USA (MNN/MAF) — From Change Media and Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), the inspirational documentary ENDS OF THE EARTH will debut in movie theaters nationwide for two nights this October.
This documentary explores faith, passion, and how hope emerges from tragedy. ENDS OF THE EARTH weaves together true stories of MAF pilots — past and present — who strive with missionaries and local believers to take the Gospel to remote and isolated people.
April 1962. The day of the first flight into Hitadipa, Dutch New Guinea. Betty Greene is the tall woman in the center. Blonde woman is Leona St. John. Bill Cutts is the man holding the child. Betty and Leona completed a 35-mile trek through the jungle into Hitadipa to inspect the airstrip before that first flight. George Boggs actually made that first landing. (Caption, photo courtesy of MAF.)
One true story features Betty Greene, MAF’s first pilot.
Chris Burgess, MAF’s Creative Director says, “She was a World War II veteran and she just was an amazing person who flew MAF’s first flight in Mexico and then laid the groundwork in Latin America and in Africa and Indonesia — laid the groundwork not only for MAF’s work, but for the work of a lot of missionaries over the past 75 years.”
Fathom Events and Collide Media Group are presenting this film for a two-night event in US cinemas on Monday, Oct. 18 and Thursday, Oct. 21 at 7:00 p.m. local time (both days).
ENDS OF THE EARTH will also be released to churches the same day as the theatrical release through Fathom’s Faith Content Network.
Audiences in both cinemas and churches will get to experience an exclusive panel discussion featuring members of MAF following the event.
The film’s title is based on Acts 1:8 when Jesus spoke to his disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Burgess says, “What we are looking at really is how the Gospel today gets to what would be considered ‘the ends of the earth.’ Christ’s followers in Acts began taking the Gospel out to the surrounding areas.
Photo courtesy of MAF.
“And really, Christians and missionaries over the past 2,000 years have been…taking that same message of the Gospel and hope and love to places all around the world — often at great risk or great cost to themselves.”
The film will also feature Pastor David Platt, founder of Radical which trains and equips churches and followers of Christ to spread the Gospel across the globe.
MAF President and CEO David Holsten says, “We believe that every follower of Christ should have a passion for missions. Some will be called to go, others will be called to use their gifts to support, and all are called to pray that people will accept the life-changing salvation that comes through Jesus Christ.”
Following the film, Burgess says, “That’s the thing that I really hope beyond anything — that people will walk away really grappling with, ‘How does the Great Commission apply to my life and my circumstances?’”
Tickets for ENDS OF THE EARTH can be purchased online here or at participating theater box offices!
Watch the trailer for ENDS OF THE EARTH here.
Header photo courtesy of MAF.
