true article, resulting in backlash from televangelists.

Rossi plays a con man preacher who falls in love with a female evangelist, Sister Sara. Pop star Katy Perry and actress Megan Fox, both raised Pentecostal, are rumored to be vying for the part, along with thousands of unknowns….

Rossi wouldn’t say who’s upset over the film, but the GoFundMe site for the film posted a picture of healer Benny Hinn with a quote in which Hinn promises healing for money. “If you come back and make that financial pledge, God will heal your heart tonight,” Hinn said.

FilmRise has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Will Allen’s cult documentary “Holy Hell,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

The distributor will release the film theatrically on May 20.

The documentary provides an inside look at a secretive spiritual cult known as the Buddha Field, formed during the ’80s in West Hollywood. Allen joined the group just after graduating from film school and became its unofficial videographer.