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Christmas with The Salvation Army produced
by Anthony Begonia and Nikole Lim. –
In Dec. 2006—in the city famous for its movie-making—the Santa Monica Corps produced its first film. Filmmakers Anthony Begonia and Nikole Lim wrote, produced, directed and edited a movie musical, Christmas with The Salvation Army, in a whirlwind amount of time and with a tiny budget that would make any movie studio proud!
The show—an audience participation experience—mixed live choreographed numbers, traditional Christmas songs, music videos, special guest soloists, interactive caroling, a candlelight service, a nativity scene, a Broadway kick line, a free lunch provided by the Santa Monica ARC, vibrant testimonies, and a dramatic presentation with a twist motored by the filmed movie segments. The story follows a corps officer holding a soldiers’ rally to discuss the community opportunities for the upcoming Christmas season. The captain meets a young man in need and directs him to the ARC, where he reconciles with his father in a dramatic ending that George Lucas would enjoy. Everyone is challenged by the message and theme song to “Go Light Your World” in a world that needs hope.
Soldiers and friends of the Santa Monica Corps comprised the film’s cast, in conjunction with the ZFI Film Program (Glendale and Santa Monica corps). The film can be viewed on Youtube.com. Inspired by Matthew 5:14, Luke 1:79 and 1 Peter 3:3, the project—the ZFI Film Program’s first one—is a tribute to the first Salvation Army filmmakers, who, at the turn of the century, created cutting edge projects to present a relevant and powerful message.
To view Christmas with The Salvation Army, visit www.youtube.com/kodesigns. For more information about the ZFI Film Program, visit www.zfi.la.