Cut! Print it!

If you liked the recent faith-based films "Facing the Giants" and "Fireproof," Oakwood Baptist Church has something new for you.

The Chickamauga, Ga., church has made a full-length motion picture, "Side Order," and is sharing it with audiences for the first time this weekend.

"We feel like there is a market for good, quality, faith-based films," said Oakwood media director Bobby Daniels. "We felt God's leading about 13 months ago to do this. And wherever God leads, we're going to go."

The two-hour film centers around five characters in a small Southern town during the week of Christmas. The town is struggling with the pending closure of a mill, and each of the central characters has his or her own struggles.

Mr. Daniels said the movie is akin to "The Andy Griffith Show" meets "Cheers." It has the Southern sensibilities of the former and the single location friendship and camaraderie of the latter, he said.

Senior pastor Dr. Darrell Henry said when the media team came to him and said they had the capability of producing such a film, he was 100 percent behind it.

"We are a church that tries to do things differently," he said. "It fits into our DNA of going outside the box and going into the community and offering a gift to them."

Approximately 60 to 70 percent of "Side Order" was shot in Roy's Grill, a Rossville landmark eatery of black, white and chrome that closed several years ago.

"It had instant character and atmosphere," Mr. Daniels said. "It was a very unique place to shoot."

In addition to Rossville, the film was shot in Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Blairsville, Ga., and Ellijay, Ga., between May and late November, he said.

The production cost of the film was between $1,500 and $2,000, Mr. Daniels said. With presentation costs factored it, the effort cost around $5,000.

"The goal was to be able to do something like this and not cost the church a tremendous amount of money," he said. "We wanted to make something of quality but not have to spend $20,000 to do it."

With the exception of the mass production of the DVD cover, Oakwood members did all the work on the film, Mr. Daniels said. A college student did the special effects, he said, and a member of the church's child care staff did the makeup.

"It's been a collaborative effort with people from all walks of life," he said. "We had talent in front of the camera I never knew we had."

Church member Joy Phillips, who has had parts in previous shorter films the media team made, portrays a waitress, Chancey, in "Side Order."

She said one of the benefits of its production schedule was getting to meet and become friends with people in the 3,000-plus member church she had never interacted with.

Mrs. Phillips said she also got to act with her daughter, who plays Chancey's daughter in the film.

"It was neat to get to act with her," she said, "and see all the ability she has."

As to what will happen beyond the release of "Side Order" -- whether Oakwood will duplicate the success of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., which produced "Facing the Giants" and "Fireproof" -- Mr. Daniels said they'll leave that to God's leading.

He said the filmmakers plan to enter the movie -- which includes "the gospel presentation" but "doesn't beat people over the heads with it" -- into film festivals and will be marketing it with education materials to other churches and groups. They'll offer DVD sales this year and, perhaps, a DVD with bonus materials next year.

Dr. Henry said the clips of the movie he's seen testify to its quality.

"It's really done well," he said. "People will be surprised at the quality and the story. Dale Forrester of our media team wrote the story, and it's just a great story. I call it a movie with a message."

Mr. Daniels said "Side Order" is hardly an amateur effort.

"In my heart of hearts, this is a fantastic movie," he said. "It's a good story, and it's a good story told in a good way. It's real people facing real life situations and looking to God for answers."

IF YOU GO

* What: Film premiere of "Side Order."

* When: 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. today and Sunday.

* Where: Oakwood Baptist Church, 115 Oakwood St., Chickamauga, Ga.

* Admission: Free

* Phone: 706-375-5760.

* Web sites: www.sideorderthemovie.com, www.oakwoodbc.org