Below is the transcript of an interview we conducted with John Moore (19-year-old director of The Widow’s Might) at the 2009 Christian Filmmakers Academy in San Antonio.  John’s film won the Audience Choice and Best of Festival awards at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival.

(This interview is © 2009 GodHonoringMovies.com.  See bottom of interview for permitted use)

GodHonoringMovies.com: Well John, please tell us how you got interested in filmmaking and how you got started.

John Moore: You know that’s as much a question to me as “What was the defining moment of your life when you became converted?” There’s no specific point to which I can point. No day, no moment, no pinnacle of that interest. I know I had been interested in filmmaking for about a year and a half by the time we came to the film festival in 2004, and I’ve always been fascinated with the telling of stories, stories well told in literature, primarily. In 2004 we came to the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival where my father and I saw something that was quite revolutionary. And since that time, I’ve known which direction in film I wanted to pursue.

GHM: What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome in your filmmaking experiences?

JM: Lack of focus. It’s so easy to get swept here and there with the minute things of the everyday life. The fact is that filmmakers, especially young filmmakers, must learn to focus, learn to stay committed to a single project and see it through to completion. It’s never been difficult for me to see a project through to completion; The difficulty is that a lack of focus would lead that completion to be something like four or five years down the road, instead of a realistic time frame.

GHM: What are the resources you have found most helpful in your filmmaking education as you’re learning about the filmmaking craft and the industry?

JM: Without question the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Academy and the resources about film distributed by Vision Forum. Second to that, just reading the material from other Christian film makers. There are a number of really good websites out there, where filmmakers are sharing their experience, technical difficulties, their solutions.

GHM: In your opinion, what is the state of the God-honoring film industry today?

JM: A lot of people talk about trends… and market this and market that. There’s a book called the “Tipping Point” and there’s a book talking about the “bell curve.” And they always talk about, “Well, at this precise moment, everything switches over, and at that precise moment everything turns over…” No. There are individual tipping points. There are individual moments for each of us where we have to make a commitment, or fall away from a commitment that we made, to honor God with a film. As filmmakers, that’s something we have to do. As an industry, there are many, many, many components. As of now, the God-honoring film industry is comprised of individuals, many of whom are, for the first time, staying true to that commitment. And they’re receiving blessings. Such as, the Kendricks with Fireproof. Logan Craft with Expelled. And we’re seeing these things now for the first time not because there is some new industry trend, but because individuals are staying committed and staying focused to what God has called them to do.

GHM: What would you say is your ultimate goal as a Christian filmmaker?

JM: To see the young men and woman of my children’s generation taking over; to pass the baton on to others; to see a time when I am no longer filmmaking, when I’m actually pursuing a political venture or some entrepreneurial endeavor. I can’t wait until my filmmaking career has run its course, I’ve done my work, and passed the baton. That’s what I’m looking forward to, but I hope to, in the mean time, to accomplish as many things as the Lord allows me to do.

GHM: That’s excellent. Now I would like to ask you some questions about The Widow’s Might, specifically.

JM: Ok.

GHM: Would you tell us about some specific prayer requests that God answered during the production of the film?

JM: The biggest one was Mr. James Burgess. We had been talking about another cinematographer, who had a RED camera, and we were hoping to fly him in, and get all this worked out, and so forth. It seemed like everything was going well, when all of a sudden he just disappeared, no more contact. We were not able to get a hold of him. We had sent him the resources and information he requested, but became obvious that he had become a closed door.

At the same time, we were looking desperately for a set to be the widow’s home. And all these things started to fall apart at one particular time frame in the course of the production. It was very frustrating, very unnerving. So we got together and we realized that this was a testing, this was a trial, this was something for us to pass through. It was not God warning us that we were not ready. It was God challenging us, to remind us that we were going to have to encounter difficulties like this through the rest of the production, and we needed to commit. This was a test of our commitment. And we prayed, we asked the Lord to open the doors, and promised our commitment. We promised we would not “back down, back out, back up, or backslide,” and we moved forward. We started with what we could do. We counted on God to provide in the other areas, that He would reward our diligent labor toward those directions.

Out of no where, I get the contact information for James Burgess, who had just moved to within forty-five minutes of my house, who owns a RED camera, and was interested in finding Christian filmmakers in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. That was so impossible, I still have no idea how that exactly happened, and neither does Mr. Burgess.

We found a home that we really liked, but the owner had said, “No way. We’re not interested in any movies being shot there.” We managed to get in contact with him again, and we said, “Well, we’d like to rent it out for our crew to actually stay there for a couple of weeks. We’d like to pay rent on it. It’s going to be used as a set, which means we’re going to be washing the windows, mowing the lawn, we’re going to be doing all these things.” It was a fairly vacant building. And he goes, “Ah, that’s perfect, that’s beautiful, I’d love for you to do that. In fact, do whatever you like. In fact…” and he starts going through all these ideas. And we got together, and we’ve actually become friends now, thanks to The Widow’s Might. So that’s a great way for us to be able to meet people in our community.

GHM: What do you want movie watchers to take away from this film after they walk out of the theater, or walk away from their TV screen?

JM: [Laughs] Well, the artist in me says, “I want them to go away from the film humming the songs from the movie.” I want them to be truly delighted with the film, to be entertained, to be inspired. But mostly what I want them to do, is I want them to see the beauty of family harmony in an effort to attack Statism on a very basic level. That’s something that was constantly in the minds through the craft of the screen play, through the craft of the film, that Statism isn’t something that is attacked by individuals on a state or national level nearly so much as it needs to be attacked by families on a county and city level. And that’s the first place to deal with it.

I need to read your book because it could probably tell me a whole lot more about that, too.

GHM: Who are some of the people who have influenced you the most in your filmmaking and the work that you’re doing?

JM: Well without question, my father has been the most influential man in my life in all areas, film included. Of course the Botkin family has been tremendously inspirational, and without Doug Phillip’s film festival, I never would have been inspired in this particular direction. I’m also thankful for the teaching of men like George Grant and Joe Morecraft on issues like Statism. I suppose though, that if all these sources could be attributed to one primary inspiration, it would be R. J. Rushdoony. A man who first got my father interested in these topics. A man who, of course, was tremendously inspirational in the life of Doug Phillip’s father and in the life of Geoff Botkin. A man who universally is respected by Christian reformers for seeking out the truth of Scripture in all areas of cultural dominion.

GHM: Is there any exclusive, top secret information that you can give us at GodHonoringMovies.com?

JM: Any exclusive, top secret information?

GHM: Behind the scenes, or any plans you have?

JM: Exclusive, top secret information. [thinking] In one of the shots of the cowboy riding the horse, it’s actually the gal who owns the horse, because the horse wouldn’t listen to me. And it was my first time riding a horse. I had never ridden a horse prior to The Widow’s Might. So, I was very nervous, and we were riding along the river’s edge, and the horse absolutely refused to listen to me. So “Pistol-Packin’” Paula, who owns Jake the stunt horse, actually rode in my place, and we had to paint out the stirrups or else you would see they’re empty. I don’t think anybody except for the crew knows that. Now you guys do, and it will soon be spread to the world and IMDB trivia and all those great sources for filmmaking fun.

GHM: Excellent. Thanks so much.

JM: Thanks, Scott.

Shad from GHM: How could you live in Texas and not ride a horse?

JM: [grins] I’m not really a cowboy. I am a proud Texan, but not a cowboy. See, Texas is about a philosophy, not a lifestyle.

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The Widow’s Might will be playing in theaters April 13-18.  Watch the trailer HERE.  To view more pictures like the ones featured here, go to The Widow’s Might image gallery.

Interview Permitted Use

The text of this interview may be reproduced in its entirety if proper credit is given to GodHonoringMovies.com.