THE GOD WHO WASN'T THERE

San Francisco -- May 9, 2005. THE GOD WHO WASN'T THERE, the first feature-length documentary to explore the theory that Jesus Christ never existed, will have its theatrical world premiere on May 21, 2005, at 1 p.m. at the Off-Market Theater, 965 Mission Street, San Francisco. It will also screen at 1 p.m. May 22. The world premiere is being hosted by San Francisco Atheists. Theatrical openings in New York, Los Angeles, Birmingham and other cities will follow.

THE GOD WHO WASN'T THERE is directed by internationally acclaimed filmmaker and playwright Brian Flemming ("Nothing So Strange," "Bat Boy: The Musical")and includes interviews with some of the top religion experts in the world. They include Robert M. Price ("Deconstructing Jesus"), Alan Dundes ("Holy Writ as Oral Lit") and Sam Harris ("The End of Faith").

The movie's soundtrack by DJ Madson, available now on CD, includes remixes of songs by David Byrne, Thievery Corporation, Zap Mama and Le Tigre.

"Jesus Christ is almost certainly a fictional character," said director Brian Flemming, a former fundamentalist Christian. "There are no historical accounts of Jesus from the period, and the stories that came later bear a striking resemblance to previous god myths. Even the early Christians did not believe in a human Christ.

"This is the dirty secret of Christianity, and it shouldn't be. THE GOD WHO WASN'T THERE attempts to restore Jesus to his rightful place--as a powerful literary character."

THE GOD WHO WASN'T THERE also explores the modern use of Jesus by the Christian right in the United States, and the rise of the paranoid apocalyptic theology represented by the popular "Left Behind" series of novels. "THE GOD WHO WASN'T THERE not only demonstrates that Jesus is a mythical character, but also shows why it matters that people believe he is something else," said Jim Heldberg, coordinator for San Francisco Atheists, which is hosting the world premiere.

A schedule of theatrical openings, a press kit and high-resolution photos are available now at www.thegodmovie.com. The press kit includes contact information for experts on the Christ-myth theory and others interviewed in the film. Requests for review copies of THE GOD WHO WASN'T THERE and interviews with Brian Flemming should be directed to David Fitzgerald of San Francisco Atheists at 415-939-3043.

ABOUT BRIAN FLEMMING

Brian Flemming's work has been called "a parallel universe" by the BBC, "jaggedly imaginative" by the New York Times, and "immensely satisfying" by USA Today. The Fox News Channel dubbed him "a young Oliver Stone." Flemming won the New York Times Claiborne Pell Award for Original Vision for his groundbreaking feature film "Nothing So Strange," which was released theatrically in 2003. A playwright as well as a filmmaker, Flemming is the co-author of the hit play "Bat Boy: The Musical," which opened in New York in 2001 (Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical, Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical Off Broadway, six Drama Desk nominations) and has since been produced all over the world, including at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto and in London's West End.

Flemming is a former fundamentalist Christian. He is currently in production on "The Beast," a fictional thriller about a Christian girl who discovers proof that Jesus Christ never existed. "The Beast" is scheduled for worldwide theatrical release on 6-6-06.