(PHOTOS) JASON IKELER’S SAFE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY: HOW TO MAKE A CHRISTIAN SUPERSTAR CONTINUES TO SPARK CONVERSATION AT VIRGINIA FILM FESTIVAL

 

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (October 28, 2026) – Safe for the Whole Family: How to Make a Christian Superstar, the feature directorial debut of Jason Ikeler, continued its festival run on Sunday, October 25, with a screening at the 2026 Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville, Va. An Official Selection of the festival, the film received a standing ovation. Following its award-winning world premiere at the Nashville Film Festival, the documentary brought its exploration of Contemporary Christian Music, faith, and the complexities of challenging religious expectations to Virginia audiences, with a post-screening panel discussion featuring Ikeler, producer Whitney Fern, and Michael Passons, founding member of Grammy-nominated Christian Pop group Avalon. The conversation was moderated by Bilal Qureshi (Bloomberg, NPR), who stated "The most illuminating film for me this weekend … [was] Jason Ikeler’s brilliant new documentary about the toxic soundtrack he grew up in, and the toll it took on the young artists who became its face.”

 

The evening also featured a special live performance by Passons of “If It Had Not Gone Like This,” an original song he wrote for the documentary, offering audiences another perspective on the deeply personal stories at the heart of the film.

 

Already previewed in the C-Ville Weekly, the Virginia Film Festival appearance follows a strong wave of audience engagement surrounding the documentary. Since its exclusive premiere with PEOPLE, the official trailer has surpassed 1 million organic views and generated more than 128,000 engagements across social media. The film’s Nashville Film Festival world premiere also drove significant online attention, with social media coverage surrounding the event generating more than 1.6 million views and 100,000 engagements. The film was honored with the Nashville Film Festival’s Audience Award for Music Documentary Feature, following a sold-out premiere that brought together the film’s subjects, filmmakers, artists, and Nashville’s music and entertainment community.

 

The documentary’s growing momentum follows months of exclusive coverage and original music, including “Wanted,” an original song written and performed by Leigh Nash of Sixpence None The Richer and Semler for the film, which premiered exclusively with Bustle. The official trailer debuted with PEOPLE, and the film has also been featured in Page Six, ELLE, Cosmopolitan, and MusicRow.

 

Safe for the Whole Family: How to Make a Christian Superstar examines the expectations placed on Christian artists to embody strict evangelical ideals both onstage and off, and what happened when some began to challenge those expectations. Through candid conversations and personal reflections, the documentary explores the rise and influence of Contemporary Christian Music and the complicated relationship between faith, identity, and the music industry.

 

The documentary features Jennifer Knapp, Michael Passons (Avalon), Nikki Leonti, Leigh Nash (Sixpence None The Richer), Matt Thiessen (Relient K), Crystal Lewis, Derek Webb (Caedmon’s Call), Nate Cole (Plus One), Chanel Haynes (Trin-i-Tee 5:7), Semler, and others.

 

 

Jason Ikeler is a New York-based director and the founder and Executive Producer of Home Skooled Entertainment. As the former Vice President of Video at Hearst Magazines, he directed the short film Maren Morris: Girl World Tour for Harper's Bazaar and created viral series — including ELLE's Phoning It In and Cosmopolitan's Cheap Shots — that have garnered more than a billion views. As a producer, his credits include HGTV's Flip or Flop and House Hunters Renovation. Safe for the Whole Family marks his feature directorial debut.

 

A filmmaker and development executive based in Los Angeles. She has held executive roles at MTV, Gunpowder & Sky, and Hearst Magazines. Her documentary credits include Half the Picture, 69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez, Kid Candidate, and Bad Axe, which was shortlisted for an Oscar. She is currently in production on a biopic about trans actress and activist Alexandra Billings.

 

Whitney Fern is a Los Angeles-based producer and host passionate about championing stories and the people behind them. A graduate of the University of Virginia, she spent six years in the Awards Department at Paramount Pictures before launching Whitney Lane Events, where she helps bring award-winning films like Parasite, Anora, The Big Short, and more into the spotlight. She is also the creator and host of the upcoming series It Takes Gumption, featuring meaningful conversations with voices shaping culture and the world around us