BEVERLY HILLS, CA (ANS) -- The stars came out in record numbers tonight (Wednesday, February 11, 2009) for the 17th Annual Movieguide® Faith and Values Awards Gala and Report to the Entertainment Industry at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

But this was not your usual awards ceremony sponsored by the Christian Film & Television Commission®, as it honored the “good and uplifting” in film and television from last year.

Hosted by Dr. Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission and publisher of Movieguide®, it was standing room only as the winners were announced at what some have called “The Christian Oscars.”

Here they are:

Winner of the $100,000 Epiphany Prize for Most Inspiring Movie of 2008, sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation – FIREPROOF from Samuel Goldwyn Films and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Other movie nominees: THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN from Walden Media and Walt Disney Pictures, GRAN TORINO from Warner Bros. Pictures, HENRY POOLE IS HERE from Overture Films of Starz Entertainment, THE LONGSHOTS from MGM, and TYLER PERRY’S THE FAMILY THAT PREYS from Lionsgate Films.

The $100,000 movie prize is equally divided among the people in the following five categories – the director, the credited writer(s), the producer(s), the executive producer(s), and the senior motion picture studio executive responsible for production.

Winner of the $100,000 Epiphany Prize for Most Inspiring TV Program of 2008 sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation – “The Christmas Choir,” telecast by The Hallmark Channel

Other TV nominees: The “For Warrick” episode of CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION from CBS-TV, JOHN ADAMS from HBO and THE MEDAL: CELEBRATING OUR NATION’S HIGHEST HONOR from 45 North Communications.

The $100,000 TV prize is equally divided among the people in the following five categories – the director, the credited writer, the executive producer(s) or producer(s) responsible for the program, the senior television network executive responsible for broadcasting the program, and the production studio executive responsible for production.

The $50,000 Kairos Prizes for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays by Beginning Screenwriters, sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation:

1. “A Matter of Time” by Christina D. Denton of Martinsville, Va., $25,000
2. “Touched” by Rusty Whitener of Pulaski, Va., $15,000
3. “Moody Field” by Darcy Faylor of Greenville, S.C., $10,000

The Grace Award for Most Inspiring Performance in Movies or TV in 2008 – Adriana Barraza for HENRY POOLE IS HERE

Other acting nominees (alphabetical order): Kirk Cameron for FIREPROOF, Christopher Carley for GRAN TORINO, Clint Eastwood for GRAN TORINO, Armie Hammer for BILLY: THE EARLY YEARS, Garrett Morris for THE LONGSHOTS, and Alfre Woodard for TYLER PERRY’S THE FAMILY THAT PREYS.

Best Movie for Families – WALL-E from Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures

** The Ten Best 2008 Movies for Families **

1. WALL-E
2. FIREPROOF
3. THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
4. BOLT
5. JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH 3D
6. NIM’S ISLAND
7. KUNG FU PANDA
8. THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX
9. MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA
10. HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR

Best Movie for Mature Audiences – IRON MAN from Paramount Pictures

** The Ten Best 2007 Movies for Mature Audiences **

1. IRON MAN
2. GRAN TORINO
3. VALKYRIE
4. CHANGELING
5. THE LONGSHOTS
6. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
7. EXPELLED: NO INTELLIGENCE ALLOWED
8. TYLER PERRY’S THE FAMILY THAT PREYS
9. MARLEY & ME
10. HENRY POOLE IS HERE

The Faith and Freedom Award for Promoting Positive American Values in 2007

Winner for Movies – EXPELLED: NO INTELLIGENCE ALLOWED from Rocky Mountain Pictures

Other movie nominees: IRON MAN from Paramount Pictures, THE LONGSHOTS from MGM, NIM’S ISLAND from 20th Century Fox, and VALKYRIE from United Artists/MGM.

Winner for TV – (Tie) JOHN ADAMS from HBO and THE MEDAL: CELEBRATING OUR NATION’S HIGHEST HONOR from 45 North Communications

Other TV nominees: THE CHRISTMAS CHOIR from The Hallmark Channel, FRONT OF THE CLASS from Hallmark Hall of Fame, and HERO SHIPS from The History Channel.

Movieguide® (www.movieguide.org) is dedicated to redeeming the values of the entertainment industry by influencing industry executives and informing the public about the influence of the entertainment media. Its Annual Faith and Values Awards Gala and Report to the Entertainment Industry has led in recent years to a great increase in family movies and movies with positive moral references.

Note to the broadcast media from Dan Wooding: I was able to secure video and audio interviews with many of the celebrities on the Red Carpet including Pat Boone, Chuck Norris, Stephen Baldwin, Ken Wales (who produced Amazing Grace) and former basketball star, Mark Jackson. Once they are edited, I will let you know by e-mail and you can let me know which audio interviews you would like to run on your station or network.

Dan Wooding, 68, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma of 45 years. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS); and US Bureau Chief for the Missionaries News Service (www.missionariesnews.tv) and Safe Worlds IPTV’s Faith, Hope and Charity channel. He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC., and now hosts the weekly "Front Page Radio" show on KWVE in Southern California and which is also carried on the Calvary Radio Network throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on UCB UK and Calvary Chapel Radio UK. Wooding is the author of some 42 books, the latest of which is his autobiography, "From Tabloid to Truth", which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, go to www.fromtabloidtotruth.com. E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com.