Following a successful first season last spring, Ignatius Press is kicking off its second "Ignatius Night At The Movies" series this fall with a national premiere of the never-before- seen-on-big-screen "Pope John Paul II" film, starring internationally renowned actors Jon Voight and Cary Elwes. Voight was nominated for a 2006 Emmy Award for his performance in the film.
The film will be shown in select parishes, shrines, colleges, Catholic conference centers, and schools throughout the U.S. and Canada, beginning the weekend of Oct. 27 and continuing through the weekend of Nov. 17. Organizations interested in scheduling a showing should contact Diane Hanson at 734-453-8487. The new DVD version of the film will be provided free-of- charge for the showing.
The critically acclaimed, 180-minute epic feature film - which follows Karol Wojtyla's journey from his youth in Poland through his late days on the Chair of St. Peter - is now being sold on DVD in North America exclusively by Ignatius Press. The film was shown on television last December on CBS - but never in theaters and has been unavailable for retail purchase until now.
Upon seeing the film, Pope Benedict XVI said, "Watching this film has renewed in me a sense of profound gratitude to God for having given the Church and the world a Pope of such an exalted human and spiritual nature." He then blessed the film - "the ultimate endorsement" according to Catholic News Service (CNS).
CNS film reviewer Harry Forbes said, "Voight is quite extraordinary. Besides doing a spot-on impersonation of Pope John Paul II's public persona, he ages most convincingly ... It's a heart-wrenching portrayal."
Ignatius Press marketing director, Anthony Ryan, says the longtime book publisher decided that launching "Ignatius Night At The Movies" would be a great way to let the world know about "marvelous films which tell great - and true - stories. We don't have to rely on Hollywood or the movie moguls of the entertainment business to get high-quality films out to the public."
