GREENVILLE, S.C. (courtesy bju.edu) — Jason Waggoner, a faculty member in the department of cinema arts at Bob Jones University, along with Shane McMullin, a 2001 BJU cinema graduate, produced a documentary, Go: The Kingdom Journey (Episode 1: Mongolia), which won five awards at the Content 2022 Film and Media Festival, a Christian film festival hosted by Capernaum Studios. The documentary earned the following distinctions: Best Christian Missionary Film, Best Documentary (over 30 minutes), Best Documentary – Director (Shane McMullin), Best Documentary – Cinematography (John Carrington), and Best Documentary – Storytelling (Jason Waggoner).
The film, which was shot on location in Mongolia in 2019, follows host Jake Starkey as he meets American missionaries and Mongolian Christians who are reaching their culture in adventurous and innovative ways.
“We wanted to create a missions film that shows the adventure of taking Christ to the world,” said director Shane McMullin. “We didn’t make this film to get awards, but it’s exciting to see people respond to both the beautiful visuals and the message.”
After a premiere event in Greenville and several well-received church showings in the region, McMullin began submitting the film to film festivals and contests across the country. The film received awards at two recent events. At the ICVM Crown awards, the film received the Silver Crown Award for Best Documentary under $50,000. At Content 2022, the film received five awards. It was recently accepted as an official selection for International Christian Film Festival (ICFF).
“It’s been amazing to be part of the team that gets to tell this story of what God is doing,” said Waggoner. “We’re all hoping these awards let us make more episodes in other places around the world.”
Waggoner, a resident of Greenville, earned a BA in studio art and a MA in fine arts from Bob Jones University. He also completed an MFA from Full Sail University. Waggoner teaches a variety of cinema courses at BJU. He and his wife, Emily, a 2001 BJU graduate, have five children.
For more information about the film, visit the website.