We are happy to announce that our book, Mormon Cinema: Origins to 1952, by Randy Astle was the winner of the Association for Mormon Letters award in the category of Criticism.

The citation reads: “Excellence in criticism requires in-depth and inclusive research, skillful interpretation of data and clear, readable writing. Randy Astle’s Mormon Cinema: Origins to 1952 is the culmination of decades of research, scholarly papers and published articles, now brought together and amplified in a single volume that captures the vast array of the LDS men and women who contributed to all facets of the creation of cinema, its early development as both an entertainment and art form, and its maturation into modern cinema. Astle also examines how Mormons were depicted in cinema, from the first wave that did little more than to show Mormons as scoundrels and villains, through the second wave of acceptance and respect, to the establishment of the first LDS film studio by Wetzel “Judge” Whitaker on the BYU Campus in 1952. Mormon Cinema is a joy to read. The insights into the personalities and contributions of those early LDS practitioners are remarkable. This is the untold story of Mormon cinema, a vast world we had only glimpsed before.”

Congratulations to Randy!