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71-477: Between 1947 and 1955, the Commission produced a series of religious short films and documentaries. These films were distributed to some 30,000 churches as well as schools, clubs, conferences, factories, prisons, and domestic relations courts. Though most of the films were not released commercially, they received positive reviews in the general press for their human-interest stories and dramatic quality. In 1950,

142-503: A TV special , a few films from the studio have added theatrical shorts as well. Warner Bros. often includes old shorts from its considerable library, connected only thematically, on the DVD releases of classic WB movies. From 2010–2012, Warner Bros. also released new Looney Tunes shorts before family films. Shorts International and Magnolia Pictures organize an annual release of Academy Award -nominated short films in theatres across

213-480: A low budget or no budget at all. They are usually funded by one or more film grants, nonprofit organizations , sponsors , or personal funds. Short films are generally used for industry experience and as a platform to showcase talent to secure funding for future projects from private investors, a production company , or film studios . They can also be released with feature films, and can also be included as bonus features on some home video releases. All films in

284-646: A Nation . By the 1920s, a ticket purchased a varied program including a feature and several supporting works from categories such as second feature , short comedy, 4–10 minute cartoon, travelogue , and newsreel. Short comedies were especially common, and typically came in a serial or series (such as the Our Gang movies, or the many outings of Charlie Chaplin 's Little Tramp character). Animated cartoons came principally as short subjects. Virtually all major film production companies had units assigned to develop and produce shorts, and many companies, especially in

355-471: A commercial category. The year 1938 proved to be a turning point in the history of film comedies. Hal Roach , for example, had discontinued all short-subject production except Our Gang , which he finally sold to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1938. The Vitaphone studio, owned by Warner Bros. , discontinued its own line of two-reel comedies in 1938; Educational Pictures did as much that same year, owing to its president Earle W. Hammons unsuccessfully entering

426-706: A negotiated solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict . In partnership with the World Council of Churches , it has traditionally sought to balance its approach, seeking safety and protection for both the Jewish and Palestinian communities. It has focused on meeting needs of the victims of this conflict in all communities and supporting continued negotiations. Since the late 1960s the NCC has taken positions sympathetic towards Palestinian land rights and supportive of

497-664: A positive reception both from church groups and the general press for its dramatic quality and high production values. It was screened both domestically and abroad in scores of churches. A 1948 news item reported that the PFC had already gained a 25-percent profit on the film's $ 100,000 production budget, and had returned the initial investment plus half of the profits to its sponsors. By 1949 the PFC had raised $ 1.5 million in funds for production budgets and $ 1 million for distribution of future films. The PFC steered toward humanitarian rather than theological themes in its productions, in keeping with

568-440: A regular series in 1946 and lasted until 1956. By and large, however, the movies' one-reel subject of choice was the animated cartoon, produced by Walt Disney , Warner Bros. , MGM, Paramount , Walter Lantz , Columbia, and Terrytoons . One of the movies' oldest short-subject formats was the adventure serial , first established in 1912. A serial generally ran for 12 to 15 chapters, 15 to 20 minutes each. Every episode ended with

639-491: A response to "industrial problems" that arose during the rapid industrialization of the United States . The primary concern was the protection of workers in a host of areas including wages, working conditions, child labor , and a six-day work week (reduced from seven). During the next 40 plus years, FCC remained engaged in the domestic social problems of the day as well as international problems that threatened to draw

710-476: A running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film organizations may use different definitions, however; the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television , for example, currently defines a short film as 45 minutes or less in the case of documentaries, and 59 minutes or less in the case of scripted narrative films. In the United States, short films were generally termed short subjects from

781-603: A secure Israel. More recently, NCC has been particularly concerned with the plight of Christian communities in the region. Some of NCC's member communions have congregations or partners in the region that are being directly affected. However, the NCC's "witness to the need for vigilance in brokering peace extends to our concern for all people in the region, whether they be Christians, Jews , Muslims , Baháʼís or others, and whether they be Israelis , Palestinians , Syrians , Egyptians , or others." The council has supported many poverty alleviation efforts, including increases to

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852-453: A short along with each of its feature films during its initial theatrical run since 1995 (producing shorts permanently since 2001). Since Disney acquired Pixar in 2006, Disney has also produced animated shorts since 2007 with the Goofy short How to Hook Up Your Home Theater and produced a series of live-action ones featuring The Muppets for viewing on YouTube as viral videos to promote

923-540: Is a member of the interdenominational World Council of Churches and, through the WCC, is in communication with denominations of numerous theological stances. They have released several joint statements over the years. Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker Smith of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. , a member church of the NCC, is the WCC's president from North America. The NCC Faith and Order Commission

994-476: Is an ongoing, scholarly, ecumenical dialogue among North American Christian theologians and ecclesiastical historians, including evangelical, Pentecostal, Roman Catholic , Orthodox, mainline Protestant, and African-American scholars. In 2007, the commission celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. Through the "Interreligious Relations Convening Table", the NCC is in dialogue with representatives of Islam , Judaism , Hinduism , Buddhism and Sikhism . Since 2004,

1065-674: Is based. The series began in 1872 under the auspices of the National Sunday School Convention. The NCC also published until 2012 the annual Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches , since 1916 a widely used reference work on trends, statistics and programmatic information on religious organizations in North America. Future editions of the yearbook will be published by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB). The NCC

1136-654: Is in dialogue with the National Council of Synagogues, a partnership of Reformed , Conservative , and the Reconstructionist groups in Judaism for the purpose of interfaith affairs. The main focus of discussion between the NCC and NCS is pastoral affairs and community issues such as antisemitism . Their most recent meeting was in December of 2023. Orthodox Judaism is presently not in dialogue with

1207-401: The 2011 movie of the same name . In 2009 the horror short film, No Through Road, that would go viral was released, creating analog horror. The short film would spark 3 sequels, creating No Through Road (web series) DreamWorks Animation often produces a short sequel to include in the special edition video releases of major features, and are typical of a sufficient length to be broadcast as

1278-802: The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor five years earlier. Hollywood box office star Glenn Ford served as narrator for City Story (1950). In 1950 the PFC released a series of "curriculum enrichment" films for church schools, including A Job for Bob , What Happened to Jo Jo? , and Birthday Party . This series was funded by Protestant denominational churches as well as the International Council of Religious Education. Principal photography for PFC productions generally took place either in New York or Southern California to enable filmmakers access to professional equipment from

1349-470: The Catholic Church , fundamentalist groups, Southern Baptists , and Missouri Synod Lutherans , which are not officially a part of the council's membership. All NCC member organizations subscribe to the NCC's statement of faith, which forms the preamble to the NCC's charter: The National Council of Churches is a community of Christian communions, which, in response to the gospel as revealed in

1420-603: The Christian Herald . In 1948, in advance of the June 15 release of its second film production, My Name Is Han , the PFC issued a statement emphasizing the value of motion pictures for conveying religious themes—an about-face from the church's previous stance on films: "Gone is the concept that the movies are necessarily the work of the devil. In its place has come the realization that the camera, under proper guidance, can inspire men to lead Christian lives, can instruct

1491-512: The Federal Council of Churches in 1908, and expanded through merger with several other ecumenical organizations to become the National Council of Churches in 1950. Its Interim President and General Secretary is Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie. The first efforts at ecumenical organization emerged in May 1908 with the creation of the Federal Council of Churches (FCC). The FCC was created as

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1562-649: The Federal Council of Churches . In this capacity, it represented 200,000 Protestant churches which numbered approximately 34 million members. The PFC convened in January 1946, with Paul F. Heard as executive director. Heard had previously overseen the production of government training and propaganda films for the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington, D.C. The PFC defined its goals as twofold: As most films screened in churches required 16 mm film projectors,

1633-659: The Vietnam War , the NCC found itself in opposition to growing US military action . In 1965, the General Board stated that "unilateral action by the United States in Southeast Asia will not lead to peace." The NCC's position against the Vietnam War became increasingly strident in the 1960s and 1970s, and in some cases, alienated the laity of some member communions. NCC has been a consistent supporter of

1704-489: The silent and very early sound era, produced mostly or only short subjects. In the 1930s, the distribution system changed in many countries, owing to the Great Depression . Instead of the cinema owner assembling a program of their own choice, the studios sold a package centered on a main and supporting feature, a cartoon and little else. With the rise of the double feature , two- reel shorts went into decline as

1775-688: The 1908 creed, the "Social Creed for the 21st Century" included additional principles, including: These creeds have formed the basis, growing out of a common Christian faith, of the work of the NCC in public policy matters. For a number of years, the NCC maintained a separate policy advocacy office in Washington, D.C. Located in the United Methodist Building on Capitol Hill , the NCC Washington Office served as an ecumenical hub through which it could interact with

1846-465: The 1920s into the 1970s when confined to two 35 mm reels or less, and featurettes for a film of three or four reels. " Short " was an abbreviation for either term. The increasingly rare industry term "short subject" carries more of an assumption that the film is shown as part of a presentation along with a feature film. Short films are often screened at local, national, or international film festivals and made by independent filmmakers with either

1917-638: The 1940s. The Production Code Administration , which together with the Catholic National Legion of Decency imposed film standards emphasizing positive social values and respect for religion, had an official Catholic adviser in Hollywood but not a Protestant one. As a general rule, the Protestant church leadership limited its involvement with Hollywood filmmaking to confirming technical details of church theology and practices. However,

1988-507: The 1960s before exiting the short film business in 1969 (by which point the shorts had been in televised reruns for years ). MGM continued Tom and Jerry (first with a series of poorly-received Eastern European shorts by Gene Deitch , then a better-received run by Warner Bros. alumnus Chuck Jones ) until 1967, and Woody Woodpecker lasted to 1972; the creative team behind MGM's 1940s and 1950s cartoons formed Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1957, mainly focusing on television. The Pink Panther

2059-410: The 1970s , NCC issued a statement in which it called for "Ecological Justice". The statement called for more work on renewable energy, reductions in energy sources that pollute, and support for energy sources that did not have adverse effects on communities (health, economic, etc.). This statement helped form the basis for the creation of the NCC's Eco-Justice program. Housed in the NCC Washington Office,

2130-661: The Black Curriculum Resource Center. W. Sterling Cary , the first Black president of the NCC who was elected in 1972, was a vocal advocate for racial justice and the Black Power movement . Since its inception, the NCC had been skeptical of the usefulness of war. During World War II, the Federal Council of Churches formed a Committee on Conscientious Objectors to advocate for the right of people of faith to refuse military service. During

2201-740: The Churches of Christ in the USA , usually identified as the National Council of Churches ( NCC ), is the largest ecumenical body in the United States . NCC is an ecumenical partnership of 38 Christian faith groups in the United States . Its member communions include mainline Protestant , Eastern Orthodox , Oriental Orthodox , African-American , evangelical , and historic peace churches . Together, it encompasses more than 100,000 local congregations and 40 million adherents. It began as

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2272-633: The NCC aided in forming the "National Muslim-Christian Dialogue" with the Islamic Circle of North America , and the United States Council of Muslim Organizations. In addition to theological discussions, the dialogue has focused on social issues including Islamophobia in the United States . Since 2010, there has been an annual dialogue between the participants. In 2015 the interfaith dialogue participants came to 16 theological points of agreement between Christianity and Islam. The NCC

2343-753: The NCC together with the Synagogue Council of America and the National Catholic Welfare Conference , convened the National Conference on Religion and Race, which issued An Appeal to the Conscience of the American People for a moral end to racism. From 1966 until 1973 Olivia P. Stokes was associate director of urban education in the NCC's Department of Educational Development, developing

2414-645: The NCC, participants include the Guibord Center, Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple, Claremont School of Theology , and the University of the West . Presently the dialogue is focused on bilateral understanding of the two faiths. The "National Sikh-Christian Dialogue" was started by the NCC in 2019 and is in communication with the Sikh Council of Interfaith Relations. Recent discussions include understanding

2485-614: The NCC. Concerning their dialogue with Hinduism, the NCC established the "National Hindu-Christian Dialogue" in 2018. Through this dialogue, they are in discussions with the Vedanta Society of Southern California which is under the spiritual leadership of the Ramakrishna Order . They also established the "National Buddhist-Christian Dialogue" in 2018 for discussions with those of the Buddhist faith. In addition to

2556-586: The PFC issued a booklet titled Teaching Eternal Truths , which educated church organizers on the fundamentals of operating film projectors and scheduling film programs. Unlike the National Legion of Decency, which was a censorship body, the PFC provided a voluntary consulting service to fact-check scripts and give Hollywood filmmakers input on "the dramatic possibilities of religious material and of constructive moral themes". The PFC also issued reviews and ratings of general-market films which were printed in

2627-680: The PFC merged with the Protestant Radio Commission to form the Broadcasting and Film Commission (BFC) of the National Council of Churches of Christ . Heard was named director of films in the new organizational structure. However, the PFC continued to operate as the de facto West Coast office of the BFC. The PFC ceased operations in 1966. In 1947 the PFC announced that it had raised $ 250,000 in funds to produce seven films in 16 mm and 35 mm format for noncommercial release, with

2698-574: The Protestant Film Commission merged with the Protestant Radio Commission to form the Broadcasting and Film Commission (BFC) of the National Council of Churches of Christ , but continued its operations as the de facto West Coast headquarters of the BFC. It ceased operations in 1966. The Protestant Film Commission was founded partly in response to the dominance of Catholic influence and representation in Hollywood cinema in

2769-678: The Scriptures, confess Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, as Savior and Lord. These communions covenant with one another to manifest ever more fully the unity of the Church. Relying upon the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, the communions come together as the Council in common mission, serving in all creation to the glory of God. Since its founding in 1950, one of the primary activities of NCC has been to effect positive change for

2840-667: The US into war. Its progressive social program along with support of conscientious objectors to World War II garnered stiff criticism from Christian fundamentalist circles. By 1950, numerous programs and efforts of social uplift had formed in addition to the FCC. Seeking greater unity, a dozen ecumenical bodies (including the FCC) gathered in Cleveland , Ohio, in 1950 to discuss how to more effectively organize their common work. Out of this meeting, via

2911-492: The US, UK, Canada and Mexico throughout February and March. Shorts are occasionally broadcast as filler when a feature film or other work does not fit the standard broadcast schedule. ShortsTV was the first television channel dedicated to short films. However, short films generally rely on film festival exhibition to reach an audience. Such movies can also be distributed via the Internet . Certain websites which encourage

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2982-605: The World , Habitat for Humanity , and Children's Defense Fund , to press for broad policy initiatives that address poverty issues. The council helped launch the Let Justice Roll grassroots anti-poverty campaign that has been successful in raising the minimum wage in more than 20 states since 2005. In 2018, the council issued a statement opposing the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court . NCC

3053-452: The beginning of cinema were very short , sometimes running only a minute or less. It was not until the 1910s when films started to get longer than about ten minutes. The first set of films were presented in 1894 and it was through Thomas Edison 's device called a kinetoscope . It was made for individual viewing only. Comedy short films were produced in large numbers compared to lengthy features such as D. W. Griffith 's 1915 The Birth of

3124-586: The betterment of society. Adopted in December 1908, "The Social Creed of the Churches" was a statement by members of the Federal Council of Churches against what it described as "industrial problems". The document spelled out a list of principles, including: In 2007, the NCC updated its social creed to reflect a new era of globalization. The goal was to "offer a vision of a society that shares more and consumes less, seeks compassion over suspicion and equality over domination, and finds security in joined hands rather than massed arms." In addition to those areas mentioned in

3195-629: The civil rights movement throughout the 1950s and 1960s. NCC created a Race Relations Sunday to educate and call to action mainline Christians nationwide. In 1961, Andrew Young left his position with the National Council of Churches to join the Southern Christian Leadership Conference , eventually becoming that organization's executive director. When the Civil Rights Act was introduced in 1964, NCC lobbied heavily for its swift adoption. In January 1963,

3266-526: The era, which produced "quite a galaxy of predatory females and philandering males", was seen as evidence that Hollywood screenwriters and producers were not paying attention to the negative film reviews in Protestant publications such as the Christian Herald . In 1945, the Protestant Film Commission (PFC) was established by the boards of 19 of the largest American Protestant denominations together with 12 major interdenominational agencies, including

3337-406: The feature-film field. With these major comedy producers out of the running, Columbia Pictures actually expanded its own operations and launched a second two-reel-comedy unit in 1938. Columbia and RKO Radio Pictures kept making two-reel comedies into the 1950s. Theater managers found it easier and more convenient to fit shorter, one-reel (10-minute) subjects into their double-feature programs. In

3408-534: The general press. In its preview of Beyond Our Own , the Dayton Daily News wrote: "Though no Academy Award Oscars will be given for the performances of the stars, the actors and actresses are thoroughly convincing". Syndicated Hollywood columnist Jimmie Fidler wrote: These pictures may be modestly budgeted, they may lack the impressive sets and extra "mobs" to be found in some of the major studio products, but they are entertainment that goes straight to

3479-450: The heart and the mind, a "solid" sort of entertainment that leaves one in a state of real appreciation for days after he has seen them. They say something that's worth saying—and that, in the final analysis, is worth more than "production value" or big star names. Short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has

3550-519: The hero or heroine trapped in a life-threatening situation; audiences would have to return the following week to see the outcome. These "chapter plays" remained popular through the 1950s, although both Columbia and Republic Pictures were now making them as cheaply as possible, reusing action highlights from older serials and connecting them with a few new scenes showing identically dressed actors. Even after Republic quit making serials in 1955 and Columbia stopped in 1956, faithful audiences supported them and

3621-491: The increasingly sympathetic portrayal of Catholic characters in films—including The Song of Bernadette , The Keys of the Kingdom , Going My Way , and The Bells of St. Mary's — combined with the tendency for Hollywood to depict Protestant characters as fodder for laughs, motivated Protestant leadership to improve their standing and representation in Hollywood. Additionally, the bold treatment of sex in Hollywood films of

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3692-573: The intended audiences being churches, clubs, conferences, factories, prisons, and domestic relations courts. The PFC would go on to produce and distribute a series of drama, documentary, and educational films between December 1947 and April 1955. Each original script employed human-interest plots and dramatic devices to engage viewers while conveying religious and moral messages. The PFC raised its production budgets through fund-raising campaigns among Protestant denominational churches and interdenominational sponsorships. Its 1949 film Prejudice , for example,

3763-448: The live-action field, humorist Robert Benchley had been making short comedies since the dawn of sound; his various series for Fox, Vitaphone, MGM, and Paramount ran from 1928 to 1944. MGM's Pete Smith Specialties had been a standard "added attraction" in moviehouse programming since 1935 and lasted through 1955. RKO's Flicker Flashbacks revivals of silent films ran from 1943 to 1956, and Warner Bros. ' Joe McDoakes comedies became

3834-646: The major Hollywood studios. However, some projects were filmed overseas in conjunction with other production units, such as My Name Is Han (1948), filmed in China, Kenji Comes Home (1949), filmed in Japan, and South of the Clouds (1950), filmed in Lebanon. American director William Beaudine was tapped to direct eleven of the PFC's short films. His directorial style, which delivered strong but not heavy-handed films,

3905-763: The merger of the Federal Council of Churches with several other ecumenical bodies, emerged the NCC. During the late 1950s and early 1960s (it is unclear from the reference how long this continued), the National Council of Churches received some funding from the "Foundation for Youth and Student Affairs", a front funded by the CIA to oppose communism . The council's 38 member communions include mainline Protestant , Eastern Orthodox , African-American , evangelical , and historic peace churches . Individual adherents of more than 50 Christian faith groups actively participate in NCC study groups, commissions, and ministries. Some of these participants belong to Christian faith groups such as

3976-619: The minimum wage and ecumenical efforts such as the Circle of Protection and the Faithful Budget Campaign. In 2013, during restructuring, NCC spun off its department dealing with poverty issues into a new organization, the Ecumenical Poverty Initiative. NCC continues its work on poverty through its support of EPI as well as partnerships with other likeminded organizations. During the oil crisis of

4047-559: The numerous denominational policy offices also located in the Methodist Building. Its work centered on areas mentioned in the creeds but also primarily focused around two programs, Eco-Justice and the Ecumenical Poverty Initiative. Both of these programs have been spun off into separate independent organizations since NCC restructuring in 2013. NCC partners with dozens of other faith-based groups in DC and elsewhere, such as Bread for

4118-414: The oldest film festivals dedicated to short films are Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival , France (since 1979), Tampere Film Festival , Finland (since 1969) and International Short Film Festival Oberhausen , Germany (since 1954). All of them are still considered the most important short film festival in the world to date. National Council of Churches The National Council of

4189-536: The postwar focus on social issues among most churches. Film scripts were sought on racial discrimination, religious intolerance, and mental health. The PFC also invested in professional crews and equipment, and used name actors as well as unknown performers. For example, it invested more than $ 80,000 to produce Again Pioneers (1950) starring Colleen Townsend , Tom Powers , Sarah Padden , and Regis Toomey . A Wonderful Life (1950) starred James Dunn , who had won

4260-406: The problem of a justice system based on retribution and the over-representation of communities of color in the prison population. More recently, NCC has worked for sentencing reform to reduce mandatory minimum sentences , advocated for clemency for individuals who were over sentenced, and prison conditions . In addition, NCC has also broadened this work to include police reform , especially in

4331-467: The program focused on federal environmental policy. In 2013, the Eco-Justice program was spun off into its own organization, Creation Justice Ministries. CJM continues to work with NCC and its 38 member communions to coordinate efforts to protect the environment. Over the past three years , NCC has taken a more active role in the struggle against mass incarceration . As early as 1979, NCC recognized

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4402-421: The studios re-released older serials through the mid-1960s. The 1964 revival of Columbia's Batman serial resulted in a media frenzy, spurring a new Batman TV series and a wave of Batman merchandise. With the rise of television , the commercial live-action short was virtually dead; most studios canceled their live-action series in 1956. Only The Three Stooges continued making two-reel comedies; their last

4473-908: The submission of user-created short films, such as YouTube and Vimeo , have attracted large communities of artists and viewers. Sites like Omeleto, FILMSshort, Short of the Week, Short Films Matter, Short Central and some apps showcase curated shorts. Short films are a typical first stage for new filmmakers, but professional actors and crews often still choose to create short films as an alternative form of expression. Amateur filmmaking has grown in popularity as equipment has become more accessible. The lower production costs of short films often mean that short films can cover alternative subject matter as compared to higher budget feature films. Similarly, unconventional filmmaking techniques such as Pixilation or narratives that are told without dialogue, are more often seen in short films than features. Tropfest claims to be

4544-698: The wake of much publicized shootings in places such as Baton Rouge , Minneapolis , and Dallas . The NCC fostered the multi-denominational research effort that produced the Revised Standard Version and the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible , and holds the copyrights to both translations. The NCC sponsors the research program on which the Uniform Sunday School Lesson Series

4615-411: The world's largest short film festival. Tropfest now takes place in Australia (its birthplace), Arabia, the US and elsewhere. Originating in 1993, Tropfest is often credited as being at least partially responsible for the recent popularity of short films internationally. Also Couch Fest Films , part of Shnit Worldwide Filmfestival, claimed to be the world's largest single-day short film festival. Among

4686-411: The young and offer solace and hope to the aged". In 1948, the PFC established a permanent West Coast office under the directorship of Oren W. Evans, with headquarters at Nassour Studios . At that time, the PFC announced that it had 19 films slated for production, including 9 short films on mental health, 5 films promoting good citizenship, and 3 films based on stories from the Bible. In December 1950,

4757-579: Was closely aligned with leaders in the civil rights movement , including Martin Luther King Jr. and Andrew Young . The NCC was an important link to mainline churches for the civil rights movement and it consistently condemned segregation during the Montgomery bus boycott and other actions. In a speech to NCC in 1957, King thanked the NCC for its support: "This great body—the National Council of Churches—has condemned segregation over and over again, and has requested its constituent denominations to do likewise." The NCC continued to be closely intertwined with

4828-432: Was released in 1959. Short films had become a medium for student, independent, and specialty work. Cartoon shorts had a longer life, due in part to the implementation of lower-cost limited animation techniques and the rise of television animation , which allowed shorts to have both theatrical runs and a syndication afterlife. Warner Bros. , one of the most prolific of the golden era, underwent several reorganizations in

4899-513: Was seen as ideal for conveying religious messages. Each film had its premiere in 100 cities in the U.S. and Canada. The films were distributed to Congregational Christian Churches , Presbyterian Church U.S.A. , Evangelical churches, and Reformed churches, with a reach estimated at some 30,000 churches. They were also available for viewing by clubs, conferences, factories, prisons, and domestic relations courts. While most PFC films were not released commercially, they received favorable mention in

4970-416: Was sponsored by 17 Protestant denominations as well as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith . The PFC was said to have had an "excellent" chance of recouping its production expenses, since at the time between 25,000 and 50,000 churches were screening films as part of their educational efforts, compared to 18,000 commercial movie theaters. The PFC's first production, Beyond Our Own (1947), received

5041-426: Was the last regular theatrical cartoon short series, having begun in 1964 (and thus having spent its entire existence in the limited animation era) and ended in 1980. By the 1960s, the market for animated shorts had largely shifted to television, with existing theatrical shorts being syndicated to television. A few animated shorts continue within the mainstream commercial distribution. For instance, Pixar has screened

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