The Imago Film Festival is a film festival

Film festival

A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...

 that takes place annually in the state of Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It's usually presented in April on Judson University campus. The mission statement indicates: "The Imago Film Festival showcases faith-based indy film that emphasizes image and story. The festival films capture the full spectrum of human emotion, experience, and spirituality."

History

The Imago Film Festival was initially developed in 2005 to showcase films made by students at Judson University. Impressed by the reception of the one-night event, professors Terrence Wandtke and Darren Wilson expanded the festival to a five-day event in 2006 and invited submissions from outside the school.

As reflected in its mission statement, the festival explores the connections between faith and film. In addition to screening independent short films from around the world, the festival features critics and filmmakers discussing the intersections of art, culture, and religion. Throughout its history, the festival has been supported by individual donors, corporate sponsors, and the Judson Student Organization.

Speakers have included Jim Wall, senior corresponding editor of The Christian Century

The Christian Century

The Christian Century is a Christian magazine based in Chicago, Illinois. Considered the flagship magazine of U.S. mainline Protestantism, the biweekly reports on religious news; comments on theological, moral, and cultural issues; and reviews books, movies, and music...

(2006); Phil Vischer

Phil Vischer

Phillip "Phil" Vischer is an American voice actor, animator, director, writer and puppeteer known for creating the computer-animated video series VeggieTales with partner and friend Mike Nawrocki...

, creator of Veggie Tales and Robert K. Johnston, author of Reel Spirituality (2007); Stephen Vidano, director of Star of Bethlehem and David Dark

David Dark

David Dark is an American writer, the author of The Sacredness of Questioning Everything, Everyday Apocalypse: The Sacred Revealed in Radiohead, The Simpsons, and Other Pop Culture Icons and The Gospel According To America: A Meditation on a God-blessed, Christ-haunted Idea, which was included in...

, author of The Sacredness of Questioning Everything (2008); David McFadzean

David McFadzean

David McFadzean is an American television producer, writer, film producer and playwright. He is best known for co-creating the 1990s sitcom Home Improvement along with Carmen Finestra and Matt Williams.-Career:...

, creator of Home Improvement and William Romanowski, author of Eyes Wide Open (2009); Darren Wilson, director of Furious Love and Gaye Williams Ortiz, author of Theology and Film (2010).

Awards

2005
Best in Show: “The Money Tree”—Ryan Lawrence

2006
Best of Show: “Anniversary”—Greg Hargis
1-10 Minutes: “Lift”—Terri Sarris
11-20 Minutes: “The Kinkade Code”—Matt Bilen
Audience Choice: “Pillowfight”—Scott Rice

2007
Best of Show: “Jaded”—Anders Lindwall
1-10 Minutes: “Redemption”—Sharise Holt
11-20 Minutes: “Crown of the Forest”—Brain Walton
Audience Choice: “Mind’s Eye”—Matt Bilen

2008
Best in Show: “Holding”—Thomas Bradson
1-15 Minutes: “Dependence”—Tamara Shaya
16-30 Minutes: “The Noble Lie”—Mitch Lusas
Audience Choice: “Abigail”—Lauran Holton

2009
Best in Show: “Gaining Ground”—Marc Brummund
1-15 Minutes: “Arc of a Bird”—Hugh Sculze
16-30 Minutes: “The Prodigal Trilogy”—Tad Munnings
Audience Choice: “Somebody’s Baby”—Garrett Marks

2010
Best in Show: “Jitensha”—Paul Nethercott
1-15 Minutes: “Prayers for Peace”—Justin Grella
16-30 Minutes: “A Mysterious Way”—Phil Warner
Audience Choice: “More than Walking”—Jonathan Sigworth