Professor’s documentary on Barnabas draws audiences, awards at film festivals
August 26, 2025 : By Ryan Klinker - Office of Communications & Public Engagement
A film on the apostle Barnabus by Liberty University Professor Stuart Bennett, who teaches in the Cinematic Arts, Zaki Gordon Center, has earned awards and has been recognized at multiple film festivals since its release last fall.
“Barnabas and Paul: A Friendship that Rocked the Roman World” explores the most credible facts about Barnabas’ life through investigations into religious traditions, meetings with historical and biblical experts, and visits to many of the sites in Turkey and Cyprus that are important to his story. The film was co-produced by Bennett’s production company, Lachlan Films, and the Christian History Institute.
“Barnabas and Paul” won Best Documentary Film at the Religion Faith International Film Festival in October and the Most Creative Documentary Film award at the International Christian Film Festival in May. It was also screened at the Paris Film Festival, New York Cinemafest, Los Angeles Movie & Music Video Awards, Independent Film Institute, and other festivals in the United States, Europe, and India this year.
Bennett also earned awards and screenings this year for another recent documentary, “OutSpoke: A Faith and Endurance Journey Ep. 3,” about an endurance mountain biker as she overcomes physical challenges. The film won the Best Sports Film at the Cannes World Film Festival, Silver award for Best Nonprofit Film at the Telly Awards, Best Sports Documentary at the L.A. Film & Documentary Awards, Best Documentary at the New York Film & Actress Awards, and it was screened at multiple other festivals.
“Receiving all these awards is amazing,” Bennett said. “It’s especially rewarding when you see your films gain recognition when they are screened at secular film festivals. I thank the Lord for his favor, and I’m excited about future films that I have in development.”
With a career that spans over 40 years, Bennett has a solid background in television and film production, with specialties in producing and directing. After beginning his career as a film editor for BBC Television in England, he relocated to the United States and has worked with ABC, CBN, and the Discovery Channel. At Liberty, he teaches courses in directing and producing, screenwriting and documentary filmmaking.
“Barnabas and Paul” is available for streaming on Tubi and Amazon. Both films can be streamed for free on RedeemTV.
