Burnett Family

We had a fabulous whirlwind of a weekend in Texas!

Buzzing down the road for the Saturday night, SAICFF. closing ceremonies!
Family road trips are the BEST. We (kids) always have an itch to go somewhere.

Mr. Randy Putz, our fabulous host – putting up a total of 14 people for the night is no small task. We always enjoy his kind, full-of-joy fellowship.

Of course, John-Clay had been in San Antonio for the whole week, attending the Film Academy along with the Henline family and their friend, Emily. J-C said the Academy was the best ever – plenty of practical instruction and challenging messages.

The week is always key for networking with other Christian filmmakers. It’s encouraging to see how much independent Christian filmmaking has grown and improved in just the past 9 years since the film festival began!

John-Clay’s main project last year was making the documentary, Captivated.
Phillip Telfer was the producer of the film, which was a semi-finalist at the festival.

This was our third year to drive down for the closing ceremonies on Saturday night! Sooo excited. =)

Doug Phillips – President of Vision Forum Ministries

Special music for the evening was provided by Charlie Zahm

We were thrilled when the Henlines’ film, The Forgotten Martyr: Lady Jane Grey, won the Best Young Filmmaker’s Award and was also runner-up for Best Short Film!

Captivated was up against 15 other documentaries, so we weren’t sure whether to get our hopes up for an award or not. We were pleased when Captivated won runner-up for Best Documentary and was a finalist for the Best of Festival Award! =)

In actuality, the best award of all was the feedback received during the week from the many people whose lives have been greatly impacted through the message of the film. Praise the Lord! That’s a work that only HE can do.

Courageous deservedly won the Best of Festival Award! Stephen Kendrick gave a meaningful speech, honoring his dad for the powerful influence he has been in their lives. One thing that really stands out among all these filmmakers is their passion to do what they do for the glory of God, that He might be lifted up and seen for Who He is!

What better way to end the night than by bringing down the house with the Orange Blossom Special! Personally, the harmonica was my favorite. :)

Remember the Dorninks? We were so happy that seven of them were able to stop for a night going and coming from the film festival. They joined us for our bi-weekly volleyball practice at a church gym, which was super fun!! Sorry, no pictures of that. We were pretty busy playing, losing, and winning. :)

Discussing guns, I think. :)

My dear friend, Melody – we can talk for hours! And every time I’m left challenged, encouraged, and hungry for the Lord. That’s a good friend for ya. ;)

The Moms.

Spoons! A favorite around here.

 
Benj got a lot of basketball time out of Dustin and Kelly, much to his enjoyment.

Somehow, the length of the Dorninks’ visits seem to expand…and grow…and carry on…(not because we tempt them with homemade ice cream or anything).

On their way back from San Antonio, they planned to drop in from 10pm – 2am (yes, you read that correctly). But it so happened, they got an early start and expected to arrive by 7pm instead. Then, their mini-van broke down in Waco, and we weren’t sure if they were going to be able to come at all. :( Van got fixed, they arrived at midnight and decided to stay the night! (Nachos are a great midnight snack meal, by the way.) Wellllll, when their departure time of 11am rolled around in the morning, we said, “Is there any way y’all can stay longer?” A few phone calls made, and the rest of the day was spent with them until we sent them off with a blessing at 10pm that night. =D Good times!

Good friends = willing to ask meaningful questions, talk deep, and truly desire to build each other up in the Lord. The Dorninks definitely fit that list. We shared some great discussions together, and I know our family was really encouraged! Hopefully, we’ll find an excuse to meet up again soon. :)

There’s the re-cap for you! With the calendar as full as it is, I’m sure we’ll have more to tell you about soon. :)

Thanks to all you blog readers for staying in touch! We appreciate each one of you and pray that the Lord will really be the treasure of your heart as you walk through life with Him.

John-Clays’ most recent film project, Captivated, is contending as a finalist this weekend at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival! He served as the Director of Photography, Editor, and Assistant Director on the project.

Synopsis:
Everywhere we go we are surrounded by screens.
Have we entered a techno utopia or a virtual prison?

Should we be celebrating unreservedly
or should we be cautious and skeptical?

Is it the greatest leap in productivity
or the biggest setback from the things most meaningful in life?

Has today’s connectivity drawn us closer to one another
or strangely more disjointed?

Is our social experience richer and deeper
or more shallow and artificial?

Is it all of these things or none of them?

Discover insightful answers to these questions from media experts, church leaders, and inspiring individuals and families from across the country.

Most importantly you’ll discover how God’s word addresses the unique media challenges we face today.

John-Clay is in San Antonio right now attending the Film Academy and is giving us reports of great feedback on the film.
Lord-willing, most of us will be heading down to join him on Saturday for the closing ceremonies! Very exciting. :)

Besides the anticipation of the film possibly winning an award,
we are really looking forward to meeting all the great people he has worked with on recent projects.

So, stay tuned for more exciting updates in the very near future. :)

Special Features

• The Making Of Courageous
• Commentary By The Kendrick Brothers
• Deleted Scenes
• Outrageous: Outtakes & Bloopers
• Courageous In 60 Seconds
• Heart Of Courageous
• The Story Of My Father

Synopsis:

“Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, David Thomson, and Shane Fuller are confident and focused. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood.

While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. But they’re quickly discovering that their standard is missing the mark.

When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God … and to their children?”

Movie Rating: PG-13 for Some Violence and Drug Content
Content Review: Click Here
Movie Trailer: Click Here
Movie Website: Click Here

Order Your Copy Here!

To see more family films visit: Family Favorite Feature Films

Disclaimer: Please note that this film may be too intense or contain other content that would not be appropriate for younger ages. I am also aware that everyone has unique standards and guidelines for their own families. Please take the time to examine these films and I hope the “Content Review” links will be helpful. Lastly, in case anyone is wondering, no the movies are not listed in any particular order.

Burns Family Studios has begun work on their next Christian feature film titled, Beyond the Mask! Check out this exciting Pre-Production trailer!

Synopsis

This story is an action-fused historic adventure, set in the international turmoil of the mid 1770′s. Running for his life, an East India Company assassin buried his past in a quiet English village, assuming the mantle of an Anglican priest. But this disguise won’t last for long when a woman he loves and a war he no longer wants force him to confront the question of who he really is. In the face of a looming global conflict, he discovers for himself the meaning and source of true justification and freedom.

CLICK HERE
to watch a promo video that includes concept art,
set locations, and more about the film!

Right now they need a little help raising some funds to build a major set for the project, and you can help by donating just $20!

About the Campaign

Right now, we are asking you to consider joining our team by voting for Beyond the Mask with a $20 donation. Through this Kickstarter campaign, we are planning to raise funding to purchase the materials we can’t scavenge for Beyond the Masks’ most important set – a full-scale, live-action 18th century cityscape. But, more importantly, through this campaign we are hoping to find a thousand voices to join with ours as we approach investors (the ‘men in hats’) about making a project like this come to life. By donating $20, you are voting for this project, saying, “Count me in. I’ll help spread the word; I want to see this become a reality.” This is the kind of thing the ‘men in hats’ need to see: there are over a thousand people who are excited about the project and are willing to lend a hand.

Learn More

BeyondTheMask.com

Beyond The Mask – Kickstarter Campaign

With all the comings and goings of the summer season in a big family, life surely is exciting!!

The crew that attended the Nashville conference last week (Abbie, Hannah, Caleb, and three friends) arrived home late on Saturday night. We had a w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l time serving in the various children’s programs throughout the week and saw God work in many ways. Here are a few pictures…

Thanks to the guys for doing all the driving and praise the Lord for safety!…(not just because of the drivers.) ;)

We made sure we were well stocked with snacks for road. ;)

I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to be able to share heart-to-heart with teenage girls about the life lessons God has taught me and give them hope in their struggles. It’s an amazing thing as I continue my journey of faith to be able to call back to them as a “big sister” and encourage them to keep pressing on in the Lord!

The smiling registration team!

Abbie and two other young ladies taught a group of 16 children for 3 days! She hopes to share more pictures with you soon. We met some really amazing friends that we hope to see again in the near future. :) :)

No sooner had we arrived home on Saturday night, when Dad and the twins took off for Hot Springs, AR on Sunday afternoon! The girls are accompanying him on a business trip and will have some free time together in between trainings. :) Benj also left to spend a night and day with friends in northwest Oklahoma.

Before the AR crew gets back on Wednesday, John-Clay will be flying out for a 4-week film trip! He’ll be meeting up with a team in Virginia, and then they will make their way through New York, Michigan, Colorado, Hollywood, Los Angeles, and probably more places, before arriving home in July. Please be in prayer for him – this is a great opportunity!

After we say “goodbye” to JC and “welcome home” to Dad and the twins, Mom, Charity, Abbie, and I will be driving down to Houston for the weekend to attend a special wedding! We are looking forward to spending quality mom & daughter time together and having LOTS of fun. :) Don’t worry, we’ll take pictures. ;)

So, that’s TWO weeks out of our summer, I’ll wait to fill you in on our other upcoming adventures as they get closer. Where are YOU traveling this summer?? Drop us a note if you want to stop by! We love company. :)