Christian Retailing

Spanish-language trade show to showcase films Print Email
Written by Eric Tiansay   
Monday, 02 May 2011 03:21 PM America/New_York

The largest trade show in the U.S. for Spanish-language Christian products will showcase inspirational films for the first time, with next month's screening of Courageous—the widely anticipated follow-up from the makers of the hit movie Fireproof—which will release in theaters nationwide Sept. 30.

To be held May 19-24 at the Doubletree Hotel & Miami Airport Convention Center (MAC) in Miami, Expolit 2011 is introducing the ExpoCinema movie segment—which will "add variety" to the event, said David Ecklebarger, the Spanish Evangelical Products Association's (SEPA) executive director and president of Miami-based Editorial Unilit.

"Concerts have and will continue to be a big local draw, but I am excited to see the new dimension that film showings adds to Expolit," he told Christian Retailing.

The screening of Courageous will feature Roberto Amaya, who plays Javier—a Hispanic character in the movie, that "will be embraced all over the Spanish-speaking world," said B&H Publishing Group Vice President of International Sales Jim Cook. The film addresses fatherhood through the lives of four police officers.

B&H will promote the Spanish version of Courageous Living by Michael Catt (B&H Books), senior pastor of Courageous' film-making brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick's home church, Sherwood Baptist Church, in Albany, Ga. B&H will also spotlight several other Courageous-related products to be released in the fall.

Other movies to be screened at Expolit include Fireproof and Poema de Salvación (The Salvation Poem)—a film based on the life of Argentinian rocker Pablo Olivares.

"I constantly have filmmakers interested in coming to Expolit," Marie Tamayo, vice president and director of Expolit, told Christian Retailing. "We hope that (ExpoCinema) will be a regular feature of Expolit."

Read more in the May issue of Christian Retailing.