SCREENPLAY TRAILER: The Christians - Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile, by Tony Gioutsos & Linda Wright
4m 20s
Logline: Exploring the harrowing times of Christian persecution in history, a devoted present-day Christian named Christos, a brilliant mathematician, loses his family and his way due to pride and the love of money; can he find his way back? A truly Epic portrayal of Christians throughout history....
Pitch: The Passion of the Christ meets It's a Wonderful Life
"LORD, IS HE GOING TO DIE?" That's what the viewer is unsure of as they view CHRISTOS ICHTHYS as he laid beaten, bloodied, and maimed in an antiquated prison cell in the Middle East. Let's go back in time. Our story begins when Christos, as a very young boy, discovers he has supernatural powers. Tormented by nightmare after nightmare, Christos finds himself awakened to the frightening horrors of reliving the past deaths of the ancient Martyrs. Through his supernatural abilities, Christos "feels" their death. But, after each nightmare, Christos SEES a DOVE fly off into the sky. Shaken to the core, Christos' daily quest becomes to find the deeper meaning of all of it and what does it have to do with him. But, he's reluctant to share it with anyone for fear of ridicule. By the time Christos hits high school, he proudly confesses he is a Christian and taps into his excellent abilities in sports and science and math with a keen sensibility to the mystical realm. He excels at everything he does and "wants to change the world." However, due to lack of understanding why he can "feel" and "see" these Martyrs being persecuted for their Christian faith, Christos finds himself in a war between the Lord and the world. After Christos marries the love of his life, DAWN, he finds deep support for his brilliant mathematical mind. But when the demands of a family and his boss' demands on his ground-breaking Algorithms enter his life, Christos starts to veer off his God-ordained path for the sake of money. Suddenly, he finds himself jetting all over the world, leaving his family and true responsibilities behind. One day, Christos is made a million dollar offer to buy out his patents. Even though he goes off to pray to God and to look for his "dove" confirmation, he doesn't find one or peace. Concerned, Christos' best friend and partner, CUZ, confronts him: "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" Brushing him aside, Christos declares he will do what he wants and ends up compulsively selling his company and his soul. Dawn and Cuz can only watch as Christos walks away from God and -- his pride becomes his fall. Meanwhile, Christos' decision had even deeper complications. His children no longer desire to be around him and Dawn finds herself rejected for the sake of money. When Cuz suddenly quits the business and moves to Egypt, Christos entertains his pain through alcohol and strip joints. Oblivious to the unraveling of his family, Christos is stunned when Dawn leaves him. As the nightmares start to reoccur, Christos finds himself totally lost in a world he never meant to be in. A story so emotional you'll cry and be on the edge of your seats. A story you just can't push aside because your heart will be open to the ones that have already laid their lives down for the glory of God. You will find yourself rooting for Christos all the way to the very last page when the question "LORD, IS HE GOING TO DIE?" is answered.