Jesus Freak (film)

Jesus Freak is a 2003 American micro-budget drama directed by Morgan Nichols. It stars Laura Lee Bahr, Regan Forman, Pete Kuzov, and Oded Gross, and tells the story of a teenage girl who, while struggling to find her identity in her small-minded town, brings home a man who is either her savior, a migrant Mexican, or both.^[1] The film was shot on location in Portales, New Mexico, where screenwriter and star Laura Lee Bahr grew up.^[2]

Jesus Freak
Directed by	Morgan Nichols
Written by	Laura Lee Bahr
Produced by	Amy Dawn Anderson Pete Kuzov
Starring	Laura Lee Bahr Regan Forman Pete Kuzov Oded Gross
Cinematography	David S. Danesh
Music by	Dan Adams
Production company	Movie Farm
Release date	2003 (2003)
Running time	86 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Cast

• Laura Lee Bahr as Lily
• Regan Forman as Christy
• Pete Kuzov as John
• Oded Gross as Tom
• Josh Kantor as Jesus
• Robin Mullins as Lily's Mother

Awards, honors, and festivals

• Jesus Freak won the Best Southwest Award at the Santa Fe Film Festival.^[3]
• Jesus Freak was a "sleeper hit" at the first Tallgrass Film Festival.^[4]

Reception

Susanna Ulrich of the Los Angeles Film Festival said of Jesus Freak: "By turns wistful, poignant and offbeat, the debut feature from director Morgan Nichols ultimately captures the confusion of adolescence with a rare, touching grace." Variety said "There's a Claire Danes quality to Bahr's gentle, nuanced performance that solidly anchors the film."^[5]