WITH
THE KAIROS PRIZE,
IT’S A MATTER OF TIME
Another Kairos Winning Script Heads Into Post Production
Kairos, meaning “in His (God’s) time,” was steadfast and quick for the 2009 Kairos Prize winner Christina Denton of Martinsville, VA. She felt the call to write a screenplay, something she had never attempted before, and submitted it to the Kairos Prize for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays presented by MOVIEGUIDE® and supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. By all accounts it was probably viewed by many as a crazy thing to do with so many seasoned writers in the field struggling to get their stories into the hands of a Hollywood producer…but, after all, she was called to do this. Being a committed Christian, Christina followed that call even though her own husband thought she was wasting her time.
Now in post-production, after wrapping principal photography in June, the script is brought to life with veteran actors Kevin Sobo (SOUL SURFER, HERCULES), Shelley Long (THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE, CHEERS) and Jason Burkey (OCTOBER BABY). While centered on the romantic drama of a young man so bitterly blinded by a broken heart that he is unable to see the true love of his life standing directly in front of him, A MATTER OF TIME is more about opening your heart and obediently following God’s amazing plan for your life. This same theme is strikingly evident in Christina’s own life while writing the screenplay. “I visited the set in Nashville,” comments Christina, “and I have to admit, I teared up several times. It was so amazing to watch the characters God created through me actually come to life!”
If watching a dream come true wasn’t enough, Christina may have found that the larger blessing was the one that God planned for her family. “Immediately after winning the Kairos Prize, I called my husband to tell him the news…” Christina explains, “He shouted, ‘Thank you Jesus!’ I have to say that meant more to me than winning, because that was the first time he had mentioned the name of Jesus in a very long time.” Her husband had pulled away from Christ some years before so his exclamation was a blessing and a turning point for her family. Christina continues, “I believe God used this competition to show my husband that God blesses those who are faithful to Him. Praise God, he is now back in church and living for the Lord! Before Kairos, my husband thought I was wasting my time following His call to write. Now he's very supportive and nearly as excited about it as I am.”
While Christina attended the Gideon Media Arts Conference and Film Festival (Ridgecrest, NC) in hopes of meeting with producers, it was her fellow Kairos Prize winner Rusty Whitener, also wrapping his Kairos winning script in June, who introduced her to producer Chuck Howard. “After receiving the script, Mr. Howard called me.” Christina excitedly relates, “He was so excited about A MATTER OF TIME and said that he definitely wanted to make it into a film! I am so blessed to have worked with them.” Christina has completed her second faith-based script (DARK DAYS) and is now diligently working on her third titled ANGEL OF THIRD STREET.
What makes Christina’s story all the more amazing is that the vast majority of new and beginning screenwriters, if they are one of the very few that find success, often struggle for years to get their script into the right hands. This was a significant reason for the creation of the Kairos Prize for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays.
