We are starting a series of cross-posts from Saints & Cinephiles, a bi-weekly Substack newsletter by Isaac Wright that highlights members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints working in the film and television industry. Wright, an IP scout who finds books, longform, and podcasts for film and TV, has been running the newsletter since September 2024. We’ll start with his introductory post.

This is the place

Welcome to Saints and Cinephiles, a bi-weekly newsletter that highlights members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints working in the film and television industry.

Members of the Church (a.k.a. Mormons) often complain about feeling marginalized by Hollywood– too often portrayed onscreen as cartoonish prudes, as hypocritical villains, or simply not depicted at all. This has led them to become bitter and even reject the entertainment industry outright. Many aspiring LDS filmmakers feel that coming to Los Angeles is either a waste of time or a goal utterly beyond their reach. But as a working professional in the film industry who is also an active Latter-day Saint, I want to show people that this is not the case.

Simply put, there are a wide variety of talented members of the Church working in Los Angeles across a range of professions: showrunners, set decorators, stunt actors, sound mixers, and more. We’re here because we love making film and TV. In each issue of Saints and Cinephiles, I’ll interview the men and women who help bring this industry to life, learning about their skills, professions, and personal journeys. I’ll shine a spotlight on the work that Mormons do in every corner of the industry to bring the movies and television shows you love to life.

Still not convinced? Come and see.

The next post is: Interview with Cinco Paul, the writer of Despicable Me and showrunner of Schmigadoon!