we write screenplays
The world we make
co-written by George Escobar
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This movie completed its principal photography near Nashville, TN. It stars Caleb Castille, the lead actor in WOODLAWN and writer/actor, Rose Reid, in her debut feature film. It's now available on Netflix and for DVD purchase through Univeral Home Entertainment.
Advent co-founder, George Escobar, wrote the original screenplay from a story by Rose Reid. Writer and director, Brian Baugh wrote the final draft of the script, which became the shooting script. Filming was done on location in the countryside and town of Franklin, just south of Nashville.
STORY: 18-year-old Lee (a spirited equestrian) and Jordan (an academic and football standout) are at the threshold of building a life together. But their character is tested when racial bias surfaces in their otherwise progressive small town. Watch the new movie trailer: https://youtu.be/_n0Dt07fK2E​
PRODUCTION NOTE: This is not an Advent movie production. It's a work-for-hire project for Escobar, who also served as a director and a producer. There were a handful of production assistants brought into the production by Escobar. He met them at various film workshops and conferences where Escobar (representing Advent) taught screenwriting and filmmaking.
ALONE YET NOT ALONE
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George Escobar and Michael Snyder, Advent co-founders, had the honor of serving as co-producers of this film. Escobar also served as co-writer and co-director.
Advent’s involvement began from the very beginning, with Escobar crafting a treatment from the novel given to him by the executive producer. Escobar was later commissioned to write a 120 page screenplay from a 130-page single-spaced manuscript. After a series of rewrites the script was developed into a multi-million dollar movie production, with Advent Film Group hired by Enthuse Entertainment for key production elements. Snyder began securing local crew, while Escobar began the casting process and finding locations, working with executives from Enthuse, as well as award-winning filmmaker, Ken Wales, producer of AMAZING GRACE and the much beloved TV series: CHRISTY.
PRODUCTION NOTE: The movie was mired in controversy when the Academy Award rescinded its nomination for Best Original Song.
The title song was performed by well-known evangelical Christian author Joni Eareckson Tada and written by Bruce Broughton and Dennis Spiegel. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 86th Academy Awards, but the nomination was rescinded on January 29, 2014, after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences found that Broughton, a former governor and current executive committee member of the music branch of the Academy, had improperly contacted other branch members.
"No matter how well-intentioned the communication, using one's position as a former governor and current executive committee member to personally promote one's own Oscar submission creates the appearance of an unfair advantage", said Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Academy President.
While not the first time in the history of the awards a nomination has been revoked, it is the first time the Academy has cited ethical grounds for doing so, and the first time it has done so to a scripted American-produced feature film. Broughton responded that there was a double standard in the industry, alleging that his actions of sending out "70 or so emails" was no different from Academy Awards president Cheryl Boone Isaacs' involvement in films such as The Artist and The King's Speech as an Academy governor. Not everyone agreed with the Academy's actions.
trapped
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Two years ago, WND CEO Joseph Farah decided the time was right for WND to make its first major motion picture. From published works by WND Books, Farah handpicked the epic true story of Anita Dittman to develop into a screenplay.
George Escobar, co-founder of Advent, was selected to write the screenplay. After several drafts, Escobar worked with award-winning filmmaker, Ken Carpenter on the fifth draft. This draft was recently awarded 1st Runner-Up at the Kairos Pro Award (by Movieguide). The Kairos Awards is considered one of the most prestigious screenplay contests. Recent award recipients have had their screenplays turned into feature films by Sony and PureFlix. We're hoping for the same with TRAPPED as it gets presented for consideration to studios.
STORY: Anita was a Jewish teenager in Germany, abandoned by her Aryan father and raised alone by her Jewish mother. Anita becomes a Christian during the Holocaust through the ministry of Pastor Ernst Hornig. With God's grace and providence, Anita escapes twice from Nazi prison camps as she boldly fights to reunite with her mother sent far away at a death camp.
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