Local pastor-turned-screenwriter Art Ayris has caught filmmakers' attention with his compelling human interest stories.

By day, he’s a mild-mannered pastor, but at night he’s a Hollywood screenwriter.

Art Ayris is executive pastor of Leesburg First Baptist Church, and he is quick to tell you that the ministry is his first love and his true calling. A desire to write stories, however, has taken him on an adventure that now includes Hollywood.

“Several years ago, I had a strong sense I needed to get involved in media,” Art says. “I began writing, and I found that I was a better screenwriter than I was novelist. I had more of an affinity toward screenwriting; it felt better for me.”

He began writing screenplays, and one of them placed in three different competitions. The first screenplay to make it to film was The Touch, a movie based on the life of a woman who was helped by the Women’s Care Center of First Baptist Church in Leesburg. The movie not only chronicles the true story of a young woman named Hannah, but it also shows the struggles of the congregation when trying to decide how best to reach people in need.