More than 100 directors, producers, actors and other visual media makers gathered in Orlando, Florida, June 24-27, for the 40th anniversary International Christian Visual Media (ICVM) convention, capped off by the annual Crown Awards. ICVM attendees participated in seminars on production, distribution and the creative side of filmmaking, as well as networking sessions and film screenings.

Highlights of the event included appearances by Steve Saint, Broadway performer Shaullanda LaCombe, former mafia boss Michael Franzese, casting director Beverly Holloway, feature and documentary films director and producer David Nixon, and Life of Pi producer Christina Lee Storm.

The conference ended with the annual Crown Awards, honoring visual media makers with bronze, silver or gold awards in 16 categories. Old Fashioned received top honors for Best Picture and Best Drama Over $250,000.

“I’m just amazed at what God can do,” said Old Fashioned producer Nathan Nazario. “We started out trying to raise money to do this film at the worst possible time, and God showed us what He can do.”

Bridgestone Multimedia Group landed three gold  awards, including Best Curriculum for Foundations of Freedom, Best Youth Film for The Current and Best Drama Under $250,000 for Silent Night. Vision Video’s animated series of heroes of the faith picked up awards in three categories for the same episode. Torchlighters: The John Wesley Story won Crown Awards for Best Children’s Film, Best Series and Best Television Format.

Saint’s company, I-TEC of Ocala, Florida, took home two gold awards, including Best Church Clip for “The Next Chapter, Episode 3: I Stood a Mendicant of God” and Best Short Film for Trapped.

 “We actually made this film in conjunction with the women’s pregnancy center of Ocala for their fundraising gala to tell this young girl’s story of deciding to have her baby,” said cinematographer Brian Reed of I-TEC.

Other Crown Award gold winners included 4L Films’ You Raise Me Up for Best Music Video, CRU Singapore’s A Tale of Two Esthers for Best International Film, Vision Video’s Sing Over Me for Best Documentary Under $50,000, Ken Carpenter’s One Generation Away for Best Documentary Over $50,000, Frans Cronje’s Born to Win for Best Evangelistic Film and Ting Yi Van Hofwegen’s The Land of Harvest for Best Student Production. Van Hofwegen also received a $500 prize with her award.

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