A new documentary about the Christian music industry is heading to the Virginia Film Festival later this month, with former artists discussing what happened behind the scenes during the genre's commercial boom.
Safe for the Whole Family: How to Make a Christian Superstar, directed by Jason Ikeler, looks back at the rise of contemporary Christian music in the 1990s and early 2000s, and features musicians who say the industry's expectations about their personal lives and beliefs affected their careers.
Among them is Michael Passons, a founding member of Avalon, the vocal group behind hits including “Testify to Love”. Passons left the band in 2003 and later spoke publicly about being removed after coming out as gay - singer-songwriter Jennifer Knapp also appears, alongside Nikki Leonti, who discusses her experience as a young Christian pop artist.
The documentary also features Leigh Nash of Sixpence None the Richer, Matt Thiessen of Relient K, Derek Webb of Caedmon's Call, Crystal Lewis, Chanel Haynes of Trin-i-Tee 5:7 and other musicians associated with the Christian music scene, and will examine the pressure artists faced to present themselves as role models outside their music.
Directed by Ikeler, whose previous work includes video projects for major media brands, the documentary is his feature directorial debut - it premiered at the 2026 Nashville Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Music Documentary Feature.
The film is now scheduled to screen at the Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville on October 25 at 5:15 p.m., followed by a discussion with Ikeler, producer Whitney Fern and Passons, and a brief musical performance by Passons.
The documentary also has a musical connection of its own - Leigh Nash and Semler wrote and recorded “Wanted” for the film, bringing two artists from different generations of Christian music together on a song connected to its themes - more details, updates and the trailer are available at the official Safe for the Whole Family website, and the festival's screening page has ticket information and details of the post-film discussion.
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