Wayman Tisdale Film Now Available After 13 Years

“Witness Protection” starring Wayman Tisdale, who died May 15, is now available on DVD and VOD through Amazon.com. A preview is posted online at www.witnessprotectionthemovie.com. It is 30 minutes and is not rated. It is produced by Miracle Pictures Studios based in Denver, Colorado, and is distributed by PrAir Time.

It is a modern day prohibition story about a hoops and filmmaking prodigy whose testimony would cause the end of the commercial porn industry. Wayman Tisdale made his acting debut as Shadow, who mentors the would-be prophet. “The film began as a means of showcasing our talents to New Line Cinema. After I became a Christian, the film became a ministry tool. In 2006, I shared it with some A-list talent executives, and the Lord opened doors,” stated Cory Parella, who self-financed the project with approximately $10,000. “There is no sex, violence or nudity in this film. It’s all about Jesus Christ,” Parella stated. “It’s very popular among Home Groups.”

Filming began on October 30, 1995 in Phoenix, Arizona. “I did not know who Wayman Tisdale was when he agreed to do the film. I did not know that his dad was a minister, and that Wayman used his NBA and music careers to preach the Gospel. Years later, I am amazed at how the Lord orchestrated this,” Parella stated.

The production took a few weeks of filming but delays caused years to pass leaving the film unfinished. “Everybody wanted to be the next big-shot. The Lord made it so that no one could do anything with the film until my heart was ready to edit it in a way that would glory Him.”

An attempt to distribute the film was made in June, 2005, but a legal issue prevented that. “I went back to school and learned that certain individuals had violated laws that led to the film not being released in 2005,” Parella stated. “Now the film can be released without any more problems. Our goal is to establish a Christian movie studio system, based in Denver.”

The film masters were donated to the Oklahoma Historical Society in 2008. They include the first and only filmed-music video performance by Tisdale and his band, The Fifth Quarter.

Contact Information

Cory Parella

President

Miracle Pictures Studios

Contact via E-mail