Filmmaker Aims to ‘Rebrand’ God
When Darren Wilson started making Finger of God, he had no budget, no script and no idea what the movie was going to look like in the end.
Fast-forward five years, two documentaries and 120,000-plus DVDs sold, and his films continue to go viral among a rabid fan base of believers. As he launches a summer tour through about 40 cities for his new release, Father of Lights, Wilson is preparing for even greater response among believers and unbelievers alike. His new film documents real-life portrayals of God as a loving Father.
“We’re attempting to rebrand the Father,” Wilson says of his latest project, which confronts common misconceptions people have about God. “I wanted to make a film that explores the Father’s heart, to figure out: Who is He? Who is He not?”
A sequel to his previous two documentaries, Father of Lights once again shows average people doing extraordinary things for God in remarkable circumstances—“though this time the stakes are even higher,” he says.
Wilson expects 65,000 people to see his latest documentary throughout the summer tour, which kicks off Sunday at Bethel Church in Redding, Calif., and includes venues that average 1,500 to 1,800 seats each.
“We’re going all over the United States trying to hit every region—turning these things into massive, citywide, region-wide, outreach, evangelistic events,” Wilson says.
“We’re trying to get the whole community out—Christians, non-Christians,” he continues. “I just want everybody in a room so that the Father can then drop a love bomb on everybody and just see what happens.”
Finger of God, Wilson’s directorial debut, has sold more than 80,000 copies to date, despite Wilson spending only $5,000 in marketing. Its follow-up, Furious Love, was screened by thousands of churches worldwide and sold 60,000 copies. It also spawned a live conference and a book released in January, Igniting Furious Love.
Wilson plans to release his newest film on DVD in October, though it will be available exclusively at tour stops this summer.
