“From Hollywood to Eternity” is the theme of the Gala, also known as the Movieguide Awards and the Teddy Bear Awards.
“We are very excited about celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Faith and Values Awards,” says Dr. Ted Baehr, founder of Movieguide: The Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment. “It will be a special evening where we once again honor those movies and television programs that inspire viewers rather than offend them.”
The highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the two $100,000 Epiphany Prizes for Inspiring Movies & TV, which will honor the best movie and best television program in 2011 that “greatly increase man’s love or understanding of God.”
Another highlight will be the presentation of the $50,000 Kairos Prizes for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays by First-Time or Beginning Screenwriters, which honor the three best scripts from beginning screenwriters that “greatly increase man’s love or understanding of God.”
Both the Epiphany and the Kairos Prizes are supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.
Another big award that evening will be the Grace Awards for Inspiring Performances in Movies & TV given to the best performance by an actor or actress that best exemplifies “God’s grace toward us as human beings.” Also, Crystal Teddy Bears will be given to the best family movies and the best movies for mature audiences of the year, where one winner also will be declared to take the top position in each field. Finally, special awards will be given to the winners of the two Faith & Freedom Awards for Promoting Positive American Values in Movies & TV.
At the Gala, Baehr will present highlights from Movieguide’s Annual Report to the Entertainment Industry, which each year studies how popular and financially successful family-friendly movies and television programs and movies and television programs with spiritually uplifting, faith-based content and values are.
