Posted by editors
Sep 26, 2011
Social Issues Addressed at Chispa Media Festival
By Austin Bell
Close to twenty people gathered in a large screening room at Regent University’s Communication and the Arts building Friday night for the 3rd annual Chispa Media Festival. The festival was organized jointly by the School of Communication and the Arts and the Center for Latino Leadership as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Two films were shown at the festival, and a discussion time followed each film. The first film was a short documentary called A New Dream. The filmmakers talked to two young men whose parents are illegal immigrants, and they brought the issue of the treatment of undocumented immigrants squarely into the face of the church. The documentary is associated with the website Undocumented.tv. According to their website, they are an organization “seeking to inspire and mobilize young Evangelical Christians towards championing the needs of immigrants.” After the film, the festival’s attendees talked about issues such as the Scriptural view of immigration and immigrant stereotypes.
The second film was Poema de Salvacion, or The Salvation Poem. This film, shot in Spanish and based on a real-life account, focuses on a young boy who grows up to be a rebellious teenager. He gets sent to boarding school, where he starts a rock band. As part of his rebellion against his parents, he makes the unfortunate decision to sell his soul to the devil. His career takes off, but his life is a mess. His mother, however, continues to pray for him constantly. The discussion about the film afterward centered on topics like spiritual warfare and the background of the film’s production.
Dr. David Hurtado, Associate Dean for Administration at Regent, wanted the festival to be more than just an enjoyable evening of film. “I’m just hoping that this will motivate people to action, to be part of the solution to the things that are taking place in our society,” he said.
