The number of young believers who fall away during college is enormous and this Christian film tackles the issue head-on.
The crisis of faith among college students from Christian families in America is a well documented and much discussed problem. One recent survery puts the number of young people who leave the Church in early adulthood at a staggering 66%, so this is a subject that deserves the attention of believing filmmakers.
Into the breach steps Jude Okwudiafor Johnson as writer, producer and director of Freshman Year. With a vocational connection to the Body - director for a church-run TV ministry - he is no doubt well-versed on the subject at hand.
His inaugural feature stars Diallo Thompson as the aforementioned freshman, facing all the temptations that college presents to a new student away from home for the first time. Only Thompson's character, CJ, is not just a freshman, but also the Christian son of a pastor. The role of his father is played by Benjamin Onyango, who has previously starred in Christian films like God's Not Dead and last year's Beautifully Broken.
Among the challenges facing CJ is young love - he falls for a cheerleader played by Natalia Dominguez - and the scourge of atheism pushed by a professor, who is played both convincingly and menacingly, at least in the trailer, by Gregory Alan Williams.
Freshman Year is due out in April, though a firm release date has yet to be set. Christian Film Blog will update you once that is made known. In the meantime, do check out the trailer.