‍Inspired by true events, The Favorite: Fight Of Faith tells the story of Benjamin Bernard, an overlooked MMA contender whose dream of a championship fight is continually pushed out of reach despite being the division's top challenger.

During an Easter family gathering at the lake, tragedy strikes when Benjamin's young cousin, Kyle, is involved in a devastating jet ski accident that leaves him with a severe brain injury. With no explanation for what happened, Benjamin becomes the focus of his family's anger and blame as Kyle remains unresponsive in the hospital.

Struggling to cope with the crisis, Benjamin remembers a lesson from his small church group: write prayer requests on one side of an index card and praise reports on the other. What begins as a simple prayer for Kyle's recovery soon spreads throughout his gym as fellow fighters create a bulletin board filled with prayer requests and stories of answered prayers.

As Kyle's condition remains uncertain, Benjamin's personal and professional life continues to deteriorate. His family grows increasingly distant, and the championship opportunity he has spent years pursuing is once again given to another fighter. Despite the setbacks, Benjamin learns to hold onto hope and faith while refusing to defend himself against accusations he knows are false.

When Kyle finally awakens, he reveals the truth behind the accident, leading to reconciliation within the family and a remarkable recovery. Soon afterward, Benjamin receives an unexpected opportunity to fight for a world championship. In a dramatic title bout, he proves himself on the sport's biggest stage, culminating in a powerful victory that celebrates perseverance, forgiveness, faith, and family.

The Favorite began with a true story.

After surviving a devastating car accident, traumatic brain injury, and remarkable recovery, writer and actor Luke Bernard felt compelled to tell a story inspired by what he and his family had experienced. The idea came to him through a dream about two brothers, each representing a different part of his own journey.

But Luke came to realize that the greatest miracle in his life wasn't simply his physical recovery—it was what God had done in him spiritually.

That became the heart of The Favorite and its message: Everyone is God's favorite.

Now, that story continues with The Favorite: Fight of Faith, inspired by another deeply personal experience—the jet ski accident, brain injury, and recovery of Luke's cousin.

Once again, Luke felt led to turn his family's experience into a story of hope. This time, the film explores a different kind of battle: How do you continue to have faith when the facts, circumstances, and doctors are giving you an unfavorable answer?

At its heart, Fight of Faith is about a family refusing to surrender hope when everything around them tells them to give up. It explores the struggle between fear and faith and the extraordinary power of family, perseverance, and prayer during life's darkest moments.

Luke and his parents founded Lightbearer Films, a film production company under their nonprofit organization, Somebody Cares Tampa Bay, with a mission to create meaningful, family-centered stories that bring hope, strengthen faith, and demonstrate the power of prayer.

For this family, filmmaking isn't simply about making movies. It's about turning tragedy into testimony.

By supporting The Favorite: Fight of Faith, donors become part of that mission. Contributions help bring a true-story-inspired film to the screen with the potential to reach families who may be facing their own impossible circumstances—reminding them that even when the outcome is uncertain, there is still reason to hope.

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