California, June 9, 2025
American Orthodox trailer screenshot
A new documentary film examining the history and spiritual significance of Orthodox Christianity in America has completed production and is now available for screenings at churches, schools, and seminaries nationwide.
American Orthodox, directed and executive produced by Robert John Hammond, premiered at a private screening in Sacramento on June 8, 2025, attended by Orthodox clergy, parishioners, and family members. The film is now entering the festival circuit while being made available to religious and educational organizations for local screenings.
The documentary is based on Hammond’s book American Orthodox: Finding the Ancient Faith in the Modern World, currently available on Amazon. According to the filmmakers, the movie tells “a deeply personal and visually rich story of spiritual discovery, Orthodox saints, sacred places, and the living tradition of the ancient Christian faith on American soil.”
Principal filming locations include Fort Ross, San Francisco, Jackson, Santa Rosa, Sacramento, and Calistoga in California. The film’s Director of Photography is Silas Karbo, an award-winning producer and co-creator of Sacred Alaska, a popular documentary that brought visual storytelling expertise to the American Orthodox project.
The documentary’s promotional materials describe the film's focus:
Travel to California’s coastal Fort Ross, where an icon mysteriously washed ashore, sparking a legacy of faith. Encounter St. Peter the Aleut, a Native American saint who courageously planted the seeds of Orthodoxy and gave his life as a martyr. Through the lives of early saints, this evocative film reveals the hidden stories and sacred connections that continue to shape America’s spiritual landscape.
American Orthodox was a finalist at the Palm Springs International Screenplay and Pitchdeck-Sizzle Reel-Trailer Contest in 2024 and was selected for five film festivals in 2025, including both Christian and general film festivals. Watch the trailer below:
Upcoming screenings include July 13 at Holy Assumption Monastery in Calistoga, CA; July 20 at Elevation of the Holy Cross Orthodox Church in Sacramento; and August 17 at St. Andrew the Apostle Orthodox Church in Carson City, NV.
Hammond, who holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has taught graduate-level screenwriting, is also the author of Light Journey: Saints, Miracles, and Sacred Places and Voice in the Wilderness: Reflections on the Life and Legacy of Father Seraphim Rose.
Organizations interested in hosting a screening can contact the filmmaker at AmericanOrthodoxFilm@gmail.com.
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