synopsis trailer cast and crew contribute to the success of our project The Oprah Initiative The 12 Babas join mailing list store contact

Synopsis     "AVATARMANIA" Feature Film Documentary SHORT SYNOPSIS A True Story   "AVATARMANIA" is a two-hour documentary focusing on an American family's journey to the south of India to live with and study under one of India's most prolific, controversial, and ultrafamous gurus known as SAI BABA. Shrouded in mystery, with a worldwide following of 50 million people, Sai Baba calls himself an AVATAR (a god in human form) and the father of Jesus Christ! Although almost impossible to believe for most people who have not witnessed this event in person--an attribute of this project that offers the potential for generating enormous interest in a broad, worldwide audience--Sai Baba has the supernatural/superhuman power of materializing solid objects out of thin air! The evidence of this extraordinary ability is captured on film! The St. John family, caught in the iron jaws of Sai Baba's Hindu "cult," are the key characters in this spellbinding, mesmerizing story of their spiritual search that lands them in a remote village in the middle of a barren Indian desert. The St. Johns are a successful Hollywood family made up of Christopher St. John, a black film director, producer, writer and actor; Maria St. John, a British actress and housewife; and their son Kristoff St. John, a two-time Emmy-Award and eight-time NAACP-Image-award-winning actor, writer, director and producer. The story begins with Christopher, wrestling with his spiritual beliefs, filming a documentary about Sai Baba and his legions of disciples, while his own family struggles with living in this bizarre cult. Somewhat unwillingly, Christopher tries to immerse himself in the "God man's" daily duties and routine, highlighted by a grandiose, larger-than-life, birthday celebration that over 250,000 Sai Baba disciples witness. The birthday celebration takes place at Sai Baba's ashram (a place of peace) in a tiny village, 150 miles away from civilization. The ashram is Sai Baba's home and is surrounded with thirty-foot walls to keep out unwelcome visitors. Christopher and Kristoff journey beyond the walls, to the dirty, village streets just outside of Baba's front door. The streets are filled with the hungry and poor, the diseased and homeless, while on the other side of the wall Sai Baba celebrates himself with opulence and pomp and circumstance! Christopher watches Kristoff and Maria grow closer to this strange, little, Indian guru Sai Baba, while his spiritual belief system comes apart at the seams! What started as an innocent journey to find inner peace and spiritual knowledge has now turned into a dangerous trek into the Hindu occult, Sai Baba's evil playground! Unable to truly comprehend the sheer evil of the cult that they now call home, the St. Johns must decide whether to give themselves completely to Sai Baba and his demonic cult followers or run for their lives. "AVATARMANIA" is a beautiful, poetic documentary, with rich cinematography, showcasing the vast, lush, Indian landscape. It has a vibrant musical soundtrack, with an original, haunting score. If the documentary "Koyaanisqatsi" (life out of balance) were to collide with the tragedy of Jim Jones, David Koresh and "Heaven's Gate," you might have "AVATARMANIA"! "AVATARMANIA" -- The Beautiful Side of Evil! "AVATARMANIA" has a running time of two hours and is ready for immediate, worldwide distribution.   Executive Producers: Christopher St. John Kristoff St. John Producers: Christopher St. John W.J. Parolini Cinematography: Baird Bryant Musical Score: Mark Mercury