MOTION PICTURE EPIC 'HEAVENQUEST' SNEAK PEEK EVENT OCTOBER. 25-26
The upcoming epic Christian motion picture, "Heavenquest: A Pilgrim's Progress," presents a special 2-day "sneak peek" event, October 25th and October 26th. The project is a production of King Street Pictures, TKC Pictures and DK Entertainment International.
▶ BY KEVIN SCOTT COLLIER
The epic motion picture, Heavenquest: A Pilgrim’s Progress, will be available for a "sneak peek" on October 25th and 26th, preceding official release on DVD and VOD platforms in early 2020. $5 tickets are available with a DVD purchase option, which includes a bonus feature. Director Matt Bilen conveyed Heavenquest presents a different type of story and genre than typically seen in faith-based films.
“This is a film that has some grit to it, some action, but also has a strong Christian worldview filled with allegory and symbolism,” Bilen told CM. “We are also attempting to move the needle a bit to reach people who maybe would never watch a ‘faith based’ film. This isn't going to slap people across the face with a message. It's just a good story with strong symbolic messages.”
The story, by Matt Bilen, Rachel Tan, and Darren Wilson, with screenwriters Dan Mark and Michael Tang, tells the tale about a regal man named Vangel, who is thrust on a journey against his will, when he is suddenly, and mysteriously, arrested. Injured and lost after escaping the dark king’s men, Vangel begins to have strange dreams and visions of a mysterious woman in white, calling him from the unknown territory of the North.
Vangel is armed with a book called The Record of the Ancients, that he receives from a wise sage named Elder. Our hero then embarks on an adventure, taking him through a treacherous mountain range, unending deserts, the Lake of Doubts, and the Forest of No Return. Along the way, traveling companions share the legend of a fabled good king and his son in the North. But can Vangel reach that destination without losing his life?
The project, a production of King Street Pictures, TKC Pictures and DK Entertainment International, stars Patrick Thompson, Peta Sergeant, Alan Powell, In-Pyo Cha, Karyme Lozano, Ricky Kim, Fernanda Romero, Asger Folmann, Eric Tiede, Tyler Dash White, Talin Chat, Girvan 'Swirv' Bramble, Charlit Dae, Neraida Bega, Corey Lee Page, Chris Tergliafera and others. Chris Ellison is director of cinematography, with music by Jonathan Beard.
With a budget of only $250,000, the Heavenquest team embarked on a mission to create a faith-based, fantasy epic, using an international cast and remote locations. The motion picture The Revenant, which was shot in a very similar fashion, had a production budget of $135 million.
Matt Bilen and the team managed to find actors who loved the story and signed on to the project, knowing conditions would be challenging. Cast and crew filmed in extreme conditions, assisted with costuming, and even were tasked with writing much of their own dialogue. Their ministry housing accommodations where pleasant, occupying “two big houses, with beds and a nice family room and kitchen,” Bilen said.
For Bilen and this creative team, it’s all about ministry and leaving an inspirational legacy by creating projects that point people directly to God, and delivering content that the director is proud to show his kids.
“My hope is to continue to make more films like this and do them better and bigger,” Bilen shared.
Heavenquest: A Pilgrim’s Progress has secured domestic and global distribution for its conventional premiere. Vudu, Hulu, and Amazon are expected platforms (by subscription or to rent). The DVD release will be available at 500 Christian bookstore retail locations including Walmart.com and Bestbuy.com.
The special October 25th and 26th preview event presents the entire film, but only for those two days. WP Films, who is helping with the 48 hour sneak peek, will also continue to carry the film as a rental or digital purchase.
Director Bilen explained after the sneak peek the public “will have to wait until the new year” to see the film upon conventional release. More information can be found at the movie website. Also, an assortment of clips, images, and material can be viewed on Facebook @heavenquest or on Instagram.
Watch an interview with Matt Bilen on Coffee Break and watch the official Heavenquest: A Pilgrim’s Progress movie trailer.
The epic motion picture, Heavenquest: A Pilgrim’s Progress, will be available for a "sneak peek" on October 25th and 26th, preceding official release on DVD and VOD platforms in early 2020. $5 tickets are available with a DVD purchase option, which includes a bonus feature. Director Matt Bilen conveyed Heavenquest presents a different type of story and genre than typically seen in faith-based films.
“This is a film that has some grit to it, some action, but also has a strong Christian worldview filled with allegory and symbolism,” Bilen told CM. “We are also attempting to move the needle a bit to reach people who maybe would never watch a ‘faith based’ film. This isn't going to slap people across the face with a message. It's just a good story with strong symbolic messages.”
The story, by Matt Bilen, Rachel Tan, and Darren Wilson, with screenwriters Dan Mark and Michael Tang, tells the tale about a regal man named Vangel, who is thrust on a journey against his will, when he is suddenly, and mysteriously, arrested. Injured and lost after escaping the dark king’s men, Vangel begins to have strange dreams and visions of a mysterious woman in white, calling him from the unknown territory of the North.
Vangel is armed with a book called The Record of the Ancients, that he receives from a wise sage named Elder. Our hero then embarks on an adventure, taking him through a treacherous mountain range, unending deserts, the Lake of Doubts, and the Forest of No Return. Along the way, traveling companions share the legend of a fabled good king and his son in the North. But can Vangel reach that destination without losing his life?
The project, a production of King Street Pictures, TKC Pictures and DK Entertainment International, stars Patrick Thompson, Peta Sergeant, Alan Powell, In-Pyo Cha, Karyme Lozano, Ricky Kim, Fernanda Romero, Asger Folmann, Eric Tiede, Tyler Dash White, Talin Chat, Girvan 'Swirv' Bramble, Charlit Dae, Neraida Bega, Corey Lee Page, Chris Tergliafera and others. Chris Ellison is director of cinematography, with music by Jonathan Beard.
With a budget of only $250,000, the Heavenquest team embarked on a mission to create a faith-based, fantasy epic, using an international cast and remote locations. The motion picture The Revenant, which was shot in a very similar fashion, had a production budget of $135 million.
Matt Bilen and the team managed to find actors who loved the story and signed on to the project, knowing conditions would be challenging. Cast and crew filmed in extreme conditions, assisted with costuming, and even were tasked with writing much of their own dialogue. Their ministry housing accommodations where pleasant, occupying “two big houses, with beds and a nice family room and kitchen,” Bilen said.
For Bilen and this creative team, it’s all about ministry and leaving an inspirational legacy by creating projects that point people directly to God, and delivering content that the director is proud to show his kids.
“My hope is to continue to make more films like this and do them better and bigger,” Bilen shared.
Heavenquest: A Pilgrim’s Progress has secured domestic and global distribution for its conventional premiere. Vudu, Hulu, and Amazon are expected platforms (by subscription or to rent). The DVD release will be available at 500 Christian bookstore retail locations including Walmart.com and Bestbuy.com.
The special October 25th and 26th preview event presents the entire film, but only for those two days. WP Films, who is helping with the 48 hour sneak peek, will also continue to carry the film as a rental or digital purchase.
Director Bilen explained after the sneak peek the public “will have to wait until the new year” to see the film upon conventional release. More information can be found at the movie website. Also, an assortment of clips, images, and material can be viewed on Facebook @heavenquest or on Instagram.
Watch an interview with Matt Bilen on Coffee Break and watch the official Heavenquest: A Pilgrim’s Progress movie trailer.
