The Conference of Christian Audiovisual Creators of Latin America (CREA 2025) opened Wednesday (Oct. 22) in Costa Rica with a vibrant ceremony featuring traditional dances and an introductory video, launching three days focused on strengthening Christian values in film and media.
The event, held in San José, brings together filmmakers, producers, screenwriters and actors from across Latin America to exchange experiences, network and explore how faith-based stories can influence the entertainment industry.
Producer César Carazas, president of CREA, delivered the opening remarks, recalling the success of a previous conference in Mexico and expressing hope that Costa Rica would experience a similar “great blessing.” He encouraged participants to fully engage with the international speakers in attendance.
“We’ve asked them to stand up because they’re going to be the victims these three days,” Carazas joked, urging attendees to take advantage of the experts’ presence and “not let them leave without answering all your questions.”
Randdy Durán, national director of CREA Costa Rica, provided logistical information and underscored the importance of collaboration and networking. “Here you have people who know about sound for films, who know about screenwriting, who know about production — and above all, who know how to start from zero,” Durán said. He also announced that free film premieres would be held each evening at 7 p.m. and open to the public.
Bobby Downes on faith, impact and business
The highlight of the first day was a plenary session led by Bobby Downes, an American producer and distributor with more than a dozen films to his name and a former executive at Sony Pictures Entertainment and The Kingdom Story Company.
In his address, titled “I Have a Story That Could Make a Great Movie,” Downes urged Christian filmmakers to view the commercial side of cinema as a vital tool for measuring and expanding ministry impact.
“This is the number one statement I hear,” Downes said. “And I’m sure most of you have a great story that could make a great movie.”
Citing Steve Jobs, he reminded participants that “the most powerful person in the world is the storyteller,” explaining that storytellers “set the vision, values and agenda for an entire generation.” Downes encouraged Christian creators to tell stories centered on “hope, redemption and forgiveness.”
Addressing the relationship between ministry and money, Downes presented Comscore data showing that the global box office totaled $30.3 billion in 2024. “How do we know if we’ve reached the world for Christ?” he asked. “We measure that through box office numbers.”
He outlined the industry’s distribution funnel, noting that theatrical success “unlocks” subsequent revenue stages such as streaming and television, often multiplying total returns by as much as 2.5 times.
Downes also emphasized understanding the target audience, identifying women aged 35 to 55 as the key demographic for faith-based films. “Why? Because she controls the calendar and the pocketbook,” he said.
Using a U.S. case study, he explained that with an estimated 226 million Christians in the country, only 1.2% — about 2.6 million people — would need to purchase tickets to generate a $30 million opening weekend.
Downes also described the business realities of theatrical releases. “These companies (theaters) make their money selling Coca-Cola and popcorn,” he said. “It’s a free market. If you can bring people to their theaters to buy popcorn and Coke, you gain access to the platform.”
He concluded with a message of perseverance and hope for Christian creators navigating the film industry. “God’s capacity to redeem is always greater than man’s capacity to harm,” Downes said. “You’re working with humans, but the God you serve is much greater than all of that. Don’t give up.”
Original reporting by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.
