Industrious Family Fun Films Blog

Jan 20, 2025

Tough Choices Ahead: Incredible Talent Shines in Fabiola and Fulvius Auditions!

We just wrapped up an intense week of auditions, and the talent we saw was truly incredible! Many gifted actors brought their best, making the casting decisions tougher than we anticipated. Our casting team spent hours organizing names and faces on the whiteboard, reviewing and rewatching the audition footage to make those final calls. When it came to casting the lead roles of Fabiola and Fulvius, the competition was fierce—a few remarkable women vied for Fabiola, and a handful of talented men stood out for Fulvius. Choosing between them was incredibly difficult and likely the toughest decision we’ll face throughout the entire production.

Jan 17, 2025

Expanding The Business By Fostering Collaborations

Most of the people who help us bring our films to completion have reached out to us. They believed in our mission and reached out to see what they could do to help. These are amazing people and they've all brought fresh perspectives, much needed talent, and accountability to our film making adventure.

Some of the teams I liked working with last year were the public relations team which includes Laura Ruth and Francis Thomas, and the post production team which is composed of Music Forge, Alejandro Rodriguez, and Aaron Kessler. We also have a legal team, a website team, and a production team. I'm hoping Ryan Mahaney will be joining the production team this year. The cast that is shaping up for Fabiola is a team I can't wait to get to know better in the coming months.

Sponsors and fans are another group that I love hearing from. Our site sponsors for most of last year and continuing into this year are the Marsh authors. They are wonderful fans and always encourage us with positive feedback.

The fresh perspectives that we get from all these people are invaluable. I love hearing about the things we are doing well-you know the things that they love, but also learning from the things that they find confusing or unclear, basically the areas where we need to improve.

Much needed talent comes from all these teams but I know that without our actors, music composer and colorist, we'd never reach the quality that we are able to achieve. And without our entertainment lawyer we'd be spending many hours googling entertainment and investment law. He and our tax professional both are independent film fans and have the hearts of teachers. What more can you ask for?

Another group of people that I love collaborating with are the filmmakers that we've met through our streaming service. These collaborations keep us accountable. They are counting on us to promote their films and promote the service. A very special filmmaking family that we met last year is the Soodts' family. We enjoy a spiritual collaboration in which we pray daily for each other's family and film success.

Our growth is dependent on the relationships we form and sustain with all the talented people who help us reach our goals. We thank them all.

The most important collaboration we have is that of our family. Every person is invaluable in our productions. The patience and love that is necessary to be successful in each and every project can never be understated. We work on these relationships daily. Sometimes we fall short but we are always quick to forgive. Without one another our filmmaking would be a pipe dream indeed.

Jan 17, 2025

Meet Fabiola: The Bold Heroine of Our Story

Fabiola is no ordinary woman. She is sharp, insightful, and unafraid to speak her mind. Her candor and intellectual rigor make her a force to be reckoned with. As a deep thinker and philosopher, she constantly seeks truth, questioning the world around her with a sharp wit and an unrelenting thirst for knowledge.

However, Fabiola's journey is not without struggle. Her high-minded ideals, though admirable, are accompanied by a stubborn pride and a quick temper. Being proven wrong or challenged strikes a nerve, and her haughty nature often puts her at odds with those around her. Yet, it is this pride that she must confront in order to grow.

As Fabiola embarks on her search for truth, she will be forced to confront the limitations of her own understanding. The supernatural mysteries she once dismissed will become undeniable, and Fabiola will have to choose between clinging to her pride or embracing the greater, mysterious truths that lie before her.

Fabiola's character represents the internal battle we all face—choosing between the comfort of our ego and the humility required to seek truth. Her journey is one of personal transformation, and it’s a story that needs to be told.

But we need your help to bring the character of Fabiola to life on the big screen. This complex and courageous heroine deserves her moment, and with your support, we can share her story with the world. By donating to this project, you’re not just funding a film—you’re helping create a narrative that explores the tension between pride and humility, intellect and faith.

Join us in bringing Fabiola's journey to life. With your support, we can share this powerful story of growth, truth, and conversion with audiences everywhere.

Jan 16, 2025

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Looking for wholesome, faith-based entertainment? Industrious Family Theater offers a family-friendly streaming service featuring over 25 Catholic films from 6 independent studios. We provide uplifting content that aligns with Catholic teachings, perfect for all ages.

With no ads, no YouTube distractions, and a subscription of just $0.99/month, you can enjoy new films added frequently, all while supporting independent Catholic filmmakers.

Subscribe today and start watching hours of family-friendly entertainment rooted in faith and values you trust.

Jan 16, 2025

In 18 Days, Meet Merry: The Elf Who Finds the Light of Christmas

The release of Merry Anne Bright is just 18 days away, and I can't wait to share this short film with you! In this short film you will meet the character of Merry, an insecure elf who is struggling to fit in at the North Pole. Christmas itself seems to pose a dilemma for her, leaving her wondering why put so much bustle and business into getting ready to celebrate one day in the middle of winter.

To teach her a lesson and to mix things up for her, Santa sends Merry on a mission to a mall. There she meets a young girl who sparks an interesting conversation with Santa in which Merry learns to look at Christmas in a whole new light: Let me give you a hint, the light is coming from the Star of Bethlehem.

I think that there were two films from my childhood that hugely influenced this short film. Those two movies are the VeggieTales film The Toy that Saved Christmas and the old 1964 stop-motion film Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Although I didn't intentionally do it when I was scripting, looking over the completed film I always find myself singing the "There Must Be More To Christmas" ditty from The Toy That Saved Christmas.

What reminds me of this song is the discontent Merry in my film feels over her approach to Christmas. I think she deep down feels like Buzz-Saw Louie: Christmas has got to be more than just a day to give and get.

The Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer connection with "Merry Anne Bright" is with Hermie. Merry and he share the misfit feeling. Merry is always looking around herself seeing other elves who are perfectly content with their occupation and can't understand why she doesn't feel the same. She even sets out on an adventure (much less exciting than Hermie's to be sure!) during which she finds her place and finishes the movie with a more contented attitude.

I hope you are able to see these things when you watch the film on February 2nd. Be sure to leave your comments in the chat after you see it!

Tune into our Christmas special LIVEstream on February 2nd to watch Merry Anne Bright when it releases!

Jan 15, 2025

Fabiola: A Story of Faith, Sacrifice, and Conversion

FABIOLA, an epic film with a runtime of approximately 140 minutes, answers a timeless question: why have people chosen to suffer and die rather than deny Christ? This film skillfully blends historical fiction with religious drama, inviting viewers into a powerful story of faith and sacrifice.

Set in the Roman Empire, the film follows two pagans on a quest to understand the mysterious and heroic Christians. One seeks personal transformation, while the other is driven by the promise of wealth. When their paths intersect, each is faced with a life-changing decision: embrace the truth or continue living in darkness.

Like timeless epics such as Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments, FABIOLA transports viewers into a sweeping narrative that honors faith, courage, and perseverance. The camaraderie seen in The Lord of the Rings and the sense of triumphant sacrifice that defines Gladiator are echoed throughout Fabiola's story.

For years, Christian families have often felt compelled to avoid the constant stream of immoral content from Hollywood. FABIOLA stands apart. It offers a high-quality cinematic experience that not only tells the story of Christian heroes but also upholds virtue and champions traditional American values.

Imagine a film where your values are honored, where sacrifice and faith are celebrated on the big screen. FABIOLA provides that opportunity—bringing a fresh, inspiring narrative to today’s entertainment landscape.

Help bring this vision to life. Your support can ensure that FABIOLA becomes a reality. By contributing to this project, you are not only helping create a movie worth watching, but also supporting filmmakers that uphold your beliefs and values.Join us in making FABIOLA a film that inspires and uplifts audiences around the world.

Jan 15, 2025

How Aaron Kessler Transformed “A Home For Christmas” from Good to Great

We cannot mention enough how impressed we are with Aaron Kessler's work on coloring our projects. He has colored the Fabiola Prison Scene, A Home for Christmas and is now working our 3rd collaboration, Merry Anne Bright. Aaron is prompt and efficient. What I love about working with him is how little attention he needs to do his work. He is easy to converse with and totally sees your vision for projects.

We cannot wait to share these projects with you soon during our Christmas Special LIVEstream on February 2nd at 6:00 pm PT. These films will also be released on our family streaming service, Industrious Family Theater.

Jan 14, 2025

Beowulf Films: Modern Takes On An Epic Classic

There have been many film adaptations of the epic poem Beowulf, with varying levels of faithfulness and wholesomeness, and at least 10 of them are widely known. Despite being widely praised, Robert Zemeckis’ 2007 animated version should be avoided. It features excessive violence, hyper-realistic animation, and immodest scenes, making it unsuitable despite its $150 million budget and celebrity voice cast. However, we recommend a more wholesome cartoon adaptation, as well as an interesting sci-fi spin for you along with a brief essay exploring the deeply Christian themes present in the poem.

Continue reading: "Beowulf Films: Modern Takes On An Epic Classic"

Jan 13, 2025

Join Us On February 2nd For The Christmas Special LIVEstream!

We hope that you join us on February 2nd for our Christmas LIVEstream. The Marsh authors will be reading a chapter form their new book, Jordan Sax will perform LIVE his new single and we will be premiering 2 Christmas shorts! Please note that we officially changed the time to 6:00pm PT. Learn more about this exciting event.

Jan 10, 2025

Industrious Family Is Partnering With Tea Time With Teen Day By Promoting Beautiful Music

We have collaborated with Tea Time With Teen Day Radio since 2017. Child actor Rodney Allen Rippy (Jack in the Box commercials, Blazing Saddles) and Dan Pettigrew have been trying to revive a lost genre of music: Beautiful Music and Easy Listening. The Industrious Family loves this music and we also hope that it rises in popularity and blows out of the water the disordered music that we are surrounded by in our daily lives. The team has provided a replay line up from KJBM's Christmas Special that aired a few weeks ago and this beautiful music will be featured in Industrious Family's Christmas Special LIVEstream.

You can learn more about Tea Time With Teen Day, Beautiful Music and Mr. Rippy here.

Listen on demand to Beautiful Music on KJBM radio here. (See how many Industrious Family voices you can name during the commercial breaks 😉.)

Jan 10, 2025

The Beloved Poor Soul Story Comes To Life In A Home For Christmas

A young woman spends her last penny to have a Mass said for the poor soul in Purgatory which is closest to being released. Afterwards, she meets the poor soul in person and he helps her turn her life around for the better as the girl is directed to his mother's house.

After its premiere release on February 2nd, 2025, during the Christmas Special LIVEstream, A Home For Christmas will take its place alongside our other Christmas movies on Industrious Family Theater.

Jan 09, 2025

Don't Miss Out! Explore Our Livestream Event Page Now!

We have released all the details covering our Christmas Special LIVEStream! This is going to be a fun evening filled with Christmas themed family fun entertainment. Plus! We will be releasing our two new Christmas movies that same night! Don't miss this LIVEStream! Please note that we officially changed the time to be at 6:00pm PT. Learn more about the Christmas Special LIVEStream and bookmark the page because the video will be hosted here.

Jan 09, 2025

Faustina's 'Merry Anne Bright' Wraps Filming: What's Next?

I started filming on a Friday and made a wrap on the following Wednesday. It's amazing to think that in just a short week, the entire film went from a concept on paper to a filmed reality. Of course, just getting something shot does not mean that it is as good as done. In fact, there are many things that we film that just never get edited and never get published.

But that isn't going to happen with this short film. No sooner was I done filming than I got deep into editing. Film days always feel like a mess - like you have no idea if you got the perfect shot or not. Truth be told, it is only after you get the footage onto the computer and start editing that you really start to feel like this really could shape up nicely. And I am glad to say, it really is shaping up nicely.

I got away with just one small mistake of not recording audio for one close up, but considering that I was practically going solo as a crew that's not bad. Although I think in the future I will try to always have another hand to help out with the filming.

I only saw the film Elf once when I was very young. Since then I haven't rewatched it because I don't like vulgar films. My childhood memory of it was cheerful, fun colors that really popped. My dream is to see something similar in Merry Anne Bright. But that, of course is up to our colorist but if his work holds true to our past experience, I know it will not disappoint!

Just writing this blog has renewed my excitement about the film. Thanks for being along for the ride and giving me someone to share this experience with. Keep an eye out for our LIVEstream release of both our Christmas shorts on February 2nd!

Jan 08, 2025

Discover the Inspiration Behind "The Storyteller" with Filmmaker Allison Volk

We'd like to introduce you to Allison Volk, the director of "The Storyteller". We are very happy to have this short film on Industrious Family Theater. Like she says herself, Allison likes to create pieces that uplift audiences and give a sense of hope and community and we are very happy that our audience will be able to enjoy the film.

Here's a note from Allison about the film:

"My husband, Colin Martin, plays the lead role in the film. I wanted to write something that I felt showed off his strengths as a performer, and we had just watched BARRY, a show with a lead character who suffered from PTSD. I was interested in exploring a more positive/hopeful depiction of PTSD, and the character Chase was born.

The entire film was filmed inside of a Shelby museum. We were able to shoot there because my dad is the executive director at the museum. I approached him and asked if we could shoot a project that would show off the collection and celebrate Shelby Racing history, and with him on board, the rest was easy.

Although it was amazing to be able to film at such a location, it was honestly a challenge shooting at the museum. The day we shot it snowed really hard, which was great for our opening scene, but tough on the team otherwise. The museum has a huge heater, a high, echoing ceiling, and lots of extremely valuable and delicate memorabilia and historic cars! All those things presented unique challenges for us in having a crew present (and a green screen) at the venue.

The themes portrayed in this film are usually at the center of my work, although it often takes a more sardonic tone. I can’t help it!”

Jan 08, 2025

From Darkness To Light: A Riveting Film On Sts. Cyprian And Justina’s Journey

This was such a fun movie to film! The script was satisfying, Cyprian is so creepy and the entire movie was colorful. Another thing that I love about The Martyrdoms of Saints Justina and Cyprian was the fact that our entire family had a role to play.

When Cyprian (Becket Bowen) was born, his unholy parents consecrated him to the devil. He grew up worshiping and serving Satan and using the infernal powers to preform spells to meet his own ends. Cyprian was hired by a Roman noble named Agladius (Patrick Bowen) to cast a spell on a particular woman to fall in love with him. This woman was Justina (Faustina Bowen), a Christian woman who had no intention of falling in love with and marrying a pagan.

Cyprian tried all his powers to get her to fall, but she armed herself with prayer and mortification and all his efforts came to naught. Feeling the superior powers of God over the devil, Cyprian himself became a Christian alongside Agladius. During the persecution that followed under Diocletian (Matthew Bowen), Cyprian and Justina were presented to the same judge (Mary Bowen) and were executed together.

After its release a fan commented, "Good job! You told the story well! I enjoyed it very much! All the acting has improved, the sets and costumes were great. Thank you for bringing this story to life!"

Learn more about our streaming service to watch this exciting story come to life in Industrious Family Films' The Martyrdoms of Saints Justina and Cyprian.

Jan 07, 2025

Unyielding Spirit: A Young Hero's Stand in Outlaws of Ravenhurst

We are happy to see so many people enjoy this film. Our full length film, Outlaws of Ravenhurst, features a cast of over 50 young people who brought their talent together to tell this adventurous and fun tale.

Outlaws Of Ravenhurst takes place in 1641 in the wake of the bloody Protestant Reformation when Catholics in Scotland were denied the right to true worship of God. It reminds us of our past and encourages us to hope in the future, come what may.

Learn more about our streaming service to watch this heartwarming story come to life in Industrious Family Films' first full length movie.

Jan 07, 2025

Tune In Now: Exciting Updates in This Week’s Industrious Family Podcast

The Gofers are back with some exciting updates such as new jobs and a new puppy. Also in this week's podcast the team briefly reviews movies new and old as well as literature that they are currently reading.

Listen to these interesting discussions and more here...

Jan 06, 2025

Keep the Christmas Cheer Alive: Embrace the Joy of Epiphany!

Happy feast of the Epiphany. Today is the twelfth day of Christmas, and we still have our tree up are receiving a few more gifts and looking forward to a house blessing. Many times, we have had the priests from the FSSP come and bless our home, but the father of the family can do the blessing if the priests are too far away and alas they are too far away. I am looking forward to eating Kings Cake, and have a beautiful gift wrapped for the lucky person who gets the Infant Jesus in their piece.

Happy feast day from Industrious Family. We'll see on February 2 (the last day of the Christmas season) for our Christmas Special LIVEstream. It is going to be a wonderful event!

Jan 04, 2025

Trending On The Industrious Family Theater: Full Length Films

Feature length films are taking the lead as the most watched films on Industrious Family Theater. This family streaming service is an affordable way to entertain the whole family and support independent moviemakers. Learn more about Industrious Family Theater.

Jan 03, 2025

Great LIVEstream Event Lined Up! Join Us On February 2nd For An Afternoon Of Wholesome Christmas Themed Entertainment

A handful of our guests for the Christmas Special LIVEstream have confirmed that they will be contributing something to the event! Recording artist, Jordan Sax, will perform his newest song release and Fr. Moylan will share some words on why Christmas is celebrated until Candlemas and hopefully give an off the cuff reaction to A Home for Christmas, a film that he pitched to Industrious Family.

Other contributions that you can look forward to will be from the Marsh Authors and Joe McClane of A Catholic Take. Mr. Smeaton and Mrs. Majors are tentative with their performances but we are begging them on our knees and I am very positive that they will also be there! Don't miss this important event where we will also be premiering our two Christmas short films.

Sign up to our free newsletter to get an email reminder minutes before we are LIVE on February 2nd.

Jan 02, 2025

Fabiola Auditions Planned For 3rd Week In January

This is going to be a great year for FABIOLA and we are kicking it off by hosting our second round of auditions! If you would like to try your hand at acting, we are looking for actors and actresses all over the United States to apply for a role. We are auditioning soon so get your application in now!

Jan 01, 2025

What Will The New Year Hold In Store For Industrious Family?

Happy Feast Day and New Year!

We powered through and welcomed in 2025 last night. We watched Ben-Hur to keep us awake, played a few card games then we poured champagne, did a countdown and sang Holy God We Praise Thy Name followed by Auld Lang Syne.

We don't have New Year goals written down yet but this year we are going to focus on areas that make money. Beefing up the streaming service, streamlining our customer's shopping experience, and have a steady amount of site sponsors are a few things in this area. This is a big year for our current project

FABIOLA as we have exactly 364 day to meet our minimum investment deadline. I hope that we have a film week in store but we will see.

Stay tuned for our hard set goals and dreams for 2025!

Dec 31, 2024

2024 In Review: Goals Met And Dreams Set

It is the last day of 2024. Wow. Around this time we all look at what goals we met in the last year. Here are a few of ours that were written down in the first page of the 2024 planner"

Dec 30, 2024

Keeping Christ In Christmas With Our Short “Merry Anne Bright” Film

Over the winter I, Faustina, have been working away from home as an elf who provides children with a unique experience: riding out on a cruise boat to the “North Pole” to see Santa Claus and hear him read the nice list.

When I hatched the plan for my Christmas short, I had no idea which direction it was going to go. While I was writing, the story seemed to come alive and had a mind of its own. The film wanted to have an appearance by Santa. I argued, not knowing if I could even get a Santa to be in the film, but in the end my film script won the day, leaving me with a few long and touching lines that I had to find an actor for.

Here is where my winter job came in. I texted one of our Santas, saying that I was making a short film and would really appreciate it if he would be Santa in it.

He obliged. Then something crazy happened. Since I work on one side of the lake and he works on the other for the cruises, we had never met in person. It always makes me a little uncomfortable having an actor I had never met before on a shoot and bossing them around.

The day before our shoot, the wind caused our cruise to be canceled. To alleviate some of the stress of having parents who brought their kids all the way to the cruise, we moved Santa to where I usually work!

So I ended up getting to somewhat know my Santa actor before our shoot. And get this: we weren’t going to be able to use the Santa costume from the “North Pole”. I was just going to roll with this and find something that would work, but we were able to use the costume that had to come over anyway!

Someone once told me that the word "coincidence" wasn’t used until after the Enlightenment. Before people used the word "Providence". My film is all about how hard the world is trying to wash Christ out of Christmas and replace Him with commercialism. The film speaks of how Christ is the reason for the season.

Santa in my mind has always been the same as St. Nicholas who honors the reality that that is what Christmas is about. I have gotten a lot of support from many of my coworkers for making this the point of my film and am very grateful that Producer Kathleen pushed me to make the film. And I think Providence is directing the project for me!

Remember that we are still in the Christmas season! At least celebrate through the 12 days if not until February 2nd! Because Christ deserves more recognition than just one day.

Dec 29, 2024

St. Thomas Becket - The Archbishop That Did Not Flee From The Wolves

St. Thomas Becket is a reflection of Christ as Priest as he also laid down his life for his sheep. He was martyred 855 years ago by the hand of the king’s soldiers for defending the rights of the Church. Several novel, poems, and films have been made on the life of this saint. My favorite is BBC's Cathedral Murder at Canterbury. In fact, I was so inspired by this docudrama that I named my second son Becket after this brave bishop who forsake everything and lived only for Christ. It is now free on YouTube. Here is the link to Cathedral Murder at Canterbury.

The Oscar winning movie, Becket (1964), is a favorite among many, but I do not like it for reasons that the cover proudly boasts as a "Lusty, boldly provocative film." It touches way too much on the injustices suffered by the Saxons and not on the true political events surrounding the day. It is over sensualized at times too at least for family viewing.

Dec 28, 2024

Celebrating The Family Baby: Traditions on Holy Innocence Day

Today is the feast of the Holy Innocents. On this day we remember the innocent souls that bore witness to the royalty of Christ and were slaughtered due to the jealousy of King Herod. It is a neat custom to honor the youngest child in the family on this day either by presenting him with a small gift or by decorating the highchair and crib.

Continue celebrating all 12 days of Christmas by implementing these great ideas.

Dec 27, 2024

Enjoy Some St. John's Wine On The Feast Of The Beloved Apostle

Enjoy!

Dec 26, 2024

Remember The Sacrifice Of St. Stephen The First Martyr At Our Lord's Crib

Today we remember the Church's first martyr, St. Stephen. It is fitting that his feast day falls on the day after Christmas because by it we recall the heroic stand of the first Christians who gave their lives in defense of Christ's Church. If you have bought a poinsettia, place if near the Christ Child's crib today to commemorate His first martyr.

St. Sebastian and St. Agnes are among the early martyrs we will meet in our forthcoming film: Fabiola. Many martyrs witnessed to Christ of which St. Stephen was the first. For three centuries, the Church was watered by the blood of the martyrs.

"May the Church in her days of peace and of victory never forget what she owes to the age of her martyrs." We have a long way to go to get this movie into production. Please help us crowdfund here!

Dec 25, 2024

Merry Christmas From The Industrious Family Team

“O God, Who hast made this most holy night to shine forth with the brightness of the true light, grant, we beseech Thee that we who have known the mystery of His light on earth, may attain the enjoyment of His happiness in heaven. Who with Thee liveth.”

Have a grace filled Christmas Season!

Love, The Bowen Family

Dec 24, 2024

Christmas Eve Refections On Past Christmas Films

Happy Christmas Eve! Please enjoy our Christmas music video. The song, "Christmas" was performed by our friend Jordon Sax who will be a special guest at our Christmas Special LIVEstream.