Paulist Productions
Encyclopedia
Paulist Productions and its sister company Paulist Pictures are production companies for religious television and film projects, respectively. Paulist Productions was founded in 1960 by the Paulist
priest Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser to produce the religious television program Insight
. Paulist Pictures was later formed for the purpose of film production, creating the features Romero
(1989) and Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story
(1996). Fr. Kieser was regarded as a champion of Roman Catholic heroes and entertainment that focuses on modern moral dilemma. After the death of Fr. Kieser in September of 2000, Frank Desiderio C.S.P. became President of Paulist Productions and broadened the scope of the company to produce television documentaries for the History Channel, including "Visions Of Mary", "Stigmata", "Prophecies of Iraq", "Judas - Traitor or Friend", "Joseph: The Silent Saint", "The Twelve Apostles", "St. Peter: The Rock" and "Paul, The Apostle". "Healing And Prayer: Power Or Placebo" was also produced for A&E. In 2004 Paulist Productions released the made for television film Judas which aired on ABC and was written by multi-Emmy Award winning writer/producer Tom Fontana, who also served as Executive Producer on the film.
The latest feature-length documentary by Paulist Pictures is The Big Question: A Film About Forgiveness which has screened at 19 film festivals across the world and was awarded the Best Documentary Award at The Breckenridge Festival of Film and Best Feature Documentary from The Santa Fe Metaphysical Film Festival, both in 2008 respectively. Paulist Productions has continued to expand its distribution platform in recent years by creating content for the web, such as the webisode series Tyler's Ride.
Fr. Desiderio was succeeded as President of Paulist Productions by Fr Eric Andrews, CSP, in September 2009.
The company is associated with the Humanitas Prize
, also founded by Father Kieser.
Paulist Fathers
The Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle, better known as the Paulist Fathers, is a Roman Catholic religious society for men founded in New York City in 1858 by Servant of God Fr. Isaac Thomas Hecker in collaboration with Fr. George Deshon, Fr. Augustine Hewit, and Fr. Francis A. Baker....
priest Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser to produce the religious television program Insight
Insight (TV series)
Insight was an Emmy-winning syndicated television series produced by Paulist Productions that aired 250 episodes from 1960 to 1983. The series presented half-hour dramas illuminating the contemporary search for meaning, freedom, and love...
. Paulist Pictures was later formed for the purpose of film production, creating the features Romero
Romero (film)
Romero is a film depicting the life of assassinated Salvadoran Archbishop Óscar Romero, played by Raúl Juliá. Richard Jordan played the role of Romero's close friend and fellow martyred priest Rutilio Grande, and actors Ana Alicia and Harold Gould also appeared in the film.Romero was the first...
(1989) and Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story
Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story
Entertaining Angels: the Dorothy Day Story is a 1996 independent film about the life of Dorothy Day, the journalist turned social activist and founder of the Catholic Worker newspaper. The film stars Moira Kelly as Day, Heather Graham, Lenny Von Dohlen and Martin Sheen.Both Kelly and Sheen are also...
(1996). Fr. Kieser was regarded as a champion of Roman Catholic heroes and entertainment that focuses on modern moral dilemma. After the death of Fr. Kieser in September of 2000, Frank Desiderio C.S.P. became President of Paulist Productions and broadened the scope of the company to produce television documentaries for the History Channel, including "Visions Of Mary", "Stigmata", "Prophecies of Iraq", "Judas - Traitor or Friend", "Joseph: The Silent Saint", "The Twelve Apostles", "St. Peter: The Rock" and "Paul, The Apostle". "Healing And Prayer: Power Or Placebo" was also produced for A&E. In 2004 Paulist Productions released the made for television film Judas which aired on ABC and was written by multi-Emmy Award winning writer/producer Tom Fontana, who also served as Executive Producer on the film.
The latest feature-length documentary by Paulist Pictures is The Big Question: A Film About Forgiveness which has screened at 19 film festivals across the world and was awarded the Best Documentary Award at The Breckenridge Festival of Film and Best Feature Documentary from The Santa Fe Metaphysical Film Festival, both in 2008 respectively. Paulist Productions has continued to expand its distribution platform in recent years by creating content for the web, such as the webisode series Tyler's Ride.
Fr. Desiderio was succeeded as President of Paulist Productions by Fr Eric Andrews, CSP, in September 2009.
The company is associated with the Humanitas Prize
Humanitas Prize
The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing intended to promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser — also the founder of Paulist Productions — but is generally not seen as specifically directed toward religious...
, also founded by Father Kieser.
External links
- Official website
- Ellwood E. Kieser, Why I make movies: Paulist Productions head explains his dedication to religious-based films and documentaries, National Catholic Reporter, April 9, 1999
- Paulist Fathers official site
- Ellwood Kieser on Findagrave.com