Following in the footsteps of his mentors, Christian filmmakers Alex and Stephen Kendrick, Judd Brannon prayed before setting out to make his first faith-based film, “Champion.”
Eventually, he became convinced that the most prominent theme for his film should be forgiveness.
“Whether it’s in your own family or not, every person can relate to some story of forgiveness,” Mr. Brannon told The Washington Times, adding that this is especially important at a time of such cultural division. “We wanted to show a story where people can learn to come together,” he said.
“Champion” centers on the dirt track racing scene at the popular Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, which has been home to many of the nation’s top drivers, including NASCAR greats Richard Petty and Bill Elliot.
“Champion” centers on a brash and popular racer named Sean Withers, played by Andrew Cheney (“Beyond the Mask,” “77 Chances”) who gets so caught up in himself and a racing rivalry that he become less and less attentive to his 9-year-old daughter Gracie, played by newcomer Faith Kennedy. Withers’ unhealthy obsession with rival Ray Reed (Isaiah Stratton), eventually leads to tragedy and brings Withers’ racing career to an abrupt stop.
“When I felt called to make a film about forgiveness, I started thinking about what’s in my local town that may be unique as a backdrop for a story,” Mr. Brannon said. “We had the local dirt track, so I began to go down there and recognized how much energy and excitement there was … and how it was a very family-oriented atmosphere.”
Biblical themes of patience and forgiveness come into play in “Champion” when Withers is approached by the father of his rival, Jack Reed (Gary Graham). Reed, like Withers, has also focused too much on his career at the detriment of his family. As their relationship grows, it becomes woefully apparent that both men desperately need forgiveness for past transgressions.
Like his influences the Kendricks, Mr. Brannon decided to shoot his directorial debut where he lives and attends church — in this case, Woodstock, Georgia, a few hours north of the Kendrick brothers’ home of Albany, Georgia. Prior to making “Champion,” Mr. Brannon had been a longtime fan of the Kendrick brothers, and approached them when they visited First Baptist Church in Woodstock to promote their 2008 film, “Fireproof.”
“I said, ‘I’d love to serve with you guys,” explained Mr. Brannon, a staff video producer at the church.
Mr. Brannon kept in touch with the Kendricks as his own success grew thanks to the music video “For Freedom,” featuring the music of Grammy-nominated artist Avalon, and which was selected for Sean Hannity’s Freedom Tour.
The Kendricks were impressed with the music video, and invited Mr. Brannon to help on the set of “War Room,” which hit theaters in 2015. Mr. Brannon’s duties on set included shooting behind-the-scenes features.
“I also had a chance to work on the camera crew in a second unit capacity, and so basically that was the opportunity to learn how the film set works from … the camera crew to” locations and other departments, Mr. Brannon said. “It was a great opportunity.”
Mr. Brannon took the lessons he learned from the Kendricks — box office favorites in the growing faith-based film genre — and applied them on his own set. Prayer became a big part of his production, not only in determining the themes of the story but also in helping to build unity among cast and crew.
“I’m used to just showing up on a film set that has a lot of rough language. It’s very secular,” Mr. Graham said in a video promoting the film. “On this set of ‘Champion,’ we gathered in a circle before the day’s shooting and prayed.”
Mr. Brannon did some casting through his church in addition to bringing in talent from Los Angeles. Mr. Brannon even recruited a Kendrick brothers favorite, Miami resident and actor Robert Amaya, who played memorable roles in “Courageous” and “War Room.” In “Champion” Mr. Amaya plays Rex, a concerned friend and crew chief for Withers.
The important role foster care plays in the film stems in part from Mr. Brannon’s and his wife’s own experiences as foster parents, who calls the aim of foster care “restoring the family.”
“Sometimes it doesn’t always go that way, but the idea is that, as a community, you work together to restore that relationship. That’s what we try to show in the film,” he said.
Stephen Kendrick, who’s also an ordained pastor, believes the film’s theme of forgiveness sets a positive example.
“There’s a message about forgiveness in the movie ‘Champion’ where something that could be considered unforgivable is forgiven,” Mr. Kendrick said in a promotional video for the film. “And when you see that example, it ought to challenge all of us to say, ‘Is there anyone who’s hurt me that I’ve refused to forgive?’ because now is the time to let it go.”
“Champion,” which won awards for 2017 Best Feature Film and 2017 Audience Choice Award at the Christian Worldview Film Festival in Franklin, Tennessee, is now available on DVD and for HD download.
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