"Path to 9/11" Maker Has Evangelical Ties

[kstewart33]

By Justin Rood - September 8, 2006, 2:39 PM

The director of ABC's controversial "Path to 9/11" docudrama has ties to an evangelical Christian group whose goals include "transform Hollywood from the inside out," according to research by readers of prominent blogs.

"Path" director David L. Cunningham is also involved in "The Film Institute," an offshoot of the Hawaii-based global evangelical group, Youth With a Mission.

One goal of Cunningham's Film Institute is to "fast-track" students from a digital film program associated with the YWAM organization into positions "within the film industry, not to give them jobs, but so that they can begin to impact and transform Hollywood from the inside out," according to a cached version of page from a YWAM Web site. The original appears to have been moved or deleted.

The digital filmmaking program at YWAM's University of Nations appears to provide Cunningham's institute with its interns. The school's Web site encourages potential students, "If you are serious about allowing the Lord to use either your professional background in film and television, or your God-given desire to learn, don't miss this opportunity. Apply today!"

Our phone calls to Cunningham, the school, YWAM offices and YWAM directors in the United States were not immediately returned.


Link: http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001491.php

[BOSSHOG]

1. Would this action jeopardize a tax exempt status?

The movie is nothing more then a political commercial for a party which provides evangelicals with tax money to spread their hate.

[Monkeyman]

2. Brother the locals in HW hate that those people big time

The Evangelicals there stay far away from the locals they get their unwanted butts kicked. They are some big boys there and I mean big

[NashVegas]

4. Let's See - ABC Spent $40 Million?

For this production?

That's a lot of income tax. Or a VERY BIG WRITE-OFF for ABC! (No wonder they were so quiet.)

[yellowcanine]

3. Oh alrighty then. Lying for Jesus is OK, is it not?

:sarcasm:

[Janice325]

5. I just found that story when I searched google's news.

The story is only 2 hours old as of now.
I wonder what will happen when this hits the fan.
a big k&r

[Oreo]

6. Kick.. KOS has a lot about this

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/9/8/133335/7036

The $40M question that's been bugging me has been "who paid for this crapola?" And I think I've found the answer.

It's the Christian organization Youth With A Mission (YWAM), through their auxiliary - The Film Institute (TFI). Loren Cunningham, the founder of YWAM, is the father of PT911 director David Cunningham.

Follow me over the flip for more stuff!

* bewert's diary :: ::
*

I was led to this by a comment from everhopeful and I am ever hopeful we can shitcan this crapola hit piece.

YWAM members Mark and Krista Harris commented on their website:

As we have looked around, we've noticed a lot of big-mouthed giants running around, but not many young warriors brave enough to stake everything on God.

So that's what we've decided to do. Starting in July, along with our 'normal' discipleship efforts in YWAM, we will officially join The Film Institute - a new auxiliary branch of Youth With A Mission focused on tranforming film and television from the inside out. TFI's first project is a doozy: simply being referred to as: The Untitled History Project, it is already being called the television event of the decade and not one second has been put to film yet. Talk about great expectations!

Our goal is to help filmmakers, actors, technicians, etc. realize their God given potential and purpose in perhaps the most influential sphere of modern culture - film and television.

The "Untitled History Project" was the working title, as this Fox story shows. It was produced by in Toronto by UHP Productions. This quote from writer Cyrus Nowrasteh is particularly rich:

"Anything about 9/11 will be controversial," he said. "I commend ABC because they have continually asked me to be as truthful and honest as I can be. The producers have made every effort to be objective and tell the story truthfully -- because that's what the subject matter, and our audience, deserves."

This article from Hamilton (a city near Toronto) even has the publicists phone number:

UHP Productions Ltd.
Contact Phone:
[phone]

And from the site YWAM Founders Site we get:

Mark Harris spoke following Braulia and showed a DVD clip by film director David L. Cunningham, who together with others has formed a YWAM auxiliary called The Film Institute (TFI). One goal of TFI is to fast-track UofN School of Digital Film interns, placing them within the film industry, not to give them jobs, but so that they can begin to impact and transform Hollywood from the inside out.

[brentspeak]

7. What an absolutely stupid headline

Who cares if the director has evangelical ties? The only important thing that needs to be noted is that this particular evangelical group his mother founded is alleged to have infiltrated Hollywood so it could produce politically-biased material.