News & Events
Chicago priest brings a 'New Ethos' to Hollywood
April 18, 2008
Advocacy effort committed to drawing Catholic audience to films reflecting truth, beauty, goodness;)
Father Don Woznicki, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, is in Hollywood for at least a six-month stint interning at Family Theater Productions and getting a new media project off and running. He's here with the permission of Cardinal Francis George of Chicago and Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles.Ordained in May 2002, Father Don assists and supports Family Theater Productions' activities and projects, and with Father Willy Raymond, CSC, Family Theater's National Director, celebrates daily Mass in the office's chapel.
In addition to his work at Family Theater Productions, Father Don is developing his new media project, New Ethos, to serve the entertainment industry and the Catholic community by promoting entertainment media (film, music, TV, video games, internet, fashion) of exceptional quality. New Ethos will use the three essential qualities of truth, beauty and goodness for a work of art as the criteria. He hopes this effort will affirm and encourage studios and distributors of such fare and establish the New Ethos logo on entertainment products as a universal mark of consumer confidence.
"We are trying to work with studios and distributors to identify dynamic entertainment that excels in art and virtue and that can have a meaningful cultural impact," said Father Don. "We want to affirm the entertainment industry in making and distributing quality media. We believe that entertainment media, rated 'G' through 'R,' can reflect a truth, beauty and goodness that is essentially an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ."
"With the generosity of Father Willy, New Ethos established its temporary office at Family Theater Productions, and Father Willy has since been elected to New Ethos' Board of Directors as its Vice President," Father Don announced.
New Ethos' product selection process is unique in that it is a collaborative decision of a community of entertainment experts, theologians and others from academia and test markets.
New Ethos had its genesis in 1998 in a Chicago coffee shop when seminarian Don Woznicki and a friend, Robert Kasper, developed a mission statement to address how the Catholic Church could help better serve the entertainment industry through relationships rather than negative reactionary and "watchdog" approaches.
In January 2005, inspired by the great market potential of The Passion of the Christ, Father Don with the assistance of Father Al Tremari, SJC (Society of St. John Cantius), created Visio Pacis (Vision of Peace) in Illinois to transform the entertainment industry by mobilizing the Catholic faithful to engage media that reflect a spirit of truth, beauty and goodness. Father Don believes it will ultimately be pastoral outreach initiatives that will lead the people in the entertainment industry and all who experience entertainment to the truth and beauty of Jesus Christ. Visio Pacis, which became New Ethos in 2005, was designed to be a means to that end.
In 2006, Father Don began to put the "new ethos" in entertainment into action. New Ethos collaborated with Lionsgate for its film, Trade, a hard and powerful R-rated film on the evils of sex trafficking. New Ethos helped facilitate two advanced screenings in the Fall 2006 at the MPAA Screening Room in Washington D.C., for more than 100 Catholic and NGO leaders who work to end human trafficking.
In 2007, New Ethos organized a Chicago pilot project with the film Bella, a Metanoia film. New Ethos facilitated two advanced screenings at AMC Theaters in Chicago with packed audiences. Bella evoked standing ovations on both occasions. This significantly helped Metanoia Films plan their future marketing strategy. The lead actor, Eduardo Verastegui, was on hand on both occasions as well, to give a faith-filled testimony to an awed audience.
In January 2008, New Ethos began its new chapter when Father Don was able to set up a base in Hollywood where with the collaboration of many Catholic-Christians in Hollywood, continues working for a "new ethos" in entertainment media.