Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. announced a deal Aug. 10 to have priority in distributing films produced by self-described faith-based filmmakers Andrew Erwin, John Erwin, and Kevin Downes.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed beyond it being a multi-year agreement, and a message left with Lions Gate was not returned.

The biggest U.S. motion picture distributor outside of the big six studios, Santa Monica-based Lions Gate said in the release that it is starting a distribution banner, Kingdom, to focus on religious releases.

Erwin, Erwin & Downes teamed up for the Lions Gate-released “I Can Only Imagine,” a movie title borrowed from a song by Christian rock brand MercyMe.

Media and entertainment reporter Matthew Blake can be reached at (323)556-8332 or [email protected]