FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grand Rapids, MI (March 10, 2014) – The results are in! The top Dove Approved 
movies for 2013 were elected by thousands of people voting online. Here are the final winners in each category:
- BEST ADVENTURE – Thor, The Dark World – Walt Disney Pictures
- BEST ANIMATION – Frozen – Walt Disney Pictures
- BEST DOCUMENTARY – Unstoppable – Provident Films
- BEST DRAMA – Grace Unplugged – Lionsgate
- BEST LIMITED RELEASE – The Christmas Candle – EchoLight Studios
Congratulations to the winners and to those of you who voted for your favorite movies. Distributors may use the Crystal Dove Seal award in their marketing and publicity as well as on their DVD/Blu-ray packaging.
This list of winning films says something about the Dove Faith and Family movie audience. They like to be excited, or visually stimulated, or spiritually motivated, or deeply moved. They like to laugh, cry, and love. In fact nothing separates the “faith and family” audience from the rest of society except for one thing; they want to be entertained within a set of specific moral guidelines.
Studios and filmmakers are beginning to understand the similarities and distinctions between these two audiences.
Violence for its own sake is readily acceptable to most in the general audience. The faith and family audience will tolerate a certain level of violence if it serves a higher moral or spiritual purpose. This year’s winners are a testament to the kind of entertainment that sells to this audience.
Another distinction is language. The general audience will usually tolerate the use of “Jesus” or “Christ” or “G..D….” as expletives, whereas the faith and family audience recognizes these words as profanities or blasphemies.
Our latest Film Profitability Study of 2012 proved that over a five year period, the average Dove Family Approved film was 2.5 – 3 times more profitable than all other films released during the same period.
Filmmakers are becoming more aware and respectful of the faith and family audience. It’s even evident on TV reality shows, where people are replacing “Oh my god!” with “Oh my gosh!” These are all trends that speak well of the culture and the hope that as a society we are starting to rekindle our sense of civility.
Little by little, as Hollywood witnesses more faith and family movies excelling at the box office or on DVD, they will follow the trend and produce more of the same.
