The Butterfly Circus (2009)

A circus troupe brightens the spirits of audiences in Depression-era America and inspires hope in a limbless man from a sideshow.

Director:

Joshua Weigel

Writers:

Joshua Weigel, Rebekah Weigel

Stars:

Eduardo Verástegui, Nick Vujicic, Doug Jones

11 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eduardo Verástegui	...	Mr. Mendez
Nick Vujicic	...	Will
Doug Jones	...	Otto
Matt Allmen	...	George
Connor Rosen	...	Sammy
Lexi Pearl	...	Anna
Bob Yerkes	...	Poppy
Mark Atteberry	...	Announcer
Adam S. Gottbetter	...	Tim
Kirk Bovill	...	Jimmy - Painted Man
Christian Pikes	...	Inspired Boy
Dion Slider	...	Inspired Boy's Father
Eros Biox	...	Stilt Performer
Max Daniels	...	Clown
Natalie Foster	...	Inspired Mother

Storyline

The Butterfly Circus is the story of a renowned circus troupe traveling through the devastated American landscape at the height of the Great Depression, lifting the spirits of audiences along the way. During their travels they discover a man without limbs in a carnival sideshow, but after an intriguing encounter with the showman, he becomes driven to hope against everything he has ever believed.

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Genres:

Short | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Once posted online, the short film went viral and has received over 40 million views since its release. It has also been subtitled and dubbed independently by fans into over 25 different languages, and a feature-length version is now in development.

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Quotes

Mr. Mendez: The greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph!

User Reviews

At last, a well-made modern Christian film!

This film flies by in 20 min. with not a wasted second. Set in the Great Depression, it focuses on an inspirational traveling circus called the "Butterfly Circus". And most especially on the "limbless man" who stows away with them. This film goes as deep as it can in the short time span, so naturally none of the characters can be fully fleshed out. Yet it packs an emotional punch. And each character is given just enough face time so the audience cares about them. To the extremely jaded, they might be skeptical of such an inspirational film as this, but for the majority, this film will lift your spirit, especially if you are a teenager. Although the filmmakers and its star are all Christian, the spiritual message is more buried here, making it immediately accessible to anyone of any persuasion.

I have seen many modern Christian films, and with the exception of the outstanding Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson, most were lamentable. Their budget could not support state of the art special effects and many of the actors seemed to be church buddies of the director with minimal experience. But what was the worst was the poor and superficial script writing. So Butterfly Circus comes off as a real delight. Still working with a limited budget, the director and cast clearly knew how to make use of their resources. The acting, while not Oscar worthy, is realistic and convincing. The script, while unable to be exceptionally deep because of the short running time, is provocative enough to touch the heart. You feel like you're "there" in the story. And the lighting and music are first rate, giving a dreamy feel to the entire production.

The ringmaster Mendes says, "What this world needs is a little wonder!" In its own small way, that is the feeling you are left with after viewing this gem.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 August 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Butterfly Circus

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Color:

Color (HDCAM)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1