How Actor Dean Cain and West Virginia's JC Films Are Working to 'Advance the Kingdom of God'

Faith-based family films can sometimes be hard to find, but a Christian movie company based in West Virginia is trying to change that -- not just by producing more Christian content -- but with a unique way its movies are being made.  

JC Films in Bridgeport, West Virginia has been in the film production business for 13 years and already has produced more than 80 feature films.  

Jason Campbell, the company's president, explained its mission.

"We have two purposes basically, one is to make films that change the culture for Christ, and number two is how do we get more people involved, people of faith involved in Christian filmmaking," Campbell told CBN News.

Actor Dean Cain, a Christian conservative famous for his role as Superman in the TV series The New Adventures of Superman has starred in 30 of JC Films' movies. 

"Well, I love what Jason's doing with JC Films. I think it's fantastic," he told CBN News. 

In a recent role, Cain plays a small-town mayor in Hank's Christmas Wish and just wrapped shooting the sequel in West Virginia. He says, for him, it's all about the storytelling.

"I don't care how many buildings you blow up or how many people are flying across the screen. The effects are great, but that stuff doesn't…If you don't care about the characters, it just doesn't matter," Cain said.

Watch the trailer for JC Films' Hank's Christmas Wish below:

JC Films produced more than 20 films in 2023 and 25 the year before. Campbell credits his unique concept -- two dozen production clubs across the country, plus more outside the U.S.

"And these are people of faith that get together in their churches and their communities, and they make Christian content," he explained. 

Anyone with the "acting bug" can participate.

"We see a lot of moms and dads and grandparents who say, 'My kid has the acting bug,' and they can either go out into the world. They can move to Hollywood, but sometimes that's not such a safe place. So, what we tried to create through JC films is a community where moms and dads and grandparents can feel safe about their kids being involved in Christian content," the JC Films president noted. 

Campbell says older actors are also coming forward, expressing an interest to be involved. 

"People my age and your age that, you know, back in high school and college, we studied theater, or we did a few plays. We were in the high school plays back in the day, and then life took over. And now that our kids are gone. We're like, 'Hey, I still have the acting bug. Hey, I'm still interested in being creative, but I'm interested in being creative to advance the Kingdom of God," Campbell said.

Cain recently attended a West Virginia University home game to cheer on the Mountaineers and said he's falling in love with West Virginia. Making movies with Campbell also reminds him of how he grew up with his filmmaking father.

"I held the boom. I was a kid in the thing (movie). I was over here. I was getting coffee. I did whatever he (my father) needed to have done and that's kind of what filmmaking is all about at its core," the actor said. 

"You know, the idea that we can use Christian films to advance the gospel is real here at JC Films," Campbell said.

You can watch JC films on JC+, a faith and family channel where you can stream Christian movies and more for just $10 a month. Go to jcfilms.org for more information.

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