Film-based Easter resources that do the heavy lifting
Easter is the week most churches want to get right — and often the one where the pressure to do something "special" leads to overcomplication. The most effective Easter resources are simple. You find a film that tells the story well, you gather people around a screen, and you give them space to respond.
Jesus Film Project has been producing free Christian content for over four decades. Everything here is on YouTube at no cost, with no licensing to sort out. Good Friday and Easter Sunday are public holidays in Australia — that's two natural opportunities to gather people around content that matters.
Easter 2026 dates in Australia
My Last Day — the film to show on Good Friday
If you only use one resource this Easter, make it this one. My Last Day is a 30-minute anime short that follows the crucifixion from the perspective of the repentant thief crucified beside Jesus. It's not what people expect from church content — and that's exactly why it lands so well.
The anime format disarms people who'd put their defences up around "a Christian film." The story reaches people emotionally before they've had a chance to decide how they feel about it. Works for Good Friday services, open film evenings, youth events, and small groups. Suitable from secondary school age upwards.
The crucifixion told through the eyes of the repentant thief. An unexpected format that reaches people emotionally and opens conversations about grace, forgiveness, and who Jesus actually is.
View film page →Good Friday tip: Don't introduce it as "a film about the crucifixion." Just say you're watching a 30-minute short film. Allow a moment of quiet after it ends, then ask: "What stayed with you from that?" The conversation tends to take care of itself from there.
Discussion questions for Good Friday
- What surprised you about the film?
- The thief did nothing to earn what he received. How do you feel about that?
- What does Jesus' response to him tell you about who Jesus is?
- Is there anything in your own life you find it hard to accept forgiveness for?
- If this story is true, what does it change about how you see things?
The Holy Week series — one short film per day
For churches wanting to take the full journey of Holy Week, the eight-video series from Jesus Film Project gives you one short film for each day, from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday. Each video is 5 to 10 minutes long — short enough to use at the start of a service or meeting, rich enough to open a real conversation.
The full series is on the Holy Week series page, with all eight videos and discussion questions for each day.
Simplest format: Show the video. Allow 30 seconds of quiet. Ask: "What stayed with you from that?" Let the group respond. You don't need to prepare anything else. This format works for Sunday services, mid-week groups, and youth meetings.
Good Friday film night — how to run it
Good Friday is a public holiday, which makes it one of the best opportunities of the year to run an open film evening for your community. People are free, they're not at work, and there's a cultural reason to think about what happened.
What you need
A screen. Decent speakers. A room. That's it. YouTube runs in a browser. No projector hire required if you have a large TV. No licence to sort out. No downloads.
How to invite people
Don't announce it generally and wait for people to show up. Text someone specific. Say: "I'm putting on a 30-minute film on Good Friday evening — would you come?" Specific invitations fill rooms. General announcements don't.
On the night
Keep the introduction brief. "We're going to watch a short film." Press play. When it ends, say nothing for 30 seconds. Then: "What stayed with you from that?" Let people talk. Your job is to listen, not to explain or interpret.
The Jesus Film — for open community events
For a longer Easter Sunday or Easter Monday event open to your wider community, The Jesus Film gives people the complete story of Jesus in 1 hour 23 minutes. It's based on the Gospel of Luke, more than 500 million people have seen it worldwide, and it's genuinely accessible to people who've never been inside a church.
The complete story of Jesus based on the Gospel of Luke. Seen by more than 500 million people worldwide. Accessible to people with no church background. Strong choice for an Easter community film night.
View full film page →Using these resources with youth groups in Australia
My Last Day is consistently the most effective film for Australian young people in an Easter context. The anime format removes the "this is church content" signal that causes teenagers to disengage. Show it cold — just say you're watching a short film — and the discussion afterwards tends to be the most honest conversation your group has had in months.
The Holy Week daily series also works for youth groups: each video is short, focused, and discussion-ready. One video per session through Holy Week gives you a natural rhythm without requiring extra preparation.
Register as a partner
If you're using JFP resources with your church or group in Australia, register as a Jesus Film Project partner. It's free and gives you access to fuller discussion guides, follow-up resources, and support for ongoing discipleship. See the churches page to register.