By Kiran Mathew Tom

Melbourne, September 9, 2020 —An Australian priest who has been a bridge between Church and professional world of cinema for some 50 years is offering reviews on over 20,000 films to cine enthusiasts worldwide from his new web portal.

An avid film viewer and critic, cine priest Fr. Peter Malone is Missionary of the Sacred Heart religious residing in Melbourne whose 50-year dedication to reviewing films for the Church began with the iconic film To Sir with Love (1967).

Fr. Malone wrote to former Signis India president Fr. C.M. Paul, “I am happy if any of your students, or anyone wanting cinema references, want to use the material on my website, they are most welcome.”

“This offer is in deed a boon to our students, and college which is a member of the Federation of Film Societies of India,” said Fr. Paul HoD Mass Comm at Salesian College Sonada Darjeeling.

Here’s the link to Malone’s website: http://petermalone.misacor.org.au/tiki-index.php

Fr. Malone, 81, served as last president of International Catholic Organisation for Radio, Television and Cinema (Unda/OCIC) and was elected first president of SIGNIS, the World Catholic Association for Communications in 2001.

A prolific writer who has written more than 20 books about film and theology, Fr. Malone was Director of the Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting, and Consultant to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications Rome.

Some of his books on film and faith are Lights Camera… Faith! A Movie Lectionary, Cycle A-C; Film and Faith; Can Movies be a Moral Compass; Let a Viking Do It; Hagar and Family Illustrate the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator; The Type and Movie Book: Personality through the lens of Cinema; Screen Priests, Depictions of Catholic Priests in Cinema, 1900-2018; and many others.

His new book released early 2020 entitled: Dear Movies contains intimate letters he wrote to 101 of his favorite movies.

Fr. Malone describes his ministry as “a dialogue between faith and movies, working with ‘secular’ reviewers’, and, one path to promoting the credibility of faith.”

Malone was a member of the staff of Yarra Theological Union in Victoria (1972-1998) where he taught Introduction to Old Testament, The Mystery of Christ, Introduction to Theology, Australian Theology, and Media.

Editor of Compass Theology Review (1972-1998) Fr. Malone received a Doctorate, Honoris Causa, in 2008 from Melbourne College of Divinity.