Films about the impact of culture on health can be powerful tools in creating intercultural understanding of health behaviors and preferences. As part of a year-long health care redesign activity, four films were commissioned from screenwriters of diverse cultures in Hmong, East African, African American and Latino communities in Minnesota. The playwrights created theater pieces of 30 minutes in length, with very few characters, that described health issues of a family from their culture. The plays were performed by professional actors, in their native language, and filmed by Twin Cities Public Television. The four films that were produced became the basis for in-depth intercultural discussions by 100 participants in the care redesign educational activity. During the creation, filming, production and discussions of the films, a set of best practices were identified. These practices include: creating a common vision for the written script, managing language and translation issues, choosing sets and locations that are culturally authentic, finding talent, navigating cultural preferences and expectations of actors and maintaining cultural sensitivity in postproduction. The best practices provide guidance for institutions considering commissioning theater pieces that include diverse languages and cultures. Once filming has begun, in may be too late. Anticipate cultural preferences to avoid costly mistakes.