T. C. Christensen
Tom C. Christensen is a cinematographer, director, writer, and producer, and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes called the Mormon Church. As such, he has created a number of films oriented toward Latter-day Saint viewers, including The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd; Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration, The Work and the Glory, Finding Faith in Christ, Forever Strong, Emma Smith: My Story; The Buttercream Gang; The Touch of the Master’s Hand; Mouth of Babes; Ephraim’s Rescue; The Cokeville Miracle; and many more. His films have earned recognition in many film festivals. In 2011 Christensen released a film about the Willie and Martin Mormon handcart companies, called 17 Miracles. He has also produced films in IMAX (including for Disney and NASA) and films for television, as well as commercials. He is a member of the American Society of Cinematographers.
Christensen grew up in Davis County, Utah. He studied filmmaking at Brigham Young University and the University of Utah. He worked as an intern and part-time cameraman at KSL-TV for about five years.
He married his wife, Katy, in 1980. They are the parents of two children. Their daughter Tess appeared in his film, Season's of the Heart and also had a role in his 2001 film Bug Off. Tanner has assisted in editing and computer-generated effects on both 17 Miracles and Ephraim’s Rescue.
Christensen's awards include over 260 National and International Awards:
- CLIO
- Frank Capra Award
- Washington National Film Festival - Gold Award
- Best Independent Feature Film
- Houston International Film Festival - Best Cinematography - Film/TV special 1993 & 1994
- ICVM Awards - Atlanta/Denver
- Charleston International Film Festival
- Grand Award, Best Feature Film
17 Miracles sold out in Utah and was being released in other states in July 2011. One reviewer said the following: "17 Miracles not only stands among the best of the genre, it may be the best film yet from Mormon cinema. It is a moving, faith-inspiring account of the Lord's tender mercies among the tragedies of the Willie-Martin handcart companies. ... the finished product is absolutely riveting. Pulling no punches in depicting suffering, danger, and human imperfection, the film displays with historical accuracy the great challenges and changes of flawed but exceedingly faithful people whose trials refined their characters. In following the example of these historical characters, audiences are encouraged to better approximate the courage, compassion, and trust in God exemplified by the Savior Jesus Christ in their own lives." [1]
Escape from Germany has earned more than $2 million in the box office, which, for the niche audience interested in Latter-day Saint films, is a hit. It’s not the only one of Christensen’s films to perform well. “Escape from Germany” came from a book, said Christensen, explaining he was sent Terry Bohle Montague’s “‘Mine Angels Round About’: West German Mission Evacuation 1939″ in about 2016.He read it and knew he wanted to do something with it.[2]
