Michael Scott was watching a television show with his son several years ago when an objectionable scene popped on the screen.
"I'll never forget," Scott told Christian Headlines. He covered his son's eyes, but it was too late.
"My son said afterward … 'Why is it okay for you to watch it and not me?' And it really made me think and say: What are we bringing into our minds, in our ears? And is it drawing us closer to God or further away?"
At the time, Scott was CEO of a Christian film studio – now known as Pinnacle Peak Pictures – that produced faith-based movies such as the God's Not Dead series.
Conversations like the one with his son, though, helped spark an idea for a faith-based streaming service. That service became Pureflix.com, a Netflix-style product that launched in 2015 and is catered to Christian families.
"Between those moments and realizing that we can make an impact in people's lives, I knew it [was] something that we needed to have for the Christian community," said Scott, who is also CEO of Pureflix. "... A lot of people watch TV several hours a day. What we bring into our hearts and minds affects us."
Pureflix's library received a boost in 2020 when the company was acquired by Sony, which already had a faith-based arm, Affirm Films, with a plethora of well-known titles.
"It has been a great partnership," Scott said. "Many people don't know that Sony has one of the largest faith libraries out there. … So we were able to integrate a lot of that great content under the service. … And they have supported us along the way, saying, 'We know what you guys are about – go make great content for this audience and license great content in.' And that's what we've done. And so I'm thankful for Sony. They've helped propel it and hopefully will continue to propel it into the future."
The partnership also has led to an uptick in original titles, with 11 released this year alone.
"It's definitely increased," Scott said.
This holiday season, Pureflix will be the home to 190 Christmas-themed titles.
Lifemark, the latest Kendrick Brothers film, will debut on home video on Pureflix on Nov. 22.
Scott wants Pureflix to be the home for families who want to be "uplifted, inspired and encouraged." Its content library is void of language, sexuality and violence – but Scott wants Pureflix to be known for "more than just that." He said the Pureflix teams ask: "Is this ultimately strengthening our family values, our faith, or is it drawing us further away?"
"And those are decisions that we look at each piece of content to make sure, ultimately, it's drawing us closer to God," he said.
Photo courtesy: ©Pureflix, used with permission
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
