A former trumpet maker is realizing a lifelong dream with the distribution of his first faith-based feature film.

Doug Hufnagle's The Path of the Wind, which tells of the challenges faced by an ex-convict returning to his hometown in search of a quiet life, reaches Christian stores next month through Vision Video.

Hufnagle left his job in a musical instrument factory in 2007 to make the film on a budget of less than $100,000 through Branding Irons Films. It features a cameo appearance by veteran actor Wilfred Brimley.

A former Mormon, Hufnagle caught the movie-making bug while working as a production assistant on My Summer Story, filmed in his native Cleveland, Ohio, in 1993. "I never gave up that dream," he said. "The advent of digital technology and it's cost-effectiveness helped us jump into production."

Hufnagle said that he believed that the movie's themes of hope and reception "are relevant for both the church and for a secular audience. I prefer to let the film speak for itself and let the audience discuss the issues and make up its own mind. But obviously, I do hope my views will come across and influence the audience, just subtly."

The first-time screenwriter and director said he was "brutally honest upfront" with Brimley's agent when he contacted him. "I didn't try to pretend that I was something I wasn't," he said. "I told him... we were a low-budget production and we were shooting on video. So of course, the next thing I figured I would hear would be the dial tone. I can't thank him enough for agreeing to work with us."

To find out more about The Path of the Wind, click here.