Movies with a Mission With a foundational mission to tell stories that amplify light, Angel Studios has a track record of distributing films that advocate for society’s most vulnerable: children. Because several of our films grapple with the harsh realities of child trafficking, abuse in the foster care system, and poverty, you may wonder why Angel Studios keeps making movies about kids being harmed. But the reality is just the opposite: We are starting a movement to fight for the safety of kids and encouraging others to do the same. Filmmakers come to Angel from all over the world with diverse life experiences and varying faith backgrounds, but many of them share a common goal: to tell stories about protecting children. For them, filmmaking isn’t just a stream of income, but a deeply held duty to share their art and values with the world. Discover four compelling films created by passionate filmmakers, each delivering a powerful message: We must risk everything to save children. In a world where darkness abounds, these films rewrite the script for vulnerable children everywhere. 1. Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot Sound of Hope Trailer In theaters now, Sound of Hope is the inspiring true story of Donna and Reverend Martin, who encourage their small church community in Possum Trot, TX, to adopt 77 children from the foster care system. It shines a light on the 400,000 kids in the U.S. foster system who are waiting for a home. Writer/Director Josh Weigel and his wife Rebekah embarked on an eight-year journey to make this film. As adoptive parents themselves, they always felt called to continue advocating for children in the system. While working in the child welfare space in L.A., Rebekah met W.C. Martin and learned about what his community did for children in foster care. Inspired by his story, Josh and Rebekah felt called to make a film about their story. They went on all in on doing this story justice and even moved their entire family to Possum Trot during filming. The Weigels connected with Angel Studios and knew they could work together to amplify the message of this film. It has inspired countless people both within and outside the foster care world to join the fight for kids. Here’s some ways you can get involved: 9 Ways to Help a Child in Foster Care Encourage family and friends to see Sound of Hope in theaters Pay it Forward so someone else can see the film for free Share your thoughts on social media Purchase merchandise to help spread the word 2. SIGHT SIGHT Trailer SIGHT is based on the true story of Dr. Ming Wang, a renowned eye surgeon who is determined to give sight to a blind orphan, Kajal. SIGHT chronicles his relentless journey to find a cure for Kajal’s blindness and in the process, provide hope for children everywhere. Kajal was born in one of the poorest communities in Calcutta, India. At a young age, she was intentionally blinded by her mother who poured acid in her eyes so she could make money as a child beggar. After being abandoned by her family, Kajal was taken in by a Christian social work group who worked tirelessly to find a surgeon who could restore her vision. Meanwhile, Dr. Wang caught wind of her story and brought her to the United States to see if he could help her see again. He was so outraged that someone could inflict such damage on an innocent child. Dr. Ming has said that his profession helped him discover his Christian faith and he hopes this film will encourage people to not only see through their physical eyes, but renew their spiritual sight as well. You can stream SIGHT for free when you join the Angel Guild. 3. Cabrini Cabrini Trailer Cabrini is yet another remarkable true story of Francesca Cabini, an Italian immigrant who comes to the slums of New York at the turn of the century to advocate for impoverished orphan children. She went on to become the first American saint and the patron saint of immigrants. The film chronicles Cabrini’s relentless tenacity in establishing schools and orphanages for children orphaned in a foreign country, who lived without family, a home, or support. Cabrini transformed the lives of Italian immigrant children from the ground up and gave her life to fighting for their futures. She went on to found the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which still exists today and has established 67 institutions worldwide that serve vulnerable children. Executive Producer Eustace Wolfington was introduced to Cabrini’s work in 1955 at the age of twenty-three. He spent nine weeks learning about her in church and quickly adopted her as his role model. His business career took him around the world and when he’d talk about Cabrini as his inspiration, no one knew who she was—he was dumbfounded. Fast forward sixty years: A nun walked into his office one day and asked him to make a movie about Cabrini. Having worked as a film producer previously and knowing how much work it required, he said no. The nun continued to ask him for six years, and after the seventh year of asking, Wolfington decided to undertake the task. However, he had one stipulation: net revenues from the film must benefit charity. One such charity the revenue from the film went to is the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Mother Cabrini’s order). With a sense of duty to do her story justice, Wolfington partnered with Alejandro Monteverde, director of Sound of Freedom, to make the film and worked with Angel Studios to distribute. The film received rave reviews from audiences and inspired millions of people to look out for the underdog and underserved children in their communities. You can stream Cabrini for free when you join the Angel Guild. 4. Sound of Freedom Sound of Freedom Trailer Perhaps the most poignant film aimed at protecting children is Angel Studios’ smash hit Sound of Freedom, the true story of ex-CIA agent Tim Ballard who rescued two siblings from ruthless child sex traffickers. In October 2014, Ballard led an undercover operation that freed over 50 children from sex traffickers in Colombia. Around the same time, Monteverde was working on a script for a fictional story about child trafficking after being inspired by a news article he read. Once Ballard’s rescue started garnering international media attention, Eduardo Verástegui—producer and actor in Sound of Freedom—caught wind of Ballard’s story and immediately connected him to Monteverde. After hearing Ballard’s story, Monteverde quickly adapted his script to be a story based on Ballard’s work and Sound of Freedom was born. After shopping the movie around to major studios, the filmmakers found Angel Studios and knew it was the perfect fit. The deal was signed within a matter of days in March 2023 and hit theaters that July. Monteverde told Angel Studios: “I believe that as a society we need to be aware of the horrors of child trafficking, and my call was to use the power of cinema to bring light and poetry and hope into that darkest corner of humanity.” Just like Monteverde, Angel Studios felt called to share this story with the world and it has now been seen by over 30 million people, grossed $250 million at the box office, and spurred dozens of lawmakers to pass legislation punishing child traffickers more severely. You can stream Sound of Freedom for free when you join the Angel Guild.
