On Feb. 4th, Biola will host a premiere of Dr. Joshua Smith’s short film, “Decaf,” in Ethel Lee Auditorium. The red-carpet experience will begin at 7:30 p.m., and the screening itself will commence at 8:00.
The event will feature the film itself, trailers for future projects, a live Q&A and a professional photo set-up. Guests are invited to dress up and take photos with friends, and every student who registers and attends will automatically enter a raffle for a $25 AMC gift card. “Decaf” will be an unusually thrilling way for students in the Torrey Honors College to obtain a lecture credit. Plus, it will allow them an opportunity to support their professor in his creative endeavor.
“Decaf” follows a young woman whose friends stage an intervention after observing her talking to the homeless and an imaginary friend: marks of a strange change in her behavior that are simply too alarming to go unaddressed. The story speaks to an all-too-common experience among Christians, and many attendees in the room will likely identify with its relatable characters. The film is a fantastic example of well-done faith integration.
“Decaf” represents the materialization of a dream that Smith has had since he was fifteen years old on a mission trip to Spain, where God set his faith ablaze and called him to film. Many years passed, and he fixated on other interests. Eventually, he joined the faculty of the Torrey Honors College and became lead pastor at Zoe Center, all while raising a family. He had plenty on his plate. However, a few years ago, a friend from high school asked when his vision of filmmaking would come to fruition.
That conversation inspired him to join Act One, a faith-based program that trains people in screenwriting. “Decaf” arose out of an exercise in Act One, and during a sabbatical, he worked alongside a team of people to bring it to life.
Students and graduates of the Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts made up a significant portion of the team. “They were teaching me,” said Smith in praise of the students. “What they’re learning is translating into the professional ranks.”
The “Decaf” team also featured a unique position: spiritual director. Lola Hester was chosen for the task. Her job was to pray throughout the filming process and help set a spiritual tone for the set. Dreary, overcast skies loomed over an outdoor section of filming one day. They asked the spiritual director to pray that they’d complete their work before the downpour. “Lola, get to work,” Smith joked. Spiritual direction and prayer highlight the spiritual underpinning of the project, which Smith is committed to maintaining in future work.
The primary purpose of the screening is to establish the Zoe Center-adjacent production company, Twelve Echoes, whose vision is to do high-quality work with a high-quality witness. Not every Twelve Echoes film will be explicitly Christian in its content, but Smith hopes to submit to what the Lord says about the human experience and tell carefully developed, engaging stories.
“We see the gospel as the master story that all other stories come back to,” he said. Twelve Echoes will invite producers, actors, cinematographers and many others to make those stories, while representing the message of the gospel and discipling people throughout the process. This brand will set an example of purposeful artistry as it casts light into the film community.
The “Decaf” premiere is the raw beginning of a fundamentally missional film organization, and every attendee in the auditorium will play a part in its establishment.
