Faith-Friendly vs. Faith-Based: The Art of Authentic Storytelling

Join Shannon Bream as she welcomes actress Kristy Swanson to discuss the 15th anniversary re-release of What If?, a faith-friendly film that’s returning to theaters on August 5th and 7th. With refreshing transparency and genuine emotion, this accomplished actress (who’s been working since age 9) shares how this project came to her at exactly the right time—after years of making teen comedies, horror films, and romantic comedies—allowing her to finally work on something that aligned with her faith and values. She explains how director Dallas Jenkins (now famous for The Chosen) created an It’s a Wonderful Life-style story about choices and redemption, preferring to call it “faith-friendly” rather than “faith-based” because the message arrives naturally through comedy and storytelling rather than hitting viewers “over the head.” Kristy emphasizes that this film was truly “the beginning of PureFlix entertainment” and helped pave the way for today’s explosion of high-quality faith content, offering hope for families seeking uplifting entertainment that provides life lessons for viewers of any age in our stress-filled, divided world.