Atlanta, Ga., Jun 8, 2012 / 03:16 am
The Atlanta-area St. Catherine of Siena Church is producing a movie called "Five Blocks Away" to tell the story of a young man focused on his career and his social life when new experiences force him to search for "what really matters in life."
Kevis Antonio, the movie's writer, described "Five Blocks Away" in an introduction on YouTube. He predicted that it will have "an incredible power to positively impact an immeasurable number of people in this country."
Executive producer Richard Martin said the movie is about a young man who is more concerned about worldly status. The man recognizes that he is "making mistakes" and is "living in that worldly life of greed and power and wanting more."
"But he eventually learns through compassion, through understanding of another, of a woman he falls in love with."
Martin said the moviemakers want "Five Blocks Away" to be "something that Christians around the world will rally around and say 'that is a message that I want my son or daughter to see.'"
It is intended for a young adult audience.
Antonio said he started to think about making a movie after years of hearing others ask why the Catholic Church doesn't make any movies and why Hollywood doesn't make movies for Catholics.
He said the movie is "unprecedented" because it is the first to be produced by a Catholic church.
Fr. John Matejek, the pastor of St. Catherine of Siena in Kennesaw, Ga., said the parish decided to produce the film to "inspire" people to love Jesus Christ.
"We're all excited about this," he said. "We are so excited, we can't wait."
Antonio's previous work includes the documentary "Bread of Life," a selection of the John Paul II International Film Festival that was aired on EWTN Global Catholic Television Network. Martin was a producer for "Bread of Life" and is a career educator.
The filmmakers are soliciting small donors over the internet with the goal of raising $550,000. They are also asking supporters to tell others about the movie, especially through social media.
The filmmakers hope to release the movie in 2013.
The movie's website is http://www.fiveblocksawaymovie.com.