“As a director, I wanted to recreate the magic of family movie outings, like those I cherished growing up and later shared with my children,” Schafer added. “But I feel the impact of the pandemic and the rise of streaming have shifted the theater experience.”
“Yet, movies deserve to be seen together, where we laugh, cry, jump, and cheer as one,” he said. “That’s what we, as filmmakers, strive for.”
Schafer encouraged people to support those making family-friendly movies:
I have read countless articles over the years that say Hollywood isn’t making anything original; they’re playing it safe with sequels and remakes. There are plenty of us making original stories and taking risks; unfortunately, we don’t have big-name actors, huge production or marketing budgets, or a known studio name distributing our movies. But we are in the game. I often hear that we need to support more family-friendly movies, and that will change Hollywood. Unfortunately, that’s not true. We can’t wait for Hollywood to change. Support the ones making those family-friendly movies and we’ll produce more.
The director made clear that, although he was “disappointed by the numbers,” those at the “Salvation Poem Project are not defeated.”
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“Audiences love a great underdog story. ‘Light of the World’ is an underdog story, and you have the power to help us make it a success,” Schafer emphasized. “Please see it in theaters this week, especially this weekend. It’s meant to be experienced on the big screen, in surround sound, surrounded by a full audience.”
“We want to keep making family-friendly films, but we could really use your support in seeing it in a theater,” he pleaded. “If we have a good week through this weekend, we might get a third week.”
“Light of the World” is now playing in theaters across the nation.
