A film based on five works by Flannery O’Connor is on the way

The Catholic Alliance for Film Arts (CAFA), a group of Catholic organizations committed to outstanding filmmaking, has announced that their first major film will be based on a collection of works by Flannery O’Connor.

On their website, the CAFA described the filmFive by Flannery as an exploration of the persisting themes of her writings, such as race and equality, justice and mercy, judgment and forgiveness, love and despair, and the ever-present mystery of grace at work in the lives of flawed, fragile and often misguided human beings.

In an interview for a press release on the upcoming motion picture, Father Joseph Fessio, S.J., founder and editor of Ignatius Press, seemed excited to see O’Connor’s literary masterpieces come to life. He said:

“‘Grotesque’ is an adjective one often hears applied to Flannery’s writings — from both admirers and critics. But what the critics often miss is the luminosity of grace that is ever-present. She shows man (us) in our fallen state — no cosmetics applied — and thus our need of Redemption. But she writes as one who knows the victory has been won. And, oh, can she write! Imagine her words transformed into film.”

Five by Flannery will be an anthology film, which will draw upon a selection of O’Connor’s most influential works, including “Revelation” and “The Life You Save May Be Your Own.” The goal of the project is to do justice to O’Connor’s works while simultaneously introducing a new generation to her unique literary style.

While the film will be largely funded by the Catholic Alliance for Film Arts, the production company in charge of the film is Good Country Pictures. The movie is still in the developmental stage and they are looking for more financial help with the production. Interested parties can find more information here.

Mark Brumley, president and CEO of Ignatius Press, also spoke for the press release, encouraging people to take part in this unique Catholic endeavor:

“Movies are costly to produce, edit and create. And movies made with this type of cinematic excellence will require serious financial commitment. Therefore, we are inviting those in our faith community who also want to be part of a movement to transform culture through the arts to help us fund Five by Flannery. This film will highlight many relevant themes in our world today, where Flannery O’Connor wrote ahead of her time, such as race and equality, judgment and forgiveness, and justice and mercy.”