'Pussycat Preacher' Wins Film Festival Prize
by Staff
March 4, 2008
LAS VEGAS, (christiansunite.com) -- The controversial documentary film "The Pussycat Preacher" has won the Audience Favorite Award at the Cinequest Online Film Festival. The film will now make its theatrical world premiere on Saturday March 1, 2008 in San Jose, California at the regular Cinequest Film Festival. The subject of the film, Heather Veitch will be present with filmmaker Bill Day at the premiere.The Pussycat Preacher is a feature length documentary focused on former stripper turned evangelist Heather Veitch and the formation of her ministry called JC's Girls Girls Girls. It is a ministry with a mission field aimed at women trapped in the sex industries. Veitch and her ministry became the source of considerable controversy within the Christian community. At issue was her method of leading Christian women from her church into the dark world of strip clubs and porn conventions for outreach.
"It was very ironic how we were accepted by the sex industry but not by many in the Christian Church," Veitch says from her home in Las Vegas.
The film chronicles the struggle of Heather and her team of girls to get their ministry up and running against strong resistance.
"At first it didn't look like it would be too difficult," reports filmmaker Bill Day. "But as soon as their pastor announced the ministry to his congregation, the road suddenly got very bumpy. Congregation members, staff people, and other Pastors raised their concerns. Many felt it was an immoral ministry."
Day claims the film is fashioned after the life of Jesus Christ. "It is really a story about the triumph of love over hatred," he says. "Jesus was notorious for reaching out to prostitutes and tax collectors. His love was unconditional. Yet, the first people to attack him were his own. Heather's story is a modern version of the same theme."
In the story, Heather receives Christian hate mail, has her life threatened by stalkers, and even has her house broken in to. But she also has supporters. Her pastor Matt Brown, at Sandals Church in Riverside, California remained a supporter throughout the struggle. At one point, Brown was on the verge of losing his church facility, but refused to back down.
"It has a very dramatic conclusion, but I can't give the end away," says Heather. "You'll just have watch the movie to see that."
For more information please visit www.jcsgirls.com or the film's website www.pussycatpreacher.com
