Rebecca Grace
AFA Journal staff writer
June 2007 – Their passion for filmmaking began when they were teenage boys brainstorming ideas for their own movies. Now, over 30 years later and with 10 productions to their credit, twins Dave and Rich Christiano have watched God turn their dreams into reality.
When the Christiano brothers were 20 years old, they left their hometown of Waterloo, New York, and drove to Hollywood in hopes of landing a movie deal based on a novel Rich wrote when he was 17. Getting the deal would mark the beginning of their Hollywood careers. At least that’s what they were expecting, especially when Rich received two offers for the film. “[But] I ended up turning them both down,” Rich told AFA Journal.
Fortunately, a few years later something happened to the Christiano brothers that was far more life-changing than signing on a dotted line.
At 22 years old, Dave became a Christian and shared his newfound faith with his brother who also became a Christian about 14 months later. Their moviemaking endeavors took on a whole new meaning as the brothers realized the importance of Christ in their lives and their call to tell others about Him.
Pics with purpose
“We wanted to make films and the Lord said, ‘Great, make them for Me,’” Rich said.
And that is exactly what the Christiano brothers do through their joint distribution company, Five & Two Pictures, and their individual production companies Christiano Film Group and Dave Christiano Films.
“We both work together on Five & Two Pictures,” Dave explained, “and we both consult on each other’s projects.”
Christiano projects are created with one purpose in mind, and that purpose is “to present a message for Christ that either is evangelistic or for Christian living,” Dave said.
Dave and Rich bring Christ to the forefront of every project they create because they realize humanity’s need for Christ.
“I am trying to make films that will cause people to consider the Lord and receive Him into their lives,” Rich said. “Film is a powerful medium. The devil has certainly used movies to destroy lives, and I believe the Lord can use films to save them.”
The Christiano brothers know this to be true as evident from viewer responses to their films, specifically Time Changer and Unidentified. (See below.) Time Changer has been shown in over 1,000 churches, and there have been many decisions made for the Lord. The same is true for Unidentified, which has been shown in over 100 churches to date.
“To me, this outweighs winning any Oscar or award that Hollywood can offer,” Rich said. “This is why I like doing Christian films. You can affect someone’s life for eternity with the most important issues in life.”
Flicks with Christian faith
“My films will always have a message for Christ,” Dave said. “There will never be any foul language of any kind, never any nudity. The name of Jesus will always be praised and never cursed.”
And it is because of such standards that some label the Christiano films as being too religious or too preachy. But that doesn’t cause Dave and Rich to back away from overt Christian content.
“My goal is … to first please the Lord,” Dave explained. “I’m not seeking man’s approval and don’t need it.”
That is why Dave is quick to say that he does not cater his films to a certain crowd. Even with their heavy Christian content, they are made for both believers and non-believers.
“My objective is to put forth a message for Christ for all to hear, and hopefully, some will respond,” Dave said.
“I have learned that only God’s Spirit can reach people, so I must first please Christ with the message of the films we make,” Rich added. “Crossover films only produce a lukewarm church, and that’s what we have right now.”
Dave and Rich are very intent on producing and distributing films that they believe are real Christian movies.
“I don’t agree with people who call something a Christian film but leave the name of Jesus out,” Dave explained.
“I think a true Christian film has the aim of pointing a person to a relationship with Christ,” Rich said. “People confuse inspirational and wholesome family films as Christian films. This is not the case. Most of the so-called Christian films today are not true Christian films,” he added. “The motive is for sales, not souls.”
Regardless of the motivation behind Hollywood’s sudden push of family-friendly and faith-based entertainment, there is no doubt viewers will be presented with a Christian message and clean entertainment when watching a Christiano film.
Projects in the works
Dave has completed a film titled Me & You, Us, Forever which is set for theatrical release February 15, 2008. The film is a love story about a man who tries to understand why God did not allow him to marry his first love. Dave is quick to note that it is not a children’s film, although there is nothing offensive in it. It’s completely void of all sex and nudity.
Rich believes that the church should rally behind such films that clearly present Christ instead of settling for ones that are simply non-offensive.
“The truth is that the church has a love affair with the world, and Hollywood is in the middle of it all,” Rich explained.
Which is more reason Dave decided to create a television drama that he describes as presenting “Jesus Christ and His Word in a direct way with Christian characters freely talking about the Lord.”
So he developed 7th Street Theater, a sitcom style production that includes light drama and serious messages that come to life through five Christian actors who perform a stage show each week for the local community. According to Dave’s Web site, it is “the first ever prime time Christian drama series to air on a national television network in the history of broadcasting.”
In it’s first season, 7th Street Theater airs every Saturday night at 10 p.m. CST on TBN. Currently, TBN has a place in 92% of the homes in America.
The second season is in production, and plans for the third season are already in the works. “I have every intention of keeping this going as long as the Lord allows,” Dave said.
Viewers can also expect more films from the Christiano brothers in the near future. Dave anticipates his next movie, True Champion, to be about a female championship roller skater. This summer, Rich is set to film The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry – a story about a 70-year-old man who disciples teen boys.
Through one project at a time, the Christiano brothers are creating entertainment with life-changing messages, and they long for others to do the same.
“May the Lord continue to raise up some filmmakers that really want to glorify Christ in films and make sure their films clearly point to the Lord,” Rich said.
“It has been and continues to be a difficult battle,” Dave added, “but we press on.” 
Christiano films Reviews by Hamilton Richardson, American Family Radio production team
Released in theaters in 2002, Time Changer is a powerful film that will make every viewer examine his commitment to Jesus in the context of a changing culture.
The film centers on seminary professor Russell Carlisle who lives in 1890 – a time when the Bible is significant and positive mention of God is acknowledged daily. Carlisle is confidant that his new manuscript will be approved for publication by the seminary board. That is, until a colleague with a time machine challenges Carlisle’s contention that morals can be taught without the mention of Jesus, and Carlisle is thrust into an eye-opening adventure in the year 2000.
As a result he is forced to re-examine his own views on morality and the importance of Jesus being the sole authority of what’s right and wrong.
Time Changer contains one potentially offensive scene of a man and woman kissing on television, but it is handled in a delicate fashion and is presented as a morally poor choice. This movie is not rated.
Unidentified (2006) is the story of two magazine reporters sent to Texas to cover a story about UFO sightings and alien abductions. Keith is open to new ideas, all the while struggling with his belief in God. Brad, however, is hostile to all ideas of life from outer space or in a God that’s real. As Keith and Brad question each witness, their personal struggles come into clearer focus.
There is a scene of two men drinking beer while fishing. There is no profanity, but there are intense thematic elements which is the reason Unidentified is rated PG. At times, the discussion of spiritual matters is very pointed and serious, and the issue of demonic activity and “The End Times” could be scary for younger kids.
Overall, Unidentified will help prompt family discussions about the importance of a relationship with
Jesus Christ.
