DIRECTOR CHRIS DOWLING SEES FAITH-BASED MOVIE MARKET EXPANDING
Chris Dowling, center, co-producer of motion picture "Run the Race." Insets top left, Tim Tebow with fiancée Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, bottom, Chris Dowling with crew. Official "Run the Race" movie poster, right.
▶ BY KEVIN SCOTT COLLIER
It’s been six months since the (February 22) release of Reserve Entertainment’s Run the Race, but the pace of the project has not subsided, according to director and co-producer, Chris Dowling.
“It’s been pretty special,” Dowling told CM. “I continue to get people reaching out to me with stories of how the film touched them, or helped them through something they were dealing with—some big stuff, like cancer, broken relationships, etc.”
Dowling explained he believes the role of any filmmaker is to produce a product that has a lasting impact on an audience.
“So, to that extent, I would say the traction has been great,” he said.
Chris Dowling is known for his previous involvement in the motion pictures Priceless (2016) and Where Hope Grows (2014).
Run the Race tells the tale of two brothers in a small southern town, against a backdrop of high school football and track. The siblings face escalating problems with two different worldviews, straining—but ultimately strengthening—the bonds of brotherhood.
Written by Jake McEntire, Jason Baumgardner and Dowling, the movie gained great attention during production due to football star Tim Tebow, and his older brother, Robby, serving in executive producer roles.
“Obviously having Tim Tebow out there as a face for this film was a necessity,” Dowling explained. “People trust him and his brand. So to be able to link up with, and make a film that he can put his stamp on—it’s honestly the difference between this movie getting a small, very limited release and reaching the 1,000 screens that we did.”
Dowling stated Robby Tebow "was on the ground from day one, leaning on physical production."
Run the Race stars Tanner Stine, Kristoffer Polaha, Evan Hofer, Kelsey Reinhardt, Mario Van Peebles, Mykelti Williamson, Frances Fisher, and more.
Dowling sees Hollywood no longer ignoring the earnings of faith and family oriented films.
“Hollywood pays attention to the box office,” he said. “So when something like I Can Only Imagine does $85 million, suddenly Hollywood listens, and a fresh batch of ‘faith films’ get the green light, trying to catch that iconic lightning in a bottle.”
Dowling explained that, from a quality standpoint, he thinks as filmmakers break out of their constraints of the genre we will see more recognition that “these types of films can be done well.” He also sees the Christian movie industry on the rise, especially with independents.
“It’s definitely growing,” Dowling said. “I like it, because you get to elevate the films now to get the marketing you want, whereas in the past, marketing teams would go out and rally support behind a movie simply because of its ‘faith’ aspect.”
Dowling observed that now the gatekeepers are “inundated with these types of projects,” and there is “only so much bandwidth,” so one really needs to have content that stands out to attract “grassroots support.” He also sees the marketing avenues widening.
“I think the bigger SVOD (subscription/streaming video on demand) are realizing there is an underserved market and are starting to explore the space,” he conveyed. “I think When Calls the Heart crushes it on Netflix. So, the conversation is definitely happening, but it will be a work in progress, as it’s uncharted territory for most of these players.”
Dowling pointed to Amazon Prime Video as a place that “seems to aggregate” some lower budget titles, giving them an opportunity to reach an audience.
“So, it definitely gives more options to indie filmmakers,” Dowling said, which is a good thing.
Chris Dowling is currently one of the producers of the documentary comedy series On Tour with Asperger’s Are Us. 8/9/19
It’s been six months since the (February 22) release of Reserve Entertainment’s Run the Race, but the pace of the project has not subsided, according to director and co-producer, Chris Dowling.
“It’s been pretty special,” Dowling told CM. “I continue to get people reaching out to me with stories of how the film touched them, or helped them through something they were dealing with—some big stuff, like cancer, broken relationships, etc.”
Dowling explained he believes the role of any filmmaker is to produce a product that has a lasting impact on an audience.
“So, to that extent, I would say the traction has been great,” he said.
Chris Dowling is known for his previous involvement in the motion pictures Priceless (2016) and Where Hope Grows (2014).
Run the Race tells the tale of two brothers in a small southern town, against a backdrop of high school football and track. The siblings face escalating problems with two different worldviews, straining—but ultimately strengthening—the bonds of brotherhood.
Written by Jake McEntire, Jason Baumgardner and Dowling, the movie gained great attention during production due to football star Tim Tebow, and his older brother, Robby, serving in executive producer roles.
“Obviously having Tim Tebow out there as a face for this film was a necessity,” Dowling explained. “People trust him and his brand. So to be able to link up with, and make a film that he can put his stamp on—it’s honestly the difference between this movie getting a small, very limited release and reaching the 1,000 screens that we did.”
Dowling stated Robby Tebow "was on the ground from day one, leaning on physical production."
Run the Race stars Tanner Stine, Kristoffer Polaha, Evan Hofer, Kelsey Reinhardt, Mario Van Peebles, Mykelti Williamson, Frances Fisher, and more.
Dowling sees Hollywood no longer ignoring the earnings of faith and family oriented films.
“Hollywood pays attention to the box office,” he said. “So when something like I Can Only Imagine does $85 million, suddenly Hollywood listens, and a fresh batch of ‘faith films’ get the green light, trying to catch that iconic lightning in a bottle.”
Dowling explained that, from a quality standpoint, he thinks as filmmakers break out of their constraints of the genre we will see more recognition that “these types of films can be done well.” He also sees the Christian movie industry on the rise, especially with independents.
“It’s definitely growing,” Dowling said. “I like it, because you get to elevate the films now to get the marketing you want, whereas in the past, marketing teams would go out and rally support behind a movie simply because of its ‘faith’ aspect.”
Dowling observed that now the gatekeepers are “inundated with these types of projects,” and there is “only so much bandwidth,” so one really needs to have content that stands out to attract “grassroots support.” He also sees the marketing avenues widening.
“I think the bigger SVOD (subscription/streaming video on demand) are realizing there is an underserved market and are starting to explore the space,” he conveyed. “I think When Calls the Heart crushes it on Netflix. So, the conversation is definitely happening, but it will be a work in progress, as it’s uncharted territory for most of these players.”
Dowling pointed to Amazon Prime Video as a place that “seems to aggregate” some lower budget titles, giving them an opportunity to reach an audience.
“So, it definitely gives more options to indie filmmakers,” Dowling said, which is a good thing.
Chris Dowling is currently one of the producers of the documentary comedy series On Tour with Asperger’s Are Us. 8/9/19
