Bright wanted to bring a biblically accurate depiction of the life, ministry, and death of Jesus to the big screen, and in 1978, filming began in the Middle East with British Shakespearean actor Brian Deacon in the role of Jesus.

When the original American theatrical run of Jesus ended in 1979, Bright asked Paul Eshleman, who was involved in the production, to head the organization.

Eshleman remained in the position until 2004, when Jim Green was named as the organization's executive director.

[8] Critical reception for the movie was positive and the film is heavily utilized in missionary work.

The Jesus Film Project released three additional films in 2011: Rivka a 12 episode series, Walking with Jesus, a 5 episode series “produced by Africans for Africans,” and an animation My Last Day.