Mormon Film "Witnesses" Debuts as Top Faith Film at the Box Office

Faith-Based ‘WITNESSES’ Debuts With Commanding Weekend Box Office Nationwide

- #1 Faith Film and Hits Top 10 Overall -

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WITNESSES opened this past weekend as the #1 Faith Film in America and in the top 10 films overall at the box office. CNN Radio called it a “commanding debut” and News Block called its opening “impressive.” Heralded as the epic family film of the summer, the film opened with a powerful performance at the box office nationwide.

    “While many people know some of their story, WITNESSES shares a remarkable story of faith in the face of tremendous opposition”

WITNESSES depicts the powerful true story of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon — David Whitmer, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris. For nearly 200 years, their statement of what occurred, and its veracity, has been published with every copy of the Book of Mormon. And while many people know the story contained in their statement, not many know the full story of how they became witnesses.

“We are absolutely thrilled with WITNESSES’ box office performance,” stated Brandon Purdie, president, and founder of Purdie Distribution. “We are thrilled to join Warner Bros., Disney, Paramount, and Lions Gate among America’s Top 10 films this weekend with WITNESSES.” Purdie Distribution is managing the nationwide theatrical release of the groundbreaking film.

To their dying days, these witnesses defended their testimonies even when faced with threatening mobs, ridicule, and betrayal by friends and family even after leaving the church they were intimately involved in creating. Filmed on location in the US and Canada and featuring a world-class cast of American and Canadian actors, WITNESSES is a dramatic recreation of how Harris, Cowdery and Whitmer became witnesses to the gold plates from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon.

“While many people know some of their story, WITNESSES shares a remarkable story of faith in the face of tremendous opposition,” stated Russell Richins, the film’s producer.

For more information, visit witnessesfilm.com.


ABOUT THE FILM:
For nearly 200 years, skeptics and critics have attempted to explain away what David Whitmer, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris claimed—that they had seen angels and hefted golden metal plates containing ancient inscriptions. Now, for the first time, their amazing, untold true story comes to the big screen in the family film event of the year – WITNESSES. Featuring a world-class cast, WITNESSES has been hailed as the most significant and ambitious film dealing with the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the translation of the Book of Mormon ever made. Directed by Mark Goodman, the film explores how Harris, Cowdery and Whitmer became known as the Three Witnesses and how, to their dying days, they defended their testimonies even when faced with threatening mobs, ridicule, and betrayal by friends and family.

PURDIE DISTRIBUTION:
Purdie Distribution is a full-service theatrical distribution company known for releasing independent films nationwide. Established in 2011, Purdie Distribution led the theatrical campaigns for SAINTS AND SOLDIERS: AIRBORNE CREED and THE VOID, THE SARATOV APPROACH, FREETOWN, MEET THE MORMONS, ONCE I WAS A BEEHIVE, THE STRAY, OUT OF LIBERTY, HEART OF AFRICA, THE FORGOTTEN CAROLS, LAMB OF GOD: THE CONCERT FILM, along with T.C. Christensen’s THE FIGHTING PREACHER and LOVE, KENNEDY. Purdie Distribution is generally focused on films that inspire audiences and elevate the human experience. Before launching on his own, founder and owner Brandon Purdie helped establish the faith-based theatrical film movement with his work on the release of SAINTS AND SOLDIERS, THE WORK AND THE GLORY trilogy, and FOREVER STRONG.

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