The Conference of Christian Audiovisual Creators of Latin America (CREA 2025) opened in Costa Rica on Wednesday (October 22) with a lively ceremony featuring traditional dance and an introductory video, kicking off three days focused on reinforcing Christian values in film and media.
Held in San José, the event brings together filmmakers, producers, screenwriters and actors from across Latin America to exchange experiences, network and explore how faith-based stories can impact the entertainment industry.
CREA President and Producer Cesar Carazas gave opening remarks, recalling the success of the previous conference in Mexico and expressing hope that Costa Rica will experience a similar “great blessing.” He encouraged participants to fully interact with the international speakers in attendance.
“We asked them to stand up because they are going to be the victims for the next three days,” Carruthers joked, urging attendees to use the presence of experts and “not let them leave without answering all the questions.”
Randy Duran, National Director of CREA Costa Rica, provided logistics information and emphasized the importance of cooperation and networking. “Here we have people who know about film sound, people who know about screenwriting, people who know about production, and most of all, people who know how to start from scratch,” Duran said. He also announced that free movie premieres will be held every night at 7pm and will be open to the public.
Bobby Downs talks faith, influence, and business
The highlight of the first day was a plenary session led by Bobby Downs, an American producer and distributor of more than a dozen films and a former executive at Sony Pictures Entertainment and Kingdom Story Company.
In a speech titled “I Have a Story That Could Make a Great Movie,” Downs urged Christian filmmakers to view the commercial aspects of film as an important tool for measuring and expanding the impact of ministry.
“That’s the most common statement I’ve heard,” Downs said. “And I think most of you have great stories that could make great movies.”
Quoting Steve Jobs, he reminded attendees that “the most influential people in the world are storytellers,” explaining that storytellers “set the vision, values, and agenda for an entire generation.” Downs encouraged Christian creators to tell stories that centered on “hope, salvation, and forgiveness.”
Downs addressed the relationship between service and money, presenting data from ComScore showing worldwide box office revenue in 2024 totaling $30.3 billion. “How do we know if we have reached the world for Christ?” he asked. “We measure it through box office receipts.”
He outlined the industry’s distribution funnel, noting that theatrical success “unlocks” subsequent revenue tiers such as streaming and television, often increasing total revenue by as much as 2.5x.
Downs also emphasized understanding the target audience, citing women between the ages of 35 and 55 as a key demographic for faith-based films. “Why? Because she’s in charge of the calendar and planner,” he said.
Using the case study of the United States, he explained that there are an estimated 226 million Christians in the country, but only 1.2%, or about 2.6 million, would need to buy a ticket to generate $30 million in opening weekend box office revenue.
Mr. Downs also explained the business realities of theatrical release. “These companies (theaters) make money selling Coca-Cola and popcorn,” he says. “This is a free market. If you can get people into the theater to buy popcorn and Coke, you’ll have access to the platform.”
He concluded with a message of patience and hope for Christian creators navigating the film industry. “God’s ability to save is always greater than man’s ability to harm,” Downs said. “You are working with men, but the God you serve is far greater than all of them. Don’t give up.”
Original text by Diario Cristiano, Spanish edition of Christian Daily International.
