Jesus Film Project

Bright wanted to bring a biblically accurate depiction of the life, ministry, and death of Jesus to the big screen, and in 1978, filming began in the Middle East with British Shakespearean actor Brian Deacon in the role of Jesus.

When the original American theatrical run of Jesus ended in 1979, Bright asked Paul Eshleman, who was involved in the production, to head the organization. Eshleman remained in the position until 2004, when Jim Green was named as the organization's executive director.{{Cite web |url=http://www.demossnewspond.com/jfp/presskit/jgreen.htm |title=The Jesus Film Project Newsroom - Press Kit |access-date=November 14, 2007 |archive-date=February 6, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206110549/http://www.demossnewspond.com/jfp/presskit/jgreen.htm |url-status=dead }}

By the end of 2023, the Jesus film was available in 2210 languages, and viewed over 598 million times.{{Cite web |title=2023 Financial Highlights |url=https://www.jesusfilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/JP-2642-FinancialHighlights-NoMarks.pdf |access-date=2 February 2025 |website=Jesus Film |format=PDF}} This was up from the 2018 figures of being available in 1,724 languages. and had been viewed nearly 375 million times at that time.{{cite web |title=2018 Financial Highlights |url=https://www.jesusfilm.org/content/dam/jesusfilm/devteam/pdf/annual/2018_JFP_Financial_Highlights.pdf.pdf |website=Jesus Film Project |accessdate=October 6, 2019}} This has resulted in the Jesus film being recognized by The Guinness Book of World Records as the "Most Translated Film" in history, revealing the seriousness with which the Jesus Film Project takes their objective to share the gospel with people from every nation, tribe, and tongue.{{cite web |title=The Jesus Film, The 'Most Translated Film' in History, Get Remastered for the Modern Era |url=http://www.breathecast.com/articles/the-jesus-film-the-most-translated-film-in-history-get-remastered-for-the-modern-era-video-16352/ |website=breathecast |accessdate=October 6, 2019}}

Starting in 2010, Mission 865 is one of the largest ongoing initiatives of the Jesus Film Project.{{Cite web |title=Mission 865 - Jesus Film Project |url=https://www.jesusfilm.org/partners/mission-865/ |access-date=2025-02-02 |language=en-US}} It is an initiative to translate the Jesus film into the native language of each people group with 50,000 or more speakers – and smaller languages as determined, particularly targeting the 10/40 window.{{Cite web |date=2019-02-18 |title=What Is the 10/40 Window? - Jesus Film Project |url=https://www.jesusfilm.org/blog/10-40-window/ |access-date=2025-03-22 |language=en-US}} In 2010, when the project was launched, there were 865 languages that they wished to translate the film into. The goal is to complete these 865 languages by the end of 2025.{{Cite web |date=Spring 2023 |title=Pressing On. MISSION 865. SPRING 2023 BIANNUAL REPORT |url=https://www.mission865.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/M865-Progress-Rpt-Spring-2023.pdf |access-date=2 February 2025 |website=The Jesus Film Project |format=PDF}}

{{As of|2023|March|1}}, 612 languages of the targeted 865 had a translated film.

In 2007, the project released the movie Magdalena: Released from Shame, which utilized footage from the project's 1979 film Jesus.{{cite web|last=Arends|first=Carolyn|title=Jesus for Women|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/juneweb-only/jesusforwomen.html|publisher=Christianity Today|accessdate=May 14, 2014}} The movie told the story of Jesus as seen through the eyes of four different women: the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, the Samaritan woman at the well, and Elizabeth.{{cite web|last=Riley|first=Jennifer|title=Jesus Film Project Releases Mary Magdalena Version in U.S.|url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/jesus-film-project-releases-mary-magdalena-version-in-u-s-31301/|publisher=Christian Post|accessdate=May 14, 2014}} Critical reception for the movie was positive and the film is heavily utilized in missionary work.{{cite web|title=Jesus Film Setting Captives Free in Ethiopia|url=http://www.charismanews.com/world/32921-jesus-film-setting-captives-free-in-ethiopia|publisher=Charisma News|accessdate=May 14, 2014}}{{cite web|last=Arends|first=Carolyn|title=A Feminine Jesus|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/august/19.60.html?paging=off|publisher=Christianity Today|accessdate=May 14, 2014}}{{cite web|title=Magdalena: Through Her Eyes (review)|url=http://www.dove.org/review/7399-magdalena-through-her-eyes/|publisher=The Dove Foundation|accessdate=May 14, 2014}} It is now available in 200 languages.

The Jesus Film Project released three additional films in 2011: Rivka, a 12-episode series; Walking with Jesus, a 5-episode series "produced by Africans for Africans"; and an animation, My Last Day.Stewart M. Hoover, Nabil Echchaibi Media and Religion: The Global View p 147 ... a five-part series called Walking with Jesus, “produced by Africans for Africans,” helps viewers understand the ... My Last Day was conceived to reach a younger audience since its animé style “visually translates” the Jesus film .

• Jesus of Nazareth (TV series) with Robert Powell as Jesus
• The Gospel of John (2003 film) with Henry Ian Cusick as Jesus
• The Visual Bible: Matthew with Bruce Marchiano as Jesus

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.jesusfilm.org}}

Category:Evangelical parachurch organizations

Category:Christian organizations established in 1981