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Maurice Kennedy and DeVariyay Harris discuss their powerful short film, "Washed," which tells the redemptive story of a young man struggling to feel worthy of salvation. Through this project, they aimed to create authentic faith-based cinema that breaks stereotypes while addressing real spiritual struggles.

• "Washed" was created as Maurice's senior thesis at Morehouse College, serving as his "love letter" to both God and the institution
• The film addresses how many young people struggle with taking their faith journey seriously while feeling ashamed of their past
• DeVariyay connected so deeply with his character Carter, that he decided to get baptized during filming
• An unplanned baptism of one of the producers also occurred on set, capturing authentic moments of faith
• The underwater baptism scene presented technical challenges but resulted in powerful imagery
• Much of the dialogue between characters was improvised, creating natural interactions
• The film has been embraced by church groups and Bible studies for watch parties
• With hopes of showing  at film festivals with potential for a sequel or feature-length project
• Both filmmakers emphasize that Christian art doesn't need to be compartmentalized or "cheesy"

You can watch "Washed" on YouTube and follow the filmmakers on social media at @godmademo and @devariyay across platforms.

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