El Festival, a conference held 27-28 September in Buenos Aires, Argentina, explored the convergence of art, creativity and faith through cinema as a powerful tool for spreading the gospel.

El Festival had 121 participants from the Africa, Asia-Pacific, Mesoamerica, South America, and USA/Canada regions. Some enjoyed el Festival in person while the rest connected via streaming so as to learn more about one of the most creative ways of carrying the message of Jesus: cinema.

With participants from countries such as Guatemala, Panama, Mexico, Costa Rica, the United States, Kenya, and even Japan, el Festival featured high-level exhibitors: director and screenwriter Miguel Nagle; executive producer Luan Felipe; assistant director and screenwriter Douglas Gomes; visual artist Bruno Anselmo; and finally, professor and theater director Keila Radi.

A highlight of the event were the workshops on film direction, art direction, photography, documentaries, sound, screenplay, production, lighting, directing actors, and set design.

The presence of regional and global Church of the Nazarene leaders, such as David González, Alessandro Polonio, Alex Romero, Leo Barreto, Rick Guilfoil, Brian Utter, and Fernando Biagi, crowned the unprecedented initiative. The speakers each left clear messages on the importance of following through God's direction for each person with the skills he has provided.

This event, initially created from the heart of World Mission Broadcast and the South America Region Communications team, was made possible globally thanks to its simultaneous English, Spanish, and Portuguese broadcast. The tireless work of more than 30 volunteers, including members of the technical team, translators, and presenters empowered the event, making it memorable.

“It was incredible to see so many people from around the world who are excited about cinema and have a passion for sharing the gospel,” said Fernando Biagi, senior video production manager for the Church of the Nazarene. “I am excited for the future of the Church of the Nazarene in using video as a tool to enrich lives and spread the message of hope we have in Christ."

Following the conference, on 8 October, the el Festival Challenge was launched, which aims to encourage the church to create short films that will be exhibited on the different platforms of the Church of the Nazarene in South America and at Third Wave, a global Nazarene Youth International event to be held in January 2025.

To learn more about the el Festival Challenge, click here.

--Church of the Nazarene South America