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People keep asking me, “How did it go?”
And I understand the question.
But there’s actually a better question.
The better question is, “What did last night signal?”
What happened last night was more than just a sold-out film premiere.
It was a signal. A shift. A glimpse of what the future of Christian storytelling could be.
About Last Night…
We were at the historic Lumiere Cinema in Los Angeles. The room was full.
But it wasn’t just about the place, it was about the people.
A rainbow of races, and ethnicities, and cultures gathered together.
And with the music, the poetry, the prayers that were part of the program, the atmosphere felt almost liturgical.
It was a moment of attention, of reflection, of expectation.
This wasn’t just entertainment. It was moral formation.
And the most common thing I heard afterward wasn’t simply praise for the film.
It was gratitude.
People were relieved—even grateful—that the goal wasn’t to persuade those committed to denying reality, but to center the marginalized and reduce harm to our neighbors.
That’s the shift.
From debating injustice, to doing something about it.
In this episode of The Justice Briefing, you’re not just getting a recap of the premier.
You’ll hear my reflections on what it meant.
The Birth of a New Kind of Christian Film Studio
This film is the first official production of Tisby Studios.
It’s proof that there is an audience for what I call Transformational faith films—stories that don’t just resolve tension, but channel it into action.
This is not a one-off project.
It’s the beginning of a pipeline.
Take Action
If this reflection with you—if it challenged you, unsettled you, or stayed with you—here are a few ways to take the next step:
1. Become a paid subscriber
Most of the support for this film came from this community.
If you want to see more projects like this—films that tell honest stories about faith, history, and justice—become a paid subscriber to Footnotes. Or upgrade to our FOUNDING TIER.
That’s how we keep building.
👉🏾 JemarTisby.Substack.com
2. Host a screening in your community
This film is meant to be experienced together.
Not alone on a screen, but in a room where people can turn to one another at the end and ask:
“What are we going to do?”
If you want to bring Jesus Was a Migrant to your church, school, or organization, start here:
3. Share this post
If this vision resonates with you, share it.
This is how movements grow—person to person, room to room.
If last night showed us anything, it’s this:
The future of Christian storytelling won’t be safe, simple, or sentimental—it will be truthful, communal, and transformational.
And the question now isn’t what we watched.
It’s: What are we going to do next?
P.S. Mark your calendar for a LIVE ONLINE SCREENING of Jesus Was a Migrant.
April 16, 7:30 pm ET. (registration details forthcoming)
