When people think of filmmaking, they often picture creativity, cameras, and cinematic flair. But for John DeVries, storytelling is far more than artistic expression. It’s a calling to bring virtue, truth, and authenticity into a world drowning in noise.
John, director/writer/producer and co-founder of TH Films, joined Mark and Dr. Je on The Corral Call to share how his journey through ministry, conflict zones, and creative conviction shaped his mission: to tell stories that reveal light by wrestling honestly with the dark.
John’s story begins in South Africa, where his American father was planting churches in the 1970s. Political tension forced the family to flee to the U.S., only for his parents to later return when God called them back into ministry.
That’s when a teenage John was handed a basic home video camera and asked to document their work.
No training.
No film school.
Just willingness.
“I saw that God could take even my small skill and use it to impact people,” John shared.
That spark eventually grew into a passion for storytelling. One that would take him across the globe.
John spent years filming documentaries in some of the world’s most dangerous places ... Iraq, Mali, and multiple conflict and post-conflict regions.
“In war zones, you see the best and worst of humanity,” he said.
“You see suffering… but also incredible resilience.”
One assignment in Mali turned life-threatening.
A suicide bomb struck the UN base where John was staying, throwing him off his feet and collapsing the building around him. There was darkness, panic, and the very real possibility that he wouldn’t make it out.
“It was chaos. Yet even there, God was present.”
That experience deepened John’s conviction that stories must be told with honesty not glossed over, not sanitized, not softened for comfort.
John eventually co-founded TH Films, a production company committed to excellence and virtue in mainstream storytelling.
Their goal is not to create “Christian movies” in the stereotypical sense: predictable, tidy, or safe. Instead, they aim for authentic, genre-driven stories that reach secular audiences without compromising Kingdom truth.
“We want to tell stories that meet people where they are,” John explained.
“Stories that grapple with darkness so that the light actually means something.”
At a time when Hollywood is driven by agendas and algorithms, John believes believers must rise with integrity and creativity.
“Creativity is God-given. The Church should be leading in it, not retreating from it.”
John’s current project, The Other Side, is a dystopian sci-fi film exploring a deeply personal question:
How do you know God as Father when everything falls apart?
The story grew out of a painful season in John's life, a season of spiritual wrestling, loss, and confusion.
“This project came from my own tears, my own questions, my own valley.”
What began as a proof-of-concept film evolved into a full novel he’s now completing that is a world filled with allegory, hope, and redemptive purpose.
The team plans to release the novel and film side by side.
Throughout the conversation, John emphasized that the world is starving for authenticity.
AI-generated “content.”
Formulaic storytelling.
Corporate creativity.
Shallow entertainment.
All of it has created a massive hunger for what is real.
“This is the moment for Kingdom storytellers to rise,” John said. “To bring virtue, honesty, and excellence back into the art form.”
And the invitation isn’t just for filmmakers.
It’s for entrepreneurs, pastors, creators, professionals, and families or anyone stewarding a story.
John closed with a reminder that echoes through his life:
“God uses our valleys to bring others hope. Your pain isn’t wasted. It may be the very story someone else needs.”
In a world desperate for truth, beauty, and meaning, John is proving that storytelling is more than craft.
It’s Kingdom work.
It’s discipleship through creativity.
And it’s a powerful way to champion virtue in a weary world.
TH Films Website: https://thfilms.net
The Other Side: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcwQaOO7VG4
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/th_films_za/
Tags
Christian movies, Filmmaker, John DeVries, TH Films
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