Jesus Film Reaches Historic Language Milestone
The Jesus Film Project, an outreach ministry of Cru based in Orlando, Florida, has celebrated a significant achievement with the release of its 2,200th language version of the “Jesus” film. This newest translation, completed in Bouna, a dialect of the Kulango language spoken in Côte d’Ivoire, was officially announced on March 28. Since its debut in 1979, the film has been shown in countries across the globe, helping to spread the Christian message by making the Gospel accessible in native languages.
The “Jesus” film holds the title of the most translated film in history, a record it first surpassed in 2012 when it reached 817 translations. Josh Newell, the current executive director of the project, emphasized the film’s ongoing relevance and reach, stating that efforts are underway to bring the Gospel to every remaining unreached group worldwide within the next decade. He and his wife, Holly, recalled an early visit to Burkina Faso over two decades ago, where they prayed with a local guide for neighboring unreached communities—a vision that has now materialized with the Bouna translation.
One participant in the recent translation effort, a local government worker, shared how deeply meaningful it was to help bring the film to his community in their native language. He highlighted the emotional impact of hearing the Gospel in one’s heart language, explaining that while trade languages communicate to the mind, native languages speak to the soul. The majority of Bouna Kulango speakers are not Christian, and many are non-literate, making the visual and auditory nature of the film especially powerful.
The premiere of the Bouna version is being organized by local ministry teams, with more showings planned for the region. Technological advances have significantly accelerated the pace of the project—while it took over three decades to reach 1,000 translations, the next 1,200 were completed in just ten years. These efforts rely heavily on collaboration with local churches and volunteers who assist in roles ranging from voice acting to script reviewing.
The roots of the project trace back to the vision of Bill Bright, the founder of Cru, who wanted to use film as a tool for global evangelism. That dream was brought to life with the help of evangelist Paul Eshleman and support from Warner Bros. In a recent reflection, Eshleman’s daughter, Jennifer Eshleman Huff, noted that her father was passionate about reaching every individual with the message of Jesus. She emphasized that the mission continues, with the same urgency to reach those who have yet to hear the Gospel in their own language.