I’ve recently realized that many of my blog posts start with the statement, “I’m pleased to announce” What a great problem this is to have.

Cloud Ten Pictures is so busy and active right now, it feels like a swarm of activity is constantly going on.

So here is yet another…

I’m pleased to announce that Cloud Ten Pictures has officially picked up Zac Heath’s THE RIVER WITHIN for distribution.

THE RIVER WITHIN is a fantastic film that deals with several important topics.

The first topic that it really deals with is PURPOSE. What is your purpose? What is the purpose of the church?

The second topic that it deals with is TRANSPARENCY IN RELATIONSHIPS. What is your relationship with your loved ones really like? When no one else but family is around, what is your family like? What are your relationships like? Do people who see you, really see you? Or do they see what you want them to see?

The third topic that the film deals with is a topic that has not had much “press” but needs to be discussed. CUTTING. Yes, both Christians and non-Christians cut themselves and this all too often participated in, and rarely if ever discussed topic is met head-on in the film.

I’m very happy that Cloud Ten Pictures has taken Zac Heath’s film for distribution. This is a title that I’m personally proud to have in our library, and I’m sure you will be blessed to see.

Here are some photos that Zac sent me today from the film…

I asked Zac to send me a few words to include in my blog post this evening. So the following is from filmmaker Zac Heath, the man behind THE RIVER WITHIN

It’s so great to finally be at this point with THE RIVER WITHIN. The movie has pretty much been my life for the past 16 months. I started out to write a script with a message that represented my faith that I could shoot with some friends in the summer. But, as usual , God had more elaborate plans, as it has evolved into a full-time job between pre-production, filming, editing, and marketing.

The story, about a law-school grad who returns to the small town he grew up in to study for the bar, is fictional. But I borrowed a great deal from my own experiences in writing it. Like the main character, I grew up in a small town in the south, and I also worked as a youth pastor for a while. Many of the characters in the movie are an amalgamation of many personality types I’ve come across on my own journey, though none of them are representation of any one person I’ve known.

The story of Marcus was one that I felt needed to be told. Cutting and self-mutilation is a very real part of teenage culture today and something that youth pastors all across the country are encountering. It is not confined to cities or poorer areas, it is prevalent in suburbs and very affluent homes. But it remains something that many people are still unaware exists. In the movie, I tried to address it in a very real, thoughtful and caring manner. And the actor who played Marcus, Maurice Mejia, really dove into the role, doing a great deal of research on depression and even physically becoming the character by losing weight and growing out his hair.

I’m very excited to be working with Cloud Ten Pictures on the release of THE RIVER WITHIN. Andre van Heerden has been a great support from early on. I was sitting at my computer one day a few months ago, when I received a call from Andre out of the blue. Apparently somebody who saw a screening of the movie and liked it, passed the word on to him, so I sent him a screener. I’m glad they did, as my experience with Cloud Ten has been a very good one. They have all been very professional and on top of things. I feel confident that the movie is in good hands as we move towards the limited theatrical release in September, followed by the church release in the fall.

I’m also excited to be working with Cloud Ten because 9 years ago, as I was an actor about to enter Seminary, I realy wanted to be a part of the LEFT BEHIND movie and work on it in some fashion. But I was under contract at the time, and couldn’t even consider pursuing it. It’s almost as if my prayers from then have been answered, just not in the manner I had expected.

Christian-Movie.com will be featuring this film on the site in the month of August. There will be a behind the scenes interview with filmmaker Zac Heath as well as photos, and a full length review of the film. Be watching for it.

Until then, I’d like to welcome Zac Heath and THE RIVER WITHIN family to Cloud Ten Pictures. We are blessed to have your film in our line up. May God bless this film, and may it impact people for Christ in a powerful way.

Any questions about this film? Ask away!

Got a film you’d like us to consider for distribution? Let us know. We receive a lot of requests, and obviously can’t pick them all up, but we are always willing to take a look. God bless!