As students head to colleges all across America, this coming Christian film will shine a light on the kinds of challenges facing the Believers among them.
According to a survey from earlier this year of Protestant churchgoers between the ages of 18 to 22, two-thirds have stopped attending church. Freshman Year, which hits theaters next month, will delve into the pressing issue of holding firm in the faith in those challenging college years. And it tackles it not from an academic perspective, but through the eyes of two college kids facing serious struggles that impact them and their families.
The picture stars Diallo Thompson and Natalia Dominguez as said students. His character - C.J. - is a pastor's son from a very strict home. Arriving at school as a freshman, he falls in love with Dominguez's character, Marcella. The temptations of the college scene and being away from home for the first time turn their lives upside down and put their faith to the test.
This project is the brainchild of producer/director Jude Johnson who, in his day job, is director of the television ministry at The Well Christian Community Church in Northern California. He also created the story and co-wrote the screenplay and, as he stated in a social media post, "took a step of faith" making the movie, which is his first. Johnson praises the Lord for helping him get it done.
"God sustained me by working behind the scenes in assembling a great crew...I thank God for making this possible - Give God the Glory!!"
We couldn't have said it better ourselves. And it's not just the crew, because Johnson got some talented cast members as well, including Hollywood veterans Gregory Alan Williams and Benjamin Onyango, who played Reverend Jude in the God's Not Dead franchise.
Now then, it may unfortunately prove tricky to see Freshman Year because when it opens on September 16th, it will do so in limited release. According to the film's website, it's launching in just five states...and ours is not among them, so we may not have a review when it debuts. At any rate, the trailer below will give a feel for what to expect, and hopefully it will be coming to a theater near you.
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