Oscar(R) Nominee "Jesus Camp" Debuts on DVD Today from Magnolia Home Entertainment.

Critically Acclaimed, Riveting, Compelling and Eye-Opening Documentary Examines Christianity Today 

LOS ANGELES -- Nominated for an Academy Award[R] this morning for Best Documentary, Jesus Camp arrives on DVD today from Magnolia Home Entertainment. Directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, two brilliant award-winning filmmakers who masterfully capture the current state of progressive Christianity in today's society. A growing number of evangelical Christians believe there is a revival underway in America that requires Christian youth to assume leadership roles in advocating the causes of their religious movement. The fascinating and engaging documentary Jesus Camp gives a powerful look at the growing religious movement dedicated to molding children into Christian soldiers in "God's Army." "It's a message that secular liberals and born-again Christians both have to listen to with open ears" (Evan Fisk, GO Magazine).

Jesus Camp won the Special Documentary Jury Prize at the Tribeca Film Festival and the Sterling Award at the 2006 Silver Docs Film Festival in Washington, D.C., and has generated interest and controversy with its objective look at the teachings and tenets of American Pentecostals. Jesus Camp features the Reverend Ted Haggard, who due to misconduct was recently forced to resign as President of the National Association of Evangelicals and has been dismissed as Senior Pastor of New Life Church. Jesus Camp is hailed as a "riveting documentaryO" (Stephen Holden, New York Times) and "one of the most unnerving films of the yearO" (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times). It also received "two thumbs up"[R] from Ebert & Roeper. Jesus Camp is a powerful and sensitive examination of a world that Americans either passionately support or simply do not understand and dismiss as "fringe," and this community's very real impact on the separation of church and state. The DVD includes deleted scenes and director's commentary, and is available for the suggested retail price of $26.98.

Synopsis

Jesus Camp, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (The Boys of Baraka), follows several children to the "Kids on Fire" summer camp in Devil's Lake, North Dakota, where kids as young as six years old are taught to become dedicated Christian soldiers in "God's Army." The film follows these children at camp as they hone their "prophetic gifts" and are schooled in how to "take back America for Christ" by Pastor Becky Fischer. The film is a first-ever look into an intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America's political future. As in The Boys of Baraka, Jesus Camp focuses on a group of children experiencing a set of environmental circumstances different from those generally considered the American "norm." Both films cast a sensitive eye on their subjects and ask audiences to consider the profound questions that surround how individual upbringing shapes personality and overall worldview.

About Magnolia Home Entertainment

Magnolia Home Entertainment is the home video division of Magnolia Pictures. Launched in November 2005, the company releases a diversified slate of films, including Alex Gibney's Academy Award[R] nominated documentary "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room," Steven Soderbergh's "Bubble" and Roger Donaldson's "The World's Fastest Indian." Magnolia Home Entertainment is part of a vertically integrated group of media properties co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban that includes distributor Magnolia Pictures, the Landmark Theatres chain, production companies HDNet Films and 2929 Productions, and high-definition cable networks HDNet and HDNet Movies. For more information visit http://www.magpictures.com.