Christian Movie Begins Production in Eugene this Month

Only one month after director, Shane Hawks, decided to completely give his filmmaking career over to God, his longtime family friend and fellow scriptwriter, Jodi Johnson, contacted him with the opportunity to produce her screenplay entitled, Saving Winston. The film is a family-friendly drama about a drug-abusing teen who gets arrested instead of her delinquent boyfriend in a botched robbery attempt. Through six months of rehab, the Godly example of her aunt, and the opportunity to help an extremely malnourished horse named, “Winston,” Ashley slowly reconnects with her past and finds the road to redemption. 

Jodi Johnson, writer/producer, grew up with horses and is a professional trainer herself, but her other passion is screenwriting.  “My heart has always been to write clean, family-friendly, faith-based films,” she says.  One of her first screenplays, Slidin’ Home, was a screenwriting grand prize winner at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. No stranger to the film industry, she has also worked for Law and Order: SVU in New York City, and for Paramount, among others. 

For Saving Winston, her good Christian friends—Shane and Carrie Hawks—were the logical choices for her production team.  Shane Hawks will be the director, and his wife, Carrie, will be helping with production.  Both worked together at the NBC affiliate in Eugene.  Shane has written and directed three feature films: Eyes to Heaven, Meat Cleaver Love, and Naomi.  Eyes to Heaven was officially selected into several film festivals including the New York Underground Film Festival, and the Euro Underground Film Festival.  He also wrote the script, Midnight which was a finalist in the L.A. SCREAMFEST Film Festival.   

In addition to working for NBC, Carrie Hawks has also worked for Warner Brothers on the feature film Without Limits, produced a short children’s film Bouncer, which was shown at several film festivals including the largest children’s film festival in the country, and she also helped with the production of Naomi.   All native to Oregon, they each bring a variety of talent and experience. 

Filming for Saving Winston will commence at the end of July and continue on through August.  Production should be complete by the end of the year, and the movie’s release set for early 2010.  After a local theatrical premiere, the film will be self-distributed.  “We are just waiting to see what doors open,” says Johnson.  They do plan to enter the film in Christian film festivals, as well as the Sundance Film Festival, where Johnson has worked for the last two years.  Even so, the production team views this film as a ministry.  Their focus is on reaching out to people with the Gospel message.  “If even one person comes back to the Lord, it will make it all worth it to us,” says Johnson.    

For additional information visit their website at www.savingwinstonthemovie.com.