The one major element that has always lacked for the dramatic Christian film industry is that there are virtually no Christian movie theaters. Without a theatrical release, it is very hard to get a film known. Hollywood produces a film, puts it in the theater, and this opens up every other door for televison, videos stores, and home viewing.

Since the beginning of christian films back in the 40's, the motion pictures were shot on 16mm film and released mainly to churches. Churches would show films on Sunday nights, for Sunday school, or during youth events. For decades, 16mm films were the main stay of Christian films.

No theater release of a Christian film also meant no awareness. The only people who really knew anything about Christian films were pastors and youth pastors since they were the main people who received mailings about them. From the 1940's to the early 90's, Christian films were distributed primarily through Christian film libraries. These libraries would mail information about films to churches. Churches would then rent films and show them to their particular groups. Therefore, if a person wanted to see a Christian film, their only real option was when a church had a film showing.

Christian films are available on video through catalog distributors, bookstores, TV, and the internet. Also, some secular video stores are now putting Christian videos in their rental sections.

What does the future hold for Christian films? There seems to be a revival of churches showing movies to their congregation again, as was the mainstay of the industry for the first 50 years. Many churches now are equiped with video or DVD projection. Also, Christian filmmakers have their eyes set on putting real Christian movies in the secular theaters. Time Changer was a very strong, Christ centered movie to play in theaters when it initially released in October of 2002. Although a major challenge, this is the direction some are heading. With the Lord's help, Christian films may become major theatrical releases and impact the entire world even more for Christ.