Jewell R. Powell’s Holiday Film Launches Dual Distribution Strategy Targeting Congregations and Multiplexes

Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk

Jewell R. Powell’s second feature, A Christmas Journey, arrives in select theaters on November 7, 2026, with Impact Nations Entertainment simultaneously opening church and campus screenings that extend through year-end, plus a streaming release.

This faith-based reimagining of the Dickens classic follows Hannah, whose supernatural dreams help her confront unresolved trauma and move toward forgiveness, healing and renewed faith. It premiered in July 2026 to a sold-out screening, according to the announcement.

The theatrical run opens with 3 p.m. screenings on November 7 in Hyattsville, Maryland; Newark, Delaware; Greenville and Charlotte, North Carolina; Orlando; Detroit; Arlington, Virginia; and Mays Landing, New Jersey, with a Reading, Pennsylvania screening following November 8. Additional dates are being planned for Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Memphis. Streaming begins November 27 and continues through December 31.

Beyond the theatrical tour, Impact Nations Entertainment is opening the film to churches, women’s ministries and campuses that want to host their own screenings, complete with an optional discussion guide and, scheduling permitting, a live Q&A with Powell. The model capitalizes on a seasonal reality: churches already draw congregations together during this time of year. "This gives them something they can watch together and then actually talk about," Powell said in the announcement.

The cast includes Aaron D. Spears, known for The Bold and the Beautiful and Being Mary Jane, and Charmin Noel Lee, who has appeared in The Chi and Just Mercy, along with Christian film veterans Sharonne Lanier and Michael J. Patterson. The film introduces C’yana Denby in the lead role of Hannah.

Powell spent more than 30 years in federal acquisition, including a stint as a contracting officer at U.S. Postal Service headquarters, and continues to work as a contractor in that field. She’s also a licensed and ordained minister who leads Brides Arise, a movement centered on Revelation 19:7. She began making films in 2021.

Her debut feature, Unfailing Love, a modern retelling of the biblical book of Hosea, has picked up more than 15 festival honors, including the Audience Choice Award at the International Christian Film and Music Festival and Best American Film at the 2026 Cannes Film Awards. Impact Nations Entertainment, which she founded, currently has two completed features, with seven more films and two series in development, and also produces work from other Christian filmmakers.

Studio CarryOnHarry will be watching how the church-screening model performs against the traditional theatrical dates — a faith-market film that can fill sanctuaries as easily as multiplexes is a distribution story as much as a movie one.

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