Jun 10, 2026

Industrious Family Enters $100,000 Catholic Film Competition

We are working on a pitch video to submit to the Napa Arts Festival's Renaissance Rising Competition! This is a two minute video pitching an idea for a short film and the winner will received $100,000 to complete the project. This grant is provided by Catholic actor David Henrie and EWTN will premiere the completed film.

We of course had a story that we wanted to tell right away so we got busy shooting our pitch video. It needs to be submitted by June 15th! It is all ready and off to Aaron and Daniel to be professionally colored and sound designed. Alejandro also helped out by making the music for the pitch.

Jun 10, 2026

End of the Santa Fe Trail Now Streaming!

One of the newest films to arrive on Industrious Family Theater takes viewers into the Wild West — but without the ugliness so often found in mainstream Westerns.

Produced by Industrious Family Films, the studio behind viewer favorites Outlaws of Ravenhurst and Grisly Grisell, End of the Santa Fe Trail continues their approach to historical storytelling rooted in Catholic history.

The film follows Sister Blandina Segale, an awkward but determined nun sent West on a mission she never expected. Surrounded by outlaws, danger, and a land ruled by the fastest gun, Sister Blandina quietly refuses to see those around her as enemies.

Inspired by true events, the film tells the story of Billy the Kid from the unusual perspective of the nun who crossed paths with him during the height of his notoriety. While many modern Westerns features colorful language and less than savory portrayal of characters, End of the Santa Fe Trail instead highlights courage, Faith, and the quiet contradiction of a woman who faced the Wild West with charity and Christ-like compassion.

At Industrious Family Theater, we know there is a real hunger for stories that are adventurous and entertaining without sacrificing what makes them worth watching as a family.

End of the Santa Fe Trail joins more than 40 independent Catholic films now streaming on Industrious Family Theater for just $24 a year — with many more films on the way.

Jun 04, 2026

New Films Now Streaming on Industrious Family Theater

We are excited to welcome several new films to Industrious Family Theater from independent Catholic filmmakers around the world. These latest additions bring Western flair, animation, documentary, and suspense to the platform — while also introducing several new studios to the Theater.

Produced by Industrious Family Films, End of the Santa Fe Trail tells the story of Billy the Kid from the unexpected perspective of Sister Blandina Segale, a determined nun who brings faith and a different kind of courage into the lawless Wild West.

From Kazakhstan, Studio “Mama” brings Anya, a documentary about a sculptor crafting a crucifix for a church restored after years of destruction and desecration under communism in Saint Petersburg.

Families can also now enjoy Joseph, Light of Patriarchs from Claritas Studios, an original animated short in which St. Joseph sings the Magnificat in a reverent and imaginative retelling of Scripture.

For viewers looking for a thrill and suspense, Bigprint from liliacreativity Productions follows a family drawn into the unsettling silence of a nearby forest after a strange disturbance shakes their home.

We are excited to continue growing Industrious Family Theater with filmmakers who are passionate about storytelling and wholesome entertainment. These films and many more are now streaming on Industrious Family Theater.

Jun 01, 2026

A Church Once Desecrated Finds New Life in Anya

A new filmmaker from Kazakhstan joins the studios hosted on Industrious Family Theater with his short documentary Anya. This short documentary film from Studio "Mama" follows Anya, a sculptor in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Her touching story touches on what got her into sculpting and ends with her most important work yet, crafting a crucifix for a Saint Petersburg church which has long been emptied and desecrated by the Communists. At Industrious Family Theater, we are always excited to meet filmmakers from around the world who are using their talents in the service of God and the Church. Anya is a reminder that even after decades of persecution and destruction, Christian art still has the power to rebuild what was lost and point souls back to God.We are proud to welcome this filmmaker from Kazakhstan to the growing group of independent studios featured on the Theater. Together, these filmmakers are fighting the good fight to reclaim the culture for Christ through Catholic storytelling and worthwhile entertainment.Anya joins more than 40 films now streaming on Industrious Family Theater for just $24 a year — with many more films still to come.

May 29, 2026

Now Streaming: Joseph, Light of Patriarchs, the First Animated Film on Industrious Family Theater

New on Industrious Family Theater, Joseph, Light of Patriarchs is a musical animated short film by Claritas Studios. In it, we see Saint Joseph as he rests after a long day of traveling with Mary and the Christ Child. In this moment, Joseph gives glory to God by singing the Magnificat.

What excites us most about this film is that it marks the first animated film on Industrious Family Theater. We are proud to have this milestone marked for us by featuring the great saint who God chose to be the foster father of Jesus.

We are excited to continue growing Industrious Family Theater alongside filmmakers who believe stories still matter. In a culture where so much entertainment tears down faith, family, and virtue, these films are part of building something better.

With these new releases, Industrious Family Theater now offers over 40 independent films — and more are already on the way. From historical dramas and documentaries to family adventures, animation, and stories of the saints, the films on the platform exist because independent filmmakers are telling worthwhile stories.

For just $24 a year, your subscription does more than provide your family wholesome entertainment. It helps support independent filmmakers working to rebuild Christian storytelling and create films Catholics can finally feel good about watching.

Stream Jospeh, Light of Patriarchs and the other spring releases now on Industrious Family Theater.

May 27, 2026

Host Your Own Jungle Book Theme Birthday Party

Years ago, Dad knew a guy who had many large reptiles as pets. After hearing horror stories about how snakes can turn on their masters, these are the kinds of pets I would never want to own - but "different strokes for different folks", I guess.

One year, we hosted a jungle theme party and had Dad's friend bring his pets for an up close look for the kids. We held boa constrictors, geckos, and those little green snakes.

Us being who we are, we took this opportunity and ran with it, throwing an all out jungle theme party. We thought up and researched creative foods, games and decorations to make the party as fun as possible. I just revisited our website guide this week and added some inspiration from our favorite jungle movies: The Jungle Book and Jumanji. I thought about adding The Swiss Family Robinson but it's been a spell since I've seen that one, so I'm not sure how accurate my review would be.

Perhaps I'll watch it again soon, but for now, the summer is coming and I'm not sure how much movie watching I'll be doing.

Check out the refreshed jungle theme party page!

May 21, 2026

Could We Film at the Famous Loretto Chapel?

I have been working on the script for the End of the Santa Fe Trail Episode 3. While the story is good, the flow is not ideal for a film. Faustina and I will have to really go through it to make it movie-worthy. For now, I'm just writing everything down until I get an ending so that we can look it over. This film focuses on Sister Blandina's role in the completion of the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe. Maybe you have heard about this church's miraculous staircase? The chapel is now privately owned and ran as a museum by a Catholic family I believe. Maybe they will let us film there as well.

If you would like to help us tell this story, you can contribute to the crowdfunding campaign here.

May 20, 2026

Most Awkward Proposals In Movies

Awkward proposals in movies don’t get more uncomfortable than these cringeworthy declarations, refusals, and romantic disasters from classic films.

Continue reading "Most Awkward Proposals In Movies"

May 20, 2026

The More We Read, the More Surprising She Becomes

The team at Industrious Family has been very busy working the shop. We recently went to three in-person events and have been designing new items!

Some of my personal favorites of our new gifts are the End of the Santa Fe Trail items. These feature a silhouette of the cover image set against a Western sunset background. I don't know if it was intentional when we designed it, but I feel like the ambiguity of the silhouette fits the story well.

From a movie viewer experience, people know that this is a film about Billy the Kid, but what happens in the story seems a little mysterious. How can this end well? Director and lead actress Mary Bowen has been reading Sister Blandina's diary and it seems like every few days she finds another interesting thing about a seemingly plain nun. Sister Blandina's life is anything but ordinary as she survives the Wild West.

As a family, we have enjoyed two Western series, Doctor Quinn: Medicine Woman and Bordertown. After so many episodes these begin to beg the question: Surely this much excitement couldn't really happen in so small of a town to one person!

But Sister Blandina's diary is proof that it can! As soon as she has patched a wounded man, she is rescuing a desperate widow and then she's off to save a man from an unjust lynching.

So I feel like the shadow in the End of the Santa Fe Trail design hints to the hidden adventures of this woman of the frontier.

Watch the film that inspired these gifts now!

May 19, 2026

Movies Worth Watching | Family Film Picks & Entertainment Opinions

Discover movies worth watching for the whole family and beyond. Honest, thoughtful entertainment opinions, streaming picks, and occasional commentary on films that matter—helping you decide what’s actually worth your time.

Continue reading "Movies Worth Watching | Family Film Picks & Entertainment Opinions"

May 19, 2026

Revisiting Our Circus Theme Party with New Movie Inspiration

We've been breathing new life into a lot of our old party pages, transforming them into parties that can be movie-themed. This week's page was the circus themed party.

We wrote this page a while back after we threw one, getting our inspiration from a circus we attended. The new and improved page now features inspiration from The Greatest Showman and Dumbo (for younger party attendees). This party features not only all the fun decorations and circus foods, but also has a guide on how to host your own circus!

Makes me want to throw another circus themed party! It's been a while...

May 18, 2026

The Sound of Adventure on the Santa Fe Trail

The End of the Santa Fe Trail soundtrack has been released! You can now listen to the 8 fantastic tracks on your favorite music streaming platform!

May 14, 2026

Two Upcoming Films That Caught My Attention

New films I’m looking forward to watching are Animal Farm and Sheep Detectives. Unfortunately, I’ve heard mostly negative things about Animal Farm. I haven’t seen it yet, but since the closest theater playing it is four hours away, I may have to wait for it to release on the ANGEL app. Sheep Detectives, starring Hugh Jackman, looks really good. It first caught my attention because of the coloring in the trailer. I’ve heard positive things about it, so I’m looking forward to seeing it as well. It looks like a clean, good-ol' family adventure.

May 14, 2026

Slowing Down to Tell the Story Better

We have two major goals for the second episode of End of the Santa Fe Trail. The first and most important is spending more time with the actors and helping guide them through their characters so their performances can stand out. The second goal goes hand in hand with the first: slowing down and filming awkward scenes more professionally. Faustina and I have spent the most time on a scene where a dying man forgives his murderer before passing away. It has come a long way and we are really liking the way it is shaping up.

You can watch the first episode of End of the Santa Fe Trail here.
If you would like to help us tell this story, you can contribute to the crowdfunding campaign here.

May 14, 2026

Building a Western Town…Or Finding One

We have completed the third draft for the second episode of End of the Santa Fe Trail. I was budgeting what it would cost to build a mini Western town for this film, but then I discovered an actual movie set on a ranch in New Mexico. I have a call with them later today to see what filming there would be like. I was excited to learn that Jimmy Stewart, Chuck Norris, Russell Crowe, and Christian Bale have all been in movies filmed there. More recently, David Henrie filmed a movie there that will be released on ANGEL this fall. We are all really pumped and excited about this opportunity!

You can watch the first episode of End of the Santa Fe Trail here.
If you would like to help us tell this story, you can contribute to the crowdfunding campaign here.

May 14, 2026

What Comes Next on the Santa Fe Trail

The first episode of End of the Santa Fe Trail is ready to watch now. But this is just the beginning of the story.

The next episode is scripted and a bit more action-packed than the first one. No spoilers, but I'm getting really excited to see this chapter come to life. And...this episode features another appearance of Billy the Kid.

Right now, this episode is currently in the funding stage. To bring real authenticity to it, we are going to need to build a small Western town complete with a sheriff's office and a jail. New costumes will be needed for Sheriff Pat Garrett and Governor Lew Wallace.

Besides this exciting next step on the End of the Santa Fe journey, we are also going to be doing several showings of the first episode to share the story with more people. Exciting things are happening and we can't wait to share this next chapter of Sister Blandina's story with you.

Watch the first episode of End of the Santa Fe Trail now!

May 13, 2026

The Classroom Story We Never Forgot

We first heard about Sister Blandina in a 6th grade reader when we were going through Seaton Home School. The story was about a young girl traveling out West to visit family I believe. While on the stage she sees two Sisters of Charity. A gentleman on the stage introduces her to Sister Blandina as the nun sho saved the doctors in Trinidad by begging Billy the Kid to not scap them for not helping a friend of his. While the group is traveling, there is a hold up and the leader of the gang is none other than Billy the Kid himself. The short story ends when he calls off his men at the site of Sister Blandina.

We knew that this story would make a great movie but we went to the bedside of the sick friend instead of a retelling of the event in a stage coach. While it is true that as some point Billy let a stagecoach pass because Sister Blandina was a passenger, this story will be told in a future episode. Thanks to the Faith And Freedom Readers, we and many others were intoduced to this little known story and we were inspired to make it into a film.

Watch it on Industrious Family Theater now!

May 11, 2026

Trading Scotland for the Wild West

My brother, Becket Bowen, debuted in his first film, Outlaws of Ravenhurstas a child actor when he was 12 years old. He played The Gordon in the beloved story of a farm boy who is taken away from the life he knows to be raised as an earl in Scotland. After this film, he thought that acting was not his thing and went into screen seclusion for a while performing behind the scenes tasks on set. He was recently brought back to the screen when he was cast as Billy the Kid in our Western series, End of the Santa Fe Trail. He was excited to play the part as this genre and character are favorites of his. He plans to continue playing the role in the parts of the series.

You can watch both Outlaws of Ravenhurst and End of the Santa Fe Trail on Industrious Family Theater.

May 08, 2026

From the Theater to an Arabian Nights Party: Our Aladdin (2019) Experience

Back in 2019, Disney's new live-action Aladdin came out. With family tickets at an affordable price at the Palladio, we went and watched it in the theater as a family.

For me, this was an amazing experience.

Up until that point, the only films I had seen in theaters were the third The Pirates of the Caribbean and the first two Hobbits. Aladdin, as you can imagine, was quite a different experience with the colorful costumes and sets as well as the music and sound design that felt in front of me, next to me, and behind me.

We all really enjoyed the film, buying the soundtrack as soon as it was available and greatly anticipating the release of the film on DVD.

Not surprisingly, when Mary and my birthday's rolled around in November, we had an Arabian Nights themed party! Recently Kathleen and I gave the coffee theme party page a makeover by incorporating one of our favorite films and introducing Arabian Nights.

I am happy to present the grand reveal of this page. Check it out!

May 07, 2026

Of Dentist Chairs and Director’s Chairs: Why We’re Still Telling Stories That Matter

At the dentist today I was bringing the hygienist up to speed on all that we are up to on the film side of things. (10 years ago used to talk about Angora rabbits but I have moved further into filmmaking and she has a massage therapy side gig.) She wanted to hear all about the sand dune movie shoot, what it was like to film a movie featuring Billy the Kid, then the conversation turned to "that handsome guy" Christian Bale and her upcoming trip to Hollywood. We talked about all the unseen parts that go into moviemaking from stunt doubles to sound design.

If you have not yet, please check out our new updated mission statement page. It is from the heart and reminds me why we loved this field in the first place. You should check it out but if you don't have time, here are the cliff notes:

In a world where mainstream entertainment often undermines Catholic teaching on faith and morals, Industrious Family is dedicated to reclaiming the art of filmmaking for Christ and His Church.

We help Catholic and other Christian families by producing good stories in film, by sourcing good films for our streaming service, and by reviewing and suggesting good mainstream films.

Since 2015, the team at Industrious Family Films has been honing in on Catholic filmmaking. This journey has taught us many skills such as acting, directing, and storytelling.

Thank you for being part of this adventure and the reason that we do what we love, tell great stories.

May 06, 2026

From Theater Premiere to Farm Life and Film Favorites | New Episode Out Now

With End of the Santa Fe Trail now live on Industrious Family Theater, the Gofers share updates on new gifts, funding progress, and a refreshed studio setup. The conversation moves easily into springtime living—baby goats, snow driving, and even a fox problem. Film lovers will enjoy the chat on classics like The Sound of Music, The Princess Bride, and Ben-Hur, along with thoughts on favorite musicals including a new one for the Gofers - Annie Get Your Gun. It’s a lively mix of film, farm, and behind-the-scenes moments you won’t want to miss.

May 01, 2026

Why Westerns Still Matter

Westerns are more than shootouts—they are moral landscapes.They ask questions about justice, courage and the real measure of men.End of the Santa Fe Trail continues that tradition—while offering a fresh perspective.Watch now on Industrious Family Theater. Unlock full access now.

Apr 28, 2026

Faith on the Frontier

A movie about Billy the Kid told not through the eyes of an outlaw, but the quiet courage of a nun. The American frontier was wild, unpredictable, and unforgiving. Yet not everyone who traveled it carried a six-shooter. End of the Santa Fe Trail is now streaming on Industrious Family Theater. Unlock full access here!

Apr 27, 2026

The Legend of Billy the Kid—Revisited

Billy the Kid’s reputation precedes him—charm, danger, and unpredictability.

But this film presents a different side.

Not denying his past, but showing how he responds when confronted with something unfamiliar: virtue.

Unlock full access now!

Apr 24, 2026

At the Premiere of End of the Santa Fe Trail

Mary and Becket Bowen at the End of the Santa Fe Trail premiere. Watch End of the Santa Fe Trail now on Industrious Family Theater.Unlock full access now!

Apr 24, 2026

Faith-Focused Film Talk | New Episode Out Now

The latest episode of Gofers Get a Grip brings springtime life, and thoughtful film discussion. The boys share time spent gardening and enjoying beautiful weather. Lighter moments include bowling, backflips, and putting a “YeeYee” sign on the mustang. The conversation turns to film with a comparison of The Passion of the Christ and Angel Studios’ The King of Kings, plus reflections on favorite actors.Be sure to like, subscribe, and share the podcast—and thanks for listening!

Apr 23, 2026

A Western Without a Traditional Showdown

Most Westerns build toward a final gunfight.

This one builds toward a conversation.

And in that quiet moment, everything changes.

End of the Santa Fe Trail now streaming on Industrious Family TheaterUnlock full access now!

Apr 23, 2026

Meet the Producers of End of the Santa Fe Trail

Producers Matt and Kathleen Bowen at the End of the Santa Fe Trail premiere. Watch this short film on our streaming platform today. Unlock full access to Industrious Family Theater now!

Apr 22, 2026

A Wild West Story of Faith and Courage

If you’re searching for a family-friendly Western, End of the Santa Fe Trail offers something refreshingly different. Set against the rugged backdrop of the American frontier, this short film tells the true story of Sister Blandina and her unexpected encounter with Billy the Kid. It’s a story of courage, faith, and the kind of strength that doesn’t come from a six-shooter. Perfect for a family movie night, this 10-minute film invites viewers to experience the West through a new lens.

Discover the film and start watching here.

Apr 22, 2026

A Night to Remember at the Blue Fox

End of the Santa Fe Trail actors Matthew Bray, Patrick Bowen, Gabriel Pogue and Becket Bowen at the film's premiere. Watch End of the Santa Fe Trail now on Industrious Family Theater.Unlock full access now!