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Published: February 3, 2008

"Questions found in every human heart"

Submission deadline nears for first-ever pro-life film festival

The pro-abortion radicals in San Francisco who stood on the sidelines and mocked participants in the recent Walk for Life are about to get another shock: San Francisco will be hosting the very first pro-life film festival in March.

The Cinema Vita Film Festival will debut March 7 at the Delancey Street Theater in San Francisco’s SOMA district, featuring 3- to 5-minute films with pro-life themes. One of the organizers, Eva Muntean, says all media should be used to spread the Gospel: “Cinema is no different and the production of family values, pro-life movies is desperately needed to reach the masses in our modern age.”

Until recently, most films that had any parallel to the Gospel tended to be preachy or poorly made. The recent success of films like Bella, Waitress, Juno and even Knocked Up indicate that smart, mass-marketed films can get the pro-life message across and do well at the box office too.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Colleen Carroll Campbell noted in her Dec. 27 column that, with the exception of Bella, all of the films mentioned above were made by Generation X members, proving that younger people have a growing distaste for abortion. “There is no mistaking the pro-life theme running through these stories and the cultural shift they signify," noted Campbell.

The Cinema Vita festival is the result of the collaborative efforts of the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Office of Public Policy, the Diocese of Oakland’s Respect Life Ministry, Marriage for Life, and Ignatius Press. People working for each of these organizations recognized the magnitude of film’s influence as an art form on the popular imagination.

Vicki Evans, a festival organizer employed by the Archdiocesan Office of Public Policy & Social Concerns, sees this as an opportunity to bring a discussion of the compelling questions of life into the popular culture: “What is life? Why and how is it sacred? Where do we come from? These are questions found in every human heart. And filmmakers, through their art, are able to draw them out and explore their significance in ways that are challenging and engaging."

The Delancey Street Theater will host the films submitted for consideration at the festival, as well as a screening of After the Truth, a German film portraying the trial of Dr. Josef Mengele, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on March 7.

Film categories include high school, college and open division, and the films will be judged on the impact of their message, as well as their appeal to a broad audience. Submissions should be in DVD format and must be postmarked by Feb. 14, although sponsors encourage earlier submissions. Prizes will be awarded in each category.

To find out more, visit www.cinemavita.org, or call (415) 387-2324.

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