Judges

2024

Christine Swanson

Christine Swanson

Director, Producer, Screenwriter

A visionary filmmaker from Detroit, Michigan, Christine Swanson recently directed the genre bending dramedy “Albany Road” starring Renee Elise Goldsberry and Lynn Whitfield. It will be released in Fall of 2024. She also directed the record-breaking, smash-hit film The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel, starring Aunjanue Ellis. It was 2020's Best TV Movie award recipient from the African American Film Critics Association and nominated for a Critics Choice Award for Best Movie Made for Television as well as five NAACP Image Award Nominations including Outstanding Directing. Her other celebrated movie credits include All About You, The Miki Howard Story, and For the Love of Ruth, for which she also earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Television Motion Picture. Christine has directed numerous episodes of television including Sweet Magnolias, Bel-Air, BMF, P-Valley, All American, All American Homecoming, Found, Chicago PD, FBI and Roswell, New Mexico to name a few. Christine received her Master of Fine Arts degree in Film from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and her Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame. Christine serves on the Board of Trustees for Saint Mary’s College and on the advisory committees for Film Fatales and PANO Network. She lives in Los Angeles with her Studio Executive husband, Michael Swanson and their four amazing children.

Matt Giblin

Matt Giblin

Cinematographer, Technology Director, Producer

As Director of Technology, Matt Giblin leads the Innovation Team at AbelCine, a leading provider of products and services to the production, broadcast, and new media industries with locations in LA, New York, and Chicago. In this role, Matt identifies new and emerging motion picture technologies and develops strategies to support and implement them to enable visual creatives to produce cinematic imagery at the most advanced technical levels. In addition to his position at AbelCine, Matt is an experienced Director of Photography and Producer. He has filmed three features, several web series, and dozens of short films, commercials, and music videos. He loves collaborating with filmmakers who have a unique vision, a strong script, and is open to trying new ideas. His favorite projects allow him to travel—including to Abu Dhabi and Dubai for the Special Olympics World Games.

Katie Hooten

Katie Hooten

Studio Executive, Producer

Katie Hooten is Head of Studio at MPC in Los Angeles, leading a team of creatives and artists who visually develop worlds and solve production issues using art and visualization. A founder of Hardy Howl Films alongside partners Todd Edwards and Timothy Hooten, she has a background in TV and feature development and production. Producing work includes projects with Blur Studio as well as The Third Floor in Los Angeles, producing pre-vis and post-vis for some of the largest franchises in the feature space. Katie's filmography includes independent and studio productions for live action and animation, as well as award-winning music videos and commercials. Her company's breakout hit Hoodwinked (2006) kicked off a wave of indie animation that continues today, establishing a new model of quality entertainment made for a fraction of the cost of its competition. Katie began her professional film career with the independent feature Chillicothe (Sundance Film Festival, 1999), followed by various roles in production management at Walt Disney Feature Animation Studio, working on such films as Atlantis, Lilo and Stitch, Spirited Away, and Treasure Planet.

2023

Cory Edwards

Cory Edwards

Director/Writer/Actor/Comic

Cory Edwards made his feature film debut with Hoodwinked, but he’d already had a long career as a filmmaker before that. Involved in almost every creative area of the business for over 25 years, he has served as a writer, director, producer, actor, animator, art director, and editor. After directing music videos and commercials, Cory produced and acted in his brother’s feature debut, Chillicothe, an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival. His animated hit Hoodwinked is widely regarded as the most profitable animated movie ever. He's written for VeggieTales, Ninja Turtles, Fraggles and Woody Woodpecker. His recent film, Fearless debuted as the #5 film in the world on Netflix. Cory still enjoys working as a standup comic, and is always excited to share his adventures of taking Christian ideals into the mainstream entertainment world.

Brady Nasfell

Brady Nasfell

Film & Television Producer

Brady Nasfell has produced feature films and television for Netflix, Sony, Lionsgate, Fox Sports, NBC, VH1, Discovery Networks and independent distributors. Recent films include Fourth of July (starring Joe List) and Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters (starring Bart Johnson and Robyn Lively). Brady produced the Grammy Award-winning comedy special Sincerely Louis C.K., as well as the upcoming Kevin James special (Fall 2023). Other specials include Joe Rogan: Strange Times, Tom Segura: Ball Hog, and Chris D’Elia: No Pain. His documentary work includes The Last Dispatch, Overcomer with Justin Wren, UFC Road to the Octagon, UFC Ultimate Insider, and the UFC Embedded web series, which won the Best MMA Programming award in 2016. A member of the Producer’s Guild of America and The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Brady received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Media Communication from Asbury University.

Andrea Nasfell

Andrea Nasfell

Screenwriter

Andrea Nasfell is the screenwriter of theatrical faith-based comedies The Resurrection of Gavin Stone (Blumhouse) and Moms’ Night Out (Sony Affirm), which won a Dove award for Inspirational Film of the Year. She has also written a number of television movies including Every Other Holiday (Lifetime) and The Vows We Keep and Holiday for Heroes (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries) as well as several other Christmas movies for UPtv/Pure Flix. Her movies Christmas with a Capital C and What If… were both nominated for Epiphany Prizes in TV and film. What If… was selected by Movieguide as one of 2010’s “Ten Best Films for Family Audiences.” Andrea is a member of the WGA and teaches screenwriting at Asbury University and USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. She earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University.

John DeCuir, Jr.

John DeCuir, Jr.

Production Design Artist

It was inevitable that John DeCuir Jr. would become a film designer, as he literally took his first steps on a sound stage and later helped his father design and build Oscar winning film sets that included Rome, Alexandria, and Fourteenth Street New York 1890. John worked as an art director on the five-year London-Rome production of Cleopatra, perhaps the only person whoever worked their way through college on one film. After completing his graduate work at the University of Southern California he took on designing Spaceship Earth & Communicore for Disney Imagineering. In 1980 John founded Cinematix, Inc. and contracted for the design and construction of film sets which included Top Gun, Sister Act II, Turner & Hooch, and theme park films such as Jim Henson's 3-D Muppet Movie, Alien Encounter, and EPCOT's Energy Pavilion. John has taught at the UCLA Performing Arts Program, USC’s School of Cinema, and the American Film Institute. He currently teaches graduate classes on the art of production design at Asbury University’s School of Communication Arts.

2022

Mandi Hart

Mandi Hart

Filmmaker, Attorney

Mandi Hart is a filmmaker and attorney specializing in creative content development and intellectual property. She worked in documentary film production for three years before obtaining her J.D. She is president of Cave Pictures Publishing, an independent publisher of spiritually resonant comic books and graphic novels, and of MORE Productions, a firm that both produces culture and provides consultation services regarding culture creation. Hart is also a screenwriter and published author of articles concerning product placement as a film financing technique, tax incentives for film production, and the challenges of maintaining copyright protection in the social media age.

Joel McCrary

Joel McCrary

Actor, Writer, Director

Joel McCrary grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he began acting in community theater at 13 years old. Later he attended the University of Southern Mississippi. He then moved to Orlando, where he became a founding member of the award-winning SAK Theater Comedy Lab, which opened in 1990 and is still in operation. In 1995 he moved to Los Angeles and began working as an actor in commercials, TV, and Film. He currently plays Court Magician Baldric in Dwight in Shining Armor, now in its 5th season. His notable roles also include Prime Minister Motaz in The Princess Diaries 1 & 2, Don the mechanic on Seinfeld, and Bobby Wasabi on Disney XD’s Kickin’ It. His other credits include Thor, American Beauty, Over the Hedge, Smurfs 1 & 2, Bones, Justified, The Middle, Robot Chicken, and Mystery Men. He is the co-writer, director, and producer of Fellowship! The Musical Parody of The Fellowship of the Ring has won multiple awards, including LA Weekly’s Musical of the Year and a Saturn Award. He was a writer on Disney XD’s Kickin’ It! for four seasons and went on to be a producer/writer/director for Disney XD’s Gamer’s Guide To Pretty Much Everything!

James Covell

James Covell

Composer, Conductor for Film and Television

James Covell began his career writing music immediately after graduating in music composition from USC, where he studied with Morten Lauridsen. He has been working ever since scoring, songwriting, conducting, and arranging in every medium. James has written scores for many feature films, including Left Behind, recorded with the London Symphony. That Soundtrack CD and others are available on iTunes. Along with his work in film, James has worked for all the major networks. Currently running is the award-winning Netflix series Beastmaster, and he recently completed creating music for HBO’s upcoming animated series to be named. James has also written a full-scale musical play entitled A House Divided and an orchestral trumpet concerto. His other commissioned orchestral works premiered with great success by the Denver Symphony. James lives in Valley Village, California, with his wife Karen, and they have two wonder wiz kids, Christopher and Cameron, who are both filmmakers.

2021

Kevin Bryan

Kevin Bryan

Director of Photography

Kevin Bryan is a Director of Photography with over 25 years of experience in the film and broadcast business. He works in multiple genres—commercials, promos, narrative, documentary, and feature-length films. He has been the Cinematographer on four feature-length films, including The Song, Midway to Love, and The Ultimate Legacy, and for a host of episodic dramas for television. He has also been a camera person and drone operator for numerous feature film projects.

Tyler Hisel

Tyler Hisel

Writer-Producer

Tyler Hisel is a writer-producer working in both the film and television industries. His recent television writing includes Treadstone on USA Network, Lore on Amazon Prime and Wayward Pines on Fox. His current high-profile film work includes writing The Fixer at Paramount Pictures with Ron Howard and Bradley Cooper attached, as well as adapting T. J. English's book The Corporation for Paramount Pictures with Benecio Del Toro attached to star and Leonardo DiCaprio serving as producer. Hisel is also a proud alum of Asbury University’s School of Communication Arts.

Justin Tolley

Justin Tolley

Justin Tolley graduated from film school in 2004 and has been in the film industry ever since, beginning as an intern and volunteer. His first feature film was Fireproof. After his work with the Kendrick Brothers, he moved to Hawaii to work on the hit television show Lost but left after two seasons to work exclusively in the faith-based film industry. As a producer, Tolley has been a part of over 20 feature films shot in over 15 states, including Overcomer, Courageous, October Baby, Moms’ Night Out, War Room and Woodlawn. Most recently, he has served as a producer for The Chosen, the first multi-season series about the life of Christ, and the highest crowd-funded TV series or film project of all time.

2020

Mandi Hart

Mandi Hart

Filmmaker, Attorney

Mandi Hart is a filmmaker and attorney specializing in creative content development and intellectual property. She worked in documentary film production for three years before obtaining her J.D. She is president of Cave Pictures Publishing, an independent publisher of spiritually resonant comic books and graphic novels; and of MORE Productions, a firm that both produces culture and provides consultation services regarding culture creation. Hart is also a screenwriter and published author of articles concerning product placement as a film financing technique; tax incentives for film production and the challenges of maintaining copyright protection in the social media age.

Terry Botwick

Terry Botwick

Entertainment Executive

Terry Botwick is the principal of Papatime, a film and television production company, and has been a television network and studio executive who has now been producing independently for more than a dozen years. He recently produced the award-winning, “Captive,” starring David Oyelowo and Kate Mara distributed by Paramount Pictures, and “Cool It,” which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released by Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate. Botwick formerly served as President of Vanguard Films & Animation. With funding from Starz Media, Vanguard produced and released high quality CGI animated movies including, “Space Chimps,” distributed by Fox. Prior to Vanguard, he formed Thunderpoint Partners, a structured film portfolio co-finance and production company. Botwick also served as president of Big Idea Productions, whereas executive producer he successfully brought the iconic VeggieTales brand onto the big screen with an award-winning major motion picture release, “Jonah, A VeggieTales Movie.” Previously, he was senior vice-president of Current Series Programming and Specials for CBS Entertainment, overseeing both the creative and business aspects of the network’s entire slate of comedy and drama series, reality series, as well as large special events. Mr. Botwick has been responsible for the creation and oversight of more than 2,000 hours of television series, special events, movies, direct to video product and theatrical films.

Steven Fracol

Steven Fracol

Director of Photography

Steven Fracol is a Director of Photography for Film and Television. He began his career as a handheld cameraman shooting college football and basketball, professional soccer and wrestling as well as rock headliners of the day. He cut his teeth in the art of visual storytelling after landing a job with Kansas City’s public television station, leading to jobs shooting news for Kansas City’s NBC affiliate, where he won the first of five Emmy Awards at the age of 24. Later, he joined a Kansas City production company, shooting for a variety of high-profile clients including Wal-Mart, Sprint, Yellow Freight, Utilicorp, Hallmark Cards and others. Steven and his wife Stacey started New Vision Pictures in 1994, which quickly gained a solid reputation shooting award-winning news promotions for television stations across the country. He also became sought after in Kansas City’s Advertising community as a DP/Director of choice for both local and national ad campaigns, and became a prominent Director of Photography shooting for directors and producers from New York to Los Angeles. In 2004, Steven entered the world of Steadicam, the cinematic tool of choice for powerful, visual storytelling, and spent the next 15 years in Hollywood as an A Steadicam Operator for, television show such as “My Boys”, “Sons of Anarchy”, “Scandal” and others, as well as the feature films “Land of The Lost”, “Green Lantern”, “Gangster Squad” and many more. Steven recently transitioned to Director of Photography and is set to lens Season 17 of “Grey’s Anatomy” for ABC this fall.

2019

Michael Swanson

Michael Swanson

Entertainment Executive

Michael Swanson is an Emmy Award winning producer and TV studio executive at NBC Entertainment. He is also founder and CEO of the production company, Faith Filmworks. Michael has produced movies to critical and audience acclaim, including All About You, All About Us, For the Love of Ruth, To Hell and Back and The Wayman Tisdale Story. As vice president of production at Universal Television, Michael oversees production operations for Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Abby’s, Good Girls, Master of None and The Good Place. Michael serves as a board member for the STEP Foundation and the Media and Entertainment Leadership Council at the University of Notre Dame, his alma mater. A Chicago native, Michael resides in Los Angeles with his wife of 25 years, filmmaker Christine Swanson, and their four children.

Nicole Baer

Nicole Baer

Editor/Director

Movies and filmmaking have captivated Nicole for as long as she can remember. From shooting a documentary along Route 66 to directing music videos, a murder mystery and 5-camera live sports shoots—she spent her childhood telling stories through both still photography and video. While majoring in Film Production at the University of Southern California, her focus turned to editing, where she discovered that the final story truly comes to life. After editing 62 episodes of the CW's Supernatural, 10 episodes of CBS’s S.W.A.T. and 7 episodes of NBC’s Timeless, her sights have returned to her original dream of directing. Her short film Vagabond has screened at the Orlando International Film Festival, Silver Screen Film Festival, Studio City International Film Festival and the Sedona International Film Festival. Currently, she is in pre-production on “Divinity School Murders,” a feature film written by Sean Gaffney and scheduled to shoot the summer of 2020.

Dean Batali

Dean Batali

Writer/Producer

Dean was a producer and writer of That 70’s Show, and he also wrote for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He was show runner for Hallmark’s Good Witch (their top show) from 2016-18. Before that he was show runner for Disney Channel’s Puppy Dog Tails. He was also on the board of Act One Hollywood for ten years, a group that helps equip Christians to go into Hollywood’s screenwriting and production world. Dean coauthored the book, Watching TV Religiously and continues to work as a TV writer in Los Angeles.

2018

David Manos Morris

David Manos Morris

Visual Effects Artist

Having collected 60+ professional film credits, David's career accomplishments include freelance work as a Visual Effects Supervisor for independent films, videos and commercials. In addition, he has worked as a digital artist for LucasFilm/Industrial Light & Magic, on "Ready Player One," "Avatar," and multiple film franchises including the “Jurassic Park,” movies “Star Wars” movies, "Avengers," "Marvel" movies, and “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe." His awards include a New York Film Festival World Medal and a Clio.

Christine Swanson

Christine Swanson

Director/Screenwriter

Award-winning filmmaker, Christine Swanson has developed and/or directed movie projects for various companies including HBO Films, Magnolia Pictures, State Street Pictures, TV One and Faith Filmworks, her own independent film company. Some of her award-winning titles include, Two Seasons, All About You, All About Us, and Woman Thou Art Loosed. Swanson earned her MFA in Film from New York University’s Tisch School of Arts, one of the nation’s top-ranked graduate film programs.

Steve Greisen

Steve Greisen

Filmmaker

Steve Greisen’s expertise in documentary filmmaking has led him to some of the most remarkable stories ever told. Earning numerous awards, including 44 international Telly Awards, some of his credits include The Mystery of The Ark of The Covenant, The Search for The Real Mr. Sinai, and In The Hands of The Enemy- America Surrenders in Army. His unique approach is partly the by-product of growing up in Hong Kong, his life journey has taken him to 72 countries the world over.

Sheryl Anderson

Sheryl J. Anderson

Screenwriter

Sheryl J. Anderson is the creator and executive producer of Ties That Bind, UPtv’s first original scripted series. She began her writing journey as a playwriting major at The College of William & Mary in Virginia. Lured to Los Angeles by the intrigue of television and the promise of 300 sunny days a year, she worked as a television studio executive, screenwriter, and half-hour series writer (Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, Dave’s World). She then moved to writing and producing hour-long series, working on a wide range of series (Charmed, Flash Gordon, When Calls the Heart), and selling pilots to Disney, SyFy, NBC, and Lifetime. She is currently writing a movie for Hallmark. Anderson is also the author of the Molly Forrester Mystery series of novels, and is a frequent lecturer at workshops and universities.

2017

Ryan Dornbush

Ryan Dornbush

Ryan Dornbush joined Alcon Entertainment in 2008 to oversee the operations and human resources for their film group. Since that time, he has helped expand the company to five divisions and triple the number of personnel. Alcon has produced movies such as “The Blind Side” and “The Book of Eli.” When he is not working, he can be found traveling. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Jennifer and their two dogs.

Jennifer Dornbush

Jennifer Dornbush

Jennifer is a screenwriter, author, speaker, and forensic specialist creating a diverse range of stories that shed light on the dark places of the human experience.

Her story creation comes from a very unsheltered childhood as the daughter of a medical examiner whose office was in her home. Because of her background, she does not shy away from telling stories about tough circumstances and how characters choose to deal with them.

Whether it’s a despairing war widow, Amber Hill, who has lost her faith in “God Bless the Broken Road” or a mistrustful detective, Riley St. James, battling to solve a twenty-year-old murder in “Hole in the Woods.”

Jennifer’s characters encounter light in their darkness, redemption where none seems possible, and bits of levity to sweeten the journey.

Her feature film, “God Bless the Broken Road” is slated for release in 2017 in conjunction with the novel release on June 6th.

As a forensic specialist, she has consulted with TV writers on network and cable TV shows and has several of her own crime drama series in development.

Wanting to share her love of forensics with other storytellers, she scribed non-fiction work, “Forensic Speak: How to Write Realistic Crime Dramas.”

Albert Mason

Albert Mason

Albert Mason is a Senior Producer with experience in live-action, post, computer graphics, CGI and motion graphic production. Feature Film production for Weta Digital, Sony Image Works, and Digital Domain. Projects include “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy,” “Spiderman 3” and more. Design and commercial work for “Logan,” and “Golden,” projects include Nintendo, Bridgestone, DISH Network, Facebook, Hyundai, Northrop-Grumman and more including numerous video game trailers. TV production for MTV Networks, projects include on-air promotions, “The Denis Rodman World Tour” and “MTV Sports.” Graduated with a BS in Business from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Member of the Visual Effects Society.

Nancy Stafford

Nancy Stafford

Nancy Stafford is known to millions as Andy Griffith’s law partner on TV’s “Matlock”. She has been a regular on several TV series, including the Emmy-winning “St. Elsewhere,” and guest-starred on countless shows including “Scandal,” “The Mentalist,” and “Frasier.” Her films include recently released “Heaven Bound,” “A Mermaid’s Tale,” “I’m Not Ashamed”—the true story of Rachel Joy Scott, and “Christmas for a Dollar.” She is the author of two books “The Wonder of His Love,” and “Beauty by the Book: Seeing Yourself as God sees you.”

Nancy is a frequent speaker at conferences, universities, churches and corporations. She is Chair of SAT-7 Women for Middle East Hope. She serves on The Greenhouse Arts & Media Board, which develops and equips creative artists, as well as the The Dove Foundation Advisory Board and Biola University Studio Task Force.

Nancy and her musician husband, Larry Myers, have been married for 28 years and currently live in Los Angeles. Of her many roles, her favorite is being step-mom to beautiful Katie, and Grandma to 16-year-old Blake.

Brady Nasfell

Brady Nasfell

Brady has produced both feature films for the independent market and television programming for Netflix, Fox Sports, NBC, VH1, Oxygen and Discovery Networks. He founded the production company Sodium Entertainment, producing features such as “The Last Dispatch,” which had the second highest per-screen average in the country for its opening weekend, and “Breaking Dawn,” an official selection at the Hollywood Film Festival that was distributed by Lionsgate. His award-winning short films have screened at over 50 film festivals. Nasfell has also produced and directed promos for television that garnered him a Silver Promax Award. “UFC Embedded” garnered the Best MMA Programming award in 2016. He is a member of the Producer’s Guild of America and The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He received his BA in Media Communication from Asbury University and is currently an MBA candidate. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife Andrea and two kids.

Jon Menick

Jon Menick

Jon Menick was a professional actor, writer and director in New York and L.A. for 35 years. He was acknowledged as one of the most recognizable commercial talents by Ad Age Magazine. Some of his most notable campaigns were; Herb for BURGER KING, the “Same Old, Same Old” man for ARBY’S, Louie the Lip for RC COLA, the comic spokesman for MAZDA, ATT, IBM, and SUBARU to name just a few. He practiced his craft in the top film market in the world. He has appeared with stars such as Mel Gibson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bruce Willis, Elijah Woods and Lily Tomlin, as well as guest starring on TV shows including “Night Court”, “Mel Brooks’ “Nutthouse,” “J.A.G.,” “The Twilight Zone, and “Nashville” and “The Flash.”

2016

Dean Batali

Dean Batali

Dean Batali worked as a writer on “That ‘70s Show” for seven years, serving as an executive producer for the show’s final season. He wrote for the initial two seasons of “Buffy, The Vampire Slayer,” and has written for “Duckman,” “The Half-Hour News Hour,” “Kick Buttowski” and “The Adventures of Pete and Pete.” He has written pilots for ABC, the Family Channel, the Cartoon Network and the Hub. His diverse level of experience has taken him from recently serving as co-executive producer on an hour-long drama series for UPtv to currently being head writer on an animated show for Disney Jr. He also co-wrote and produced Christian comedienne Chonda Pierce’s platinum-selling DVD “This Ain’t Prettyville.”

Before coming to Los Angeles, he worked as an actor and playwright for Taproot Theatre Company, a Christian theater in Seattle, Washington, and has written and produced numerous musical theater productions. Dean teaches and mentors many of the writers connected with Act One, an organization that trains Christian writers and executives for careers in Hollywood.

His essay “Changing the Channels” appears in the book “Behind the Screen: Hollywood Insiders on Faith, Film, and Culture.” His experiences as a Christian in Hollywood were featured in the book “Faith in the Halls of Power” and he was profiled on NBC’s Nightly News with Brian Williams. Dean is a graduate of The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and lives in La Crescenta, California, with his wife of twenty-nine years, Beth. They have two daughters – Erin, twenty, and Katharine, seventeen.

Kathy Campbell

Kathy Campbell

Kathy Campbell is the owner of Heyman Talent Louisville. She works as a booking agent and is responsible for developing new business and administrating the Louisville office of the agency. Kathy has a business degree in marketing and has a broad background in business management and sales.

For many years her volunteer work was in the arts, volunteering on the boards of multiple theater groups. Kathy saw many talented actors and was always encouraging them to audition and advising them about performing opportunities. A talent agent was born. In lieu of starting off on her own, she joined with Lynne Heyman of Heyman Talent Agency to build a stronger, multi-state operation. Together Heyman Talent Agency has become one of the strongest agencies in the Midwest.

Kathy has booked roles on commercials, television shows, industrials, feature films and many projects. She also develops commercial and fashion models and has the strongest division of runway models in the region.

Clay Hassler

Clay Hassler

Clay Riley Hassler is an acclaimed writer and director of feature films, documentaries and visual stories for brands and agencies. In 2015, he was named a “director to watch” by Way Too Indie. His debut feature, HOMELESS, screened at festivals across the country before going on to win the Grand Jury Award at Dances With Films in Los Angeles. The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the film was “incisive and sensitive… astounding.” Following its North American festival run, HOMELESS was invited to screen in London and Canterbury, UK and is scheduled to screen in the Czech Republic this coming June.

Currently, Clay is finishing up post-production on his second feature, STL, a documentary that chronicles the lives and struggles of three African American youth, all born and raised in St. Louis, in the months before, during, and after the shooting and death of teenager, Michael Brown, in nearby Ferguson.

Outside of feature filmmaking, Clay has directed spots for major brands, including Walmart, Kleenex, Olay, The People’s Choice Awards, Toyota, and Project Lead The Way. Clay is a 2008 graduate of Asbury University where he studied English literature and Theatre & Cinema Performance. In 2010, Clay earned his M.F.A. in writing and directing from The Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts. His graduate thesis film, The Planeteer, won a National Student Emmy at the 2011 College Television Awards in Los Angeles.

He is married to Tif Hassler, also a 2008 graduate of Asbury, who is a producer and film editor. Together, Clay and Tif lead Wet Paint, a motion picture company and a creative collective, which they established in Nashville, TN, in 2014.

Doug Jones

Doug Jones

This multi-award winning actor is possibly the most famous person you've never seen. After a 25-year career under heavy make-ups, but in memorable roles such as the goofy zombie Billy Butcherson in HOCUS POCUS, the blue fish-man sidekick, Abe Sapien, in HELLBOY, Pan and the Pale Man in the multi-Oscar winning PAN'S LABYRINTH, as well as the title role of Silver Surfer in FANTASTIC 4: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER, and the award-winning performance reprising Abe Sapien in HELLBOY II: The Golden Army.

His TV work includes ABC's comedy THE NEIGHBORS, Guillermo del Toro's FX series THE STRAIN, DC Comics' supervillain 'Deathbolt' in the CW's ARROW and THE FLASH, and the helpful alien 'Cochise' in the final 3 seasons of Steven Spielberg's TNT series FALLING SKIES.

His favorite movies as a "human" include the sweet, underdog title role in MY NAME IS JERRY, and as a proper butler in the inspirational THE ULTIMATE LEGACY. Doug also loves short films with a special purpose, and has starred in a few that he loves to talk about – THE BUTTERFLY CIRCUS about a man born without limbs who finds a sense of family; SUDDEN DEATH! a hilarious musical; and THE CANDY SHOP addressing the harrowing issue of child sex trafficking happening in the USA.

2015

Erik Lokkesmoe

Erik Lokkesmoe

Erik Lokkesmoe is the president of Aspiration Media, a film distribution company, and the owner of Different Drummer, a premier marketing and publicity agency for studio and indie films and television. Prior to starting the companies, Erik was a VP of Strategic Partnerships at AFG/Walden Media, a political speechwriter, and a Capitol Hill press secretary. In other words, he cannot keep a job. He did manage in-between his three kids and seven moves over the past seven years to co-author two books on communication. He recently moved from NYC to Nashville, where he has been forced to learn two things: it’s a sin to honk your horn and its normal to wait a very very long time for your coffee at Starbucks.

Peggy Kim

Peggy Kim

Margaret “Peggy” Kim is a Peabody and multi-award winning executive producer.  She is the Founder and President of iSTAND Media, LLC and iSTANDtv, and leads a team of seasoned and young filmmakers, artists, techies and entrepreneurs, who are out to make a positive difference in the world by building the top go-to online platform for compelling stories that come from a perspective of hope and authenticity. Featuring the best in documentaries, films, music, comedy, talk shows and animation from the U.S. and around the world, iSTANDtv’s goal is to provide fresh, original, high quality content that speaks to today's generation and empowers them to live purposeful, joyful lives.

Ms. Kim also runs MGK MEDIA, which she established in 2008, and provides consulting services to independent producers and content creators, helping them develop, pitch and sell their concepts to cable networks and other distributors.

Ms. Kim’s work has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards. Most recently, she received a Prime Time Emmy nomination for her documentary called Blood Diamonds.
From 2000 - 2007, Ms. Kim was Director of Programming for The History Channel®, where she also served as Executive Producer. She created, developed and supervised top-performing series and specials, and was instrumental in the strategic positioning and programming of the network.

Prior to joining The History Channel, Ms. Kim produced programming for MSNBC, CBS News Productions, A&E, Court TV, CBS, ABC Sports, NBC Sports, and the NBC Olympic Unit. She began her career at ABC News, working on the news desk and numerous live broadcasts.

Jason Epperson

Jason Epperson

In 2005 Jason created his own company Eppic Films, which focuses on high-end commercials and film work in the state of Kentucky. In 2007, Jason was a part of an exhaustive worldwide search of more than 12,000 applicants, Steven Spielberg hand-picked 50 Filmmakers to participate in a competition to find the newest, freshest, and most talented director in the world. On The Lot was a joint venture created by Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg. After 14 weeks, 7 Short films, and lots of sleepless nights, Jason Epperson finished 1st Runner-Up in the competition.

Today, Jason has been working on a variety of productions. He has created his first feature film, 3 documentaries including, “The 6th Man”, a film about fanatic Kentucky basketball fans, which currently was released on Netflix. Jason is also involved in reality television as an executive producer for a series titled “Logheads” (GAC and DIY Networks) and developing several more productions.

Kathy Campbell

Kathy Campbell

Kathy Campbell is the owner of Heyman Talent Louisville. She works as a booking agent and is responsible for developing new business and administrating the Louisville office of the agency. Kathy has a business degree in marketing and has a broad background in business management and sales.

For many years her volunteer work was in the arts, volunteering on the boards of multiple theater groups. Kathy saw many talented actors and was always encouraging them to audition and advising them about performing opportunities. A talent agent was born. In lieu of starting off on her own, she joined with Lynne Heyman of Heyman Talent Agency to build a stronger, multi-state operation. Together Heyman Talent Agency has become one of the strongest agencies in the Midwest.

Kathy has booked roles on commercials, television shows, industrials, feature films and many projects. She also develops commercial and fashion models and has the strongest division of runway models in the region.

2014

Van Eerden

Jim Van Eerden

Jim Van Eerden is the Managing Partner for a national merchant bank, where he runs the firm’s media and social good initiatives.

Jim has served as Executive Producer for several award-winning feature films including the Academy Award short film nominee MOST, Bobby Jones, The Ultimate Gift and The Perfect Game – and educational documentaries such as the critically acclaimed films WarChild and Running the Sahara, each of which carried a philanthropic mission and raised millions of dollars for charity. He was also an executive consultant on Bella, the #1-rated film on Fandango and Yahoo Movies, and for Max Lucado’s platinum-selling DVD series, Hermie Wormie.

Jim is especially involved in cause-based companies, projects and movements. He has co-founded prominent social impact companies like Sevenly (sevenly.org) and MISSION Athletecare (missionathletecare.com), as well as global non-profit initiatives like H2O Africa (now water.org) and Free Think University (freethinku.com). He has helped originate numerous cause-based educational movements like The Centurions Program for Charles Colson, The City to City Campaign for Tim Keller, Live58 for Compassion International, and The Cultivate Project for Jeff Myers.

He has also served as senior counsel for corporate philanthropic media projects like Refresh Everything for PepsiCo, and has been counsel for World Cup Organizing Committee (1994) and the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (1996).

In addition to his undergraduate degree (BA-Business Administration) from Grove City College, Jim completed a graduate study certificate in International Business at Oxford University (St. Peter’s College), an MA in Philosophy (Trinity International University), an MBA (Wake Forest University), and is a candidate for a doctoral degree in global education (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary).

Jim has been a guest lecturer on business and social entrepreneurship at forums including The National Press Club and Harvard University, and is a member of the Board of Directors for The Society for Classical Learning. He and his wife Rachel and their 11 children live on a family homestead near Greensboro, North Carolina.

Andrea Nasfell

Andrea Nasfell

Andrea Nasfell is an award-winning screenwriter whose most recently produced film is the family comedy “Moms’ Night Out” directed by the Erwin Brothers for Sony AFFIRM/Provident Films. She also wrote the TV movies “Silver Bells” and “Christmas Angel”, the most-watched movie on UP TV in 2012. Her films “Christmas with a Capitol C” and “What If…” were both nominated for Epiphany Prizes in TV and film. “What If…” was selected by Movieguide as one of 2010’s “Ten Best Films for Family Audiences” and “Christmas with a Capitol C” won their Faith & Freedom Award. As a graduate of Act One: Writing for Hollywood, Andrea frequently serves as a script consultant and screenwriting lecturer. She is a graduate of Asbury University and is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University.

Barry Cook

Barry Cook

Barry Cook is a veteran of film and animation with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. His career began at Hanna-Barbera Studios, where he worked as an assistant animator on the pilot episode of the “Smurfs.” In 1981 he moved to the Walt Disney Studios where he lent his talents as an effects animator to such notable features as “Tron,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin.”

In 1992 Barry made his directing debut with the CG short “Off His Rockers,” followed by the Disney/Amblin short “Trail Mix-Up” starring Roger Rabbit.

His feature debut was in 1998 with “Mulan” which became an instant Disney classic and earned over $300 million in worldwide box office receipts. For his work on the picture, Barry received the International Animated Film Society’s Annie Award for best individual achievement for feature directing.

Barry also developed the feature film properties “My Peoples” for Disney and “Mean Margaret” for Starz Entertainment. In 2008, LAIKA Entertainment hired Barry as a development director where he co-wrote the screenplay for the CG feature project “Jack & Ben.”

In 2009 Barry signed with Aardman Animations and co-directed their hilarious CG animated feature “Arthur Christmas” which was released by Sony/Columbia Pictures in 2011.

Barry’s most recent feature film “Walking with Dinosaurs” was released in December of 2013 from 20th Century Fox. The film’s innovative look was achieved by combining photo-realistic animation with stunning live-action vistas shot in Alaska and New Zealand.

Kathy Campbell

Kathy Campbell

Kathy Campbell is the owner of Heyman Talent Louisville. She works as a booking agent and is responsible for developing new business and administrating the Louisville office of the agency. Kathy has a business degree in marketing and has a broad background in business management and sales.

For many years her volunteer work was in the arts, volunteering on the boards of multiple theater groups. Kathy saw many talented actors and was always encouraging them to audition and advising them about performing opportunities. A talent agent was born. In lieu of starting off on her own, she joined with Lynne Heyman of Heyman Talent Agency to build a stronger, multi-state operation. Together Heyman Talent Agency has become one of the strongest agencies in the Midwest.

Kathy has booked roles on commercials, television shows, industrials, feature films and many projects. She also develops commercial and fashion models and has the strongest division of runway models in the region.

2013

Christopher Bessette

Christopher Bessette

Christopher Bessette is an award winning Director, Producer, and writer. In 2012, Bessette was honored with a Premier’s Award Nomination by Niagara College. Most recently, he directed “Trade of Innocents” which will have a special screening during our Engaging Culture Weekend. Bessette’s career has led him internationally in search of compelling stories and has fueled his desire to right wrongs found in our world. He has had the honor to work with producers in 13 different nations. Through his various travels, Bassette has gained a unique perspective on differing cultures and worldviews in relation to film and the distinctive ways stories can be told. This wide view has propelled his ability to create impactful stories that are well-comprised and often life-altering.

Honing in on his skills and talents, Bassette was given the challenge of writing and directing “The Enemy of God”, a film that covers 50 years of an Amazonian tribe. He incorporated 300 natives, with 86 separate speaking parts. Most of the natives used had never seen a motion-picture, and Bassette was able to overcome the obstacles and make it into an award-winning feature film.

“Working internationally has definitely given me and edge to relating to and discovering nuance of human communication, I love working with actors to find truth in the scenes and respect my crew for their talents and contribution. I believe each story, like the flow of life, has a rhythm all its own. Once you capture the rhythm, it resonates as truth with the audience and they are moved,” Bessette says.

Bessette knows all aspects of the film process and knows that great stories don’t get told unless a team comes together and works as one towards a common goal.

Lana Corbi

Lana Corbi

Lana Corbi, a prominent business leader who has been known as one of the top executives in television, will be among the judges at the 2013 Highbridge Film Festival. Corbi and her husband are currently the co-owners of Strategically Armored and Fortified Environments (SAFE). Previously, she served as Fox Broadcasting Company’s President of Network Distribution and was the principle liaison between the network and its broadcast affiliates.

During her time with Fox Broadcasting she helped to establish the company as one of the nation’s strongest broadcast networks and to launch Fox Sports, Fox News, and the Fox Children’s Network. She also served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Crown Media Holdings, Inc., the parent company of the globally distributed Hallmark Channel. Corbi later became the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hallmark Channel’s domestic channel.

Brian Godawa

Brian Godawa

Filmmaker. Designer. Author. Speaker. Brian Godawa wears many hats. For more than 20 years, Godawa has worked in the professional media industry. Actors, clients, writers, and experts in the fields of filmmaking, design, and writing describe him as a “great writer,” “top notch,” an “actor’s director,” and “humble.” Godawa’s first feature film "To End All Wars" earned him the title of award-winning screenwriter. The film was awarded the Commander in Chief Medal of Service, Honor and Pride by The Veterans of Foreign Wars, it swept the first Heartland Film Festival, and was selected to be showcased at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival Cinema for Peace. His awards list does not stop there though. Godawa has numerous credits and further film and screenwriting awards to his name. Additionally, he has years of experience in marketing, advertising, and graphic design and has established an in-house ad agency and a start-up boutique design firm. Godawa is a renowned author and international speaker on the subjects of art, movies, worldviews, and faith. His book "Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom and Discernment" is known, read, and loved by many and studied by students across the country including Asbury undergraduates.

Rodney Charters

Rodney Charters

Rodney Charters, a distinguished director and cinematographer, is most widely recognized as the cinematographer for the popular television political thriller “24”, starring Kiefer Sutherland as agent Jack Bauer. It was Rodney’s keen understanding of documentary filmmaking that was needed to create the intense realism of “24” never before seen on a network primetime series. Charters’ first feature was working 2nd Unit on the film,"Youngblood". His first American work was the television movie "Psycho IV". He has been nominated twice for an Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography, and in 2013 The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) awarded him the Life Time Achievement Award for Television.

2012

Peter Lehman

Peter J. Lehman

Peter J. Lehman's career as a composer, sound designer, and mixer spans over 20 years in creative audio. His work on "Braveheart" garnered an Oscar for Best Sound Effects Editing and a MPSE Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Effects Editing. His work has also received six other Golden Reel Nominations and numerous other awards. Along with his accomplishments as a veteran sound designer, he has composed a produced music for several blockbuster feature films and dozens of the most popular themed attractions around the world. His experience as a mixer on-site in some of the most challenging venues and attractions in the world sets him apart as one of the most experienced and knowledgeable individuals working in the themed entertainment industry today. Peter has also lent his talents to some of the most highly regarded gaming titles of recent years. A partial credit list featuring some of his most notable screen credits includes: "Braveheart", "The Prince of Egypt", "Mulan", "True Lies", "Jerry Maguire", "Homeward Bound", "Heat", "Outbreak", "Grumpy Old Men".

Peter has also worked for theme parks such as Universal Studios for venues that include "King Kong", "Spiderman", "The Mummy and The Simpsons".

His audio work for gaming projects includes notable products from Electronic Arts such as Madden NFL Football, Superman Returns, and NCAA Football.

Brian Baugh

Brian Baugh

Brian Baugh is a director and screenwriter based in Los Angeles with over 15 years of experience in the film industry. He is best known for directing the teen drama "To Save a Life".

His creative endeavors began in Seattle as a flannel clad high schooler making lots of bad movies, directing theater, and playing grunge music. This lead him to USC's School of Cinematic Arts and after graduating with honors, he received a graduate scholarship to attend the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Then he spent the next ten years as a cinematographer shooting over twenty features ("The Ultimate Gift", "An American Carol", "Jack and the Beanstalk"), as well as shooting and directing dozens of commercials. After his work on "To Save a Life", he was asked to write and co-write several features, which he is attached to direct, that are all currently in development. His desire is to tell stories that inspire audiences, foster justice and healing, or expand imagination and wonder in the world.

Karen Covell

Karen Covell

Karen is a television producer, Director of Hollywood Prayer Network (HPN) and co-founder and producer for JC Productions, an independent television and music production company.

Ms. Covell has had extensive experience producing TV specils, documentaries and children's programming; such as coordinating producer for the PAX special Changed Lives: Miracles of the Passion, as associate producer for Headliners & Legends with Matt Lauer, and as co-producer for the television special America's Throwaway Children, starring Dennis Franz and Danny Glover. She also produced a documentary DVD for HPN entitled The Hollywood Tribe and she has most recently written episodes of the new TV Series The Incurables. She created and produced the rock gospel music show pilot Good News Rock, and was associate producer with Shari Lewis Home Video including One Minute Bedtime Stories and One Minute Bible Stories. Ms. Covell was the post-production producer for the animation company TMS Entertainment, Inc.

Janet Batchler

Janet Batchler

In addition to her teaching post at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, Batchler is a well-respected and accomplished writer in the film and production industry. Batchler, along with her husband and partner Lee Batchler, are well known for their scripts "Smoke and Mirrors", "Batman Forever", and "My Name is Modesty."

2011

Kristin Lauterbach

Kristin Ross Lauterbach

Kristin Ross Lauterbach is a film director with a wide variety of professional experience. Kristin, started her career in Los Angeles working with director Gary Fleder and then movedon to work with the president of 20th Century Fox Films, Joe Hartwick. She went on to become a Manager in Feature Production before leaving Fox to direct and produce full time.

Kristin has made several successful fictional shorts, which demonstrate her creativity and unique insight. "Food for Thought," takes and ironic look at death was produced in conjunction with Fox Films. "Midnight Clear," which was sold and distributed through Loinsgate Films, is based on Kristin's once estranged relationship with her younger brother and explores the depths of sibling relationships. "The Witch of Portobell," based on Paulo coelho's novel of the same name. In addition, Kristin has made several experimental spoken word short films, "Ambition," "Move," and "Intersections," all of which are poems with the themes of self-reflection.

Kristin's interest in social and jhuman right issues has led her to promote awareness and provide relief for people who are suffering around the world. Her latest endeavor "Flesh," is an exploration of the widely overlooked, yet widespread, practice of sex trafficking in the United States. Kristin has also directed several short-length documentaries. Of these, "Emthonjeni: South Africa," a profile of a sttlement outside of Johannesburg, and "Help Haiti Heal," which shows the devastating effects of the 2008 flooding in Haiti, have together raised well over half a million dollars in relief money for victims of poverty and natural disaster in those countries.

Bob Yerkes

Bob Yerkes

Stuntman Bob Yerkes (rhymes with "circus") is an ex-circus man who has become a legend in the world of motion picture stunts. Performing in stunts for over 50 years, Bob has doubled such stars as Paul Newman, Robert Duval, and Arnold Schqarzenegger just to name a few. For ten years he taught a seemingly endless number of celebrities circus acts for the "Circus of the Stars" television specials in the 1980's. Bob resides in Northridge, California where he trains numerous stunt performers in his backyard. Most recently, Bob worked in "Water for Elephants" coming out April 22 starring Reese Witherspoon and was Exec Producer and appeared in the independent film - "Butterfly Circus." He has received the World Acrobatics Society's Lifetime Achievement Award - Gallery of Acrobatic Legends.

Movies in which you may have seen Bob's extraordinary stunts include:

Batman movies
Poseidon Adventure
Towering Inferno
Earthquake
Back to the Future I, II, III
Remo Williams (Award for Best High work)
Commando (Doubled for Schwarzenegger)
Return of the Jedi and many more.

Peter Lehman

Peter J. Lehman

Peter J. Lehman's career as a composer, sound designer, mixer spans over 20 years in creative audio. His work on "Braveheart" garnered an Oscar for Best Sound Effects Editing and an MPSE Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Effects Editing. His work has also received six other Golden Reel Nominations and numerous other awards. Along with his accomplishments as a veteran sound designer, he has composed and produced music for several blockbuster feature films and dozens of the most popular themed attractions around the world. His experience as a mixer on-site in some of the most challenging venues and attractions in the world sets him apart as one of the most experienced and knowledgeable individuals working in the themed entertainment industry today. Peter has also lent his talents to some of the most highly regarded gaming titles of recent years. A partial credit list featuring some of the most notable screen credits includes: "Braveheart," "The Prince of Egypt," "Mulan," "True Lies," "Jerry Maguire," "Homeward Bound," "Heat," "Outbreak," Grumpy Old Men."

Petere has also worked for theme parks such as Universal Studios for venues that include King Kong, Spiderman, The Mummy and The Simpsons.

His audio work for gaming projects includes notable products from Electronic Arts such as Madden NFL Football, Superman, Returns, and NCAA Football.

Mark Fincannon

Mark Fincannon, C.S.A.

Mark is a casting director with Fincannon & Associates, Inc.

Although this is a renowned casting company for Southeastern U.S. Motion Picture & Television Casting, it has been involved in literally hundreds of films and television shows around the world. These include "The Blind Side," "The Princess and the Frog," "The Patriot," "Evan Almighty," "Dawson's Creek" and many more.

2010

Beverly Holloway

Beverly Holloway

Beverly Holloway, a Casting Society of America member, has worked in LA as a Casting Director for TV and feature film projects for over 13 years. Focusing primarily on independent films, Beverly has had the opportunity to work with some of the best actors in the industry. Her credits include the David Zucker comedy An American Carol (Starring Kelsey Grammer, Jon Voight, James Woods, Dennis Hopper, Kevin Farley), The Ultimate Gift (Starring James Garner, Abigail Breslin Drew Fuller, Brain Dennehy), Bobby Jones: STroke of Genius (STarring Jim Ceviezel, Claire Forlani, Malcolm McDowell, Jeremy Northam), and the soon to be released award winning film Like Dandelion Dust (Starring Mira Sorvino, Barry Pepper, Cole Hauser). (For a full list of credits go to http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0391291/)

Jamey Durham

Jamey Durham

Jamey Durham is an award winning filmmaker and video producer. His first feature-length film The Prairie Pirates won Best Children's Film at The Creation Arts Film Festival. His second feature length film Winning Favor, starring Matthew Ashford, was released in February. Jamey earned his MFA in Screen and Script Writing form Regent University. He resides in Orange City with his wife of 16 years and their three children.

Sean McComber

Sean McComber

Sean McComber has traveled everywhere from Dallas, Texas to Mumbai, India for his work, which focuses in Animation.

He attended Asbury University 1998-2000 and traveled with the Media Communications Department to the Sydney Olympics, after which he transferred to the Savannah College of Art and Design (S.C.A.D.). After graduating S.C.A.D. with a B.F.A. in Computer in 2004 he became part of the AnimationMentor.com program where he was picked up for an apprenticeship at Rhythm and Hues Studios, working on Alvin and the Chipmunks.

His animation career has soared since Alvin and the Chipmunks; he’s worked on well-known movies Open Season 2 and Land of the Lost.

Phil Cooke

Phil Cooke

Phil Cooke is a writer, speaker, filmmaker, and Media Consultant. His work focuses on creating cultures that foster change and platforms in which creative ideas become reality.

To generate his vision, Cooke works through his Media Company, Cooke Pictures, advising many of the largest, most effective churches and Media Ministries in the world. As a working producer in Hollywood with a Ph.D. in Theology, Cooke is unique, and Christianity Today magazine calls him a “media guru.”

As a founding partner in the commercial production company Thomas Winter Cooke (TWC) Films, he produces national advertising for some of the largest companies in the country, including two TV commercials for the Super Bowl 2008.

His books and online blog are changing the way religious organizations use the media to tell their story. He's lectured at universities including Yale, the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of California at Los Angeles. In addition, he serves as an adjunct professor at The King's College & Seminary and Biola University in Los Angeles.

 

Colmon Elridge III

In December of 2007, Colmon Elridge was appointed Executive Assistant to Governor Steve Beshear and Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Faith Based Initiatives. At 27 he is the youngest Executive Director for the White House Faith Based Initiatives in the nation.

Colmon is from Cynthiana, Kentucky and attended Transylvania University where he obtained a degree in History with a minor in Education. After his Bachelor’s he pursued a Master’s in Public Administration at Eastern Kentucky University, and he secured a Master’s in Business Administration at Sullivan University.

A highly decorated speaker, Colmon has traveled across the nation delivering a message of strength in our moments of weakness and humility in our moments of strength. In the summer of 2009, Colmon was elected Vice-President of the Young Democrats of America by the largest margin of victory in the 77-year history of the organization, which was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Colmon has been fortunate to perform in a host of plays and musicals including Neil Simon's Rumors, in which he played the lead role of Lenny, and Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado, in which he played the lead role of KoKo. He has also shared the silver screen in the independent film The Detail, in which he played the lead role of Tommy and in the major motion picture Seabiscuit.

Colmon, his wife Victoria, and their son Col, live in Lexington.

2009

Michael Flaherty

Michael Flaherty

Michael Flaherty co-founded Walden Media in 1999 with his former college roommate, Cary Granat. Walden's Mission is to rekindle curiosity and recapture imagination through the development and production of family films and literature. Walden has financed and produced a number of films, such as The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, Charlotte's Web, Bridge to Terabithia, Holes, Because of Winn-Dixie, and Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D. Through its publishing division, Walden has also co-published a number of award-winning books, including Mike Lupica's Comeback Kids series and the New York Times bestseller Savvy by first-time author Ingrid Law.

Michael Corwin

Michael Corwin

Michael Corwin is currently the President and COO of Highway Media, Inc., a privately-held, independent media company that produces, acquires, finances, and distributes short films for us in church worship settings, Highway's films provide Christian leaders with Biblically-based, artistically-inspired, and culturally relevant tools for communicating in a post-modern, media saturated culture (http://www.highwayvideo.com).

Jason Epperson

Jason Epperson

In an exhaustive worldwide search of more than 12,000 applicants, Steven Spielberg hand-picked 50 Filmmakers to participate in a competition to find the newest, freshest, and most talented director in the world. On The Lot was a joint venture created by Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg. After 14 weeks, 7 Short films, and lots of sleepless nights, Jason Epperson finished 1st Runner-Up in the competition.

Brian Godawa

Brian Godawa

Brian Godawa is the screenwriter for the award-winning feature film, To End All Wars. Most recently, he adapted to film the best-selling novel The Visitation by author Frank Peretti for Ralph Winter (X-Men, Fantastic Four), and wrote and directed Wall of Separation, a PBS documentary and Lines That Divide, a documentary on stem cell research. He is attached to direct his award-winning horror script, Cruel Logic, for Boulevard Pictures. Mr. Godawa’s scripts have won multiple awards in screenplay competitions and his articles on movies and philosophy have been published around the world. His book, Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom and Discernment (InterVarsity Press) is in its ninth printing.

Beverly Holloway

Beverly Holloway

Beverly Holloway, a Casting Society of America member, has worked in LA as a Casting Director for TV and feature film projects for over 13 years. Focusing primarily on independent films, Beverly has had the opportunity to work with some of the best actors in the industry. Her credits include the David Zucker comedy An American Carol (Starring Kelsey Grammer, Jon Voight, James Woods, Dennis Hopper, Kevin Farley), The Ultimate Gift (Starring James Garner, Abigail Breslin Drew Fuller, Brain Dennehy), Bobby Jones: STroke of Genius (STarring Jim Ceviezel, Claire Forlani, Malcolm McDowell, Jeremy Northam), and the soon to be released award winning film Like Dandelion Dust (Starring Mira Sorvino, Barry Pepper, Cole Hauser). (For a full list of credits go to http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0391291/)

Dennis Babcock

Dennis Babcock

Dennis Babcock is President of PalmTree Productions, Inc. and Triple Espresso, where he serves as Executive Producer of Triple Espresso, a highly-caffeinated comedy. He is also Producer for Mr. Wonder Boy. Bob Briner’s Lambs Among Wolves, a book about the impact of Christians working in the cultural mainstream, featured and referred to Babcock as “perhaps the ultimate professional theatrical veteran.” The idea of being a light in the darkness, rather than deserting the arts and entertainment world to take refuge in the Christian sub-culture, has been a guiding force in his desire to promote wholesome, high-quality entertainment projects and is the genesis for the PalmTree vision.

2008

Bruce Broughton

Bruce Broughton

Bruce Broughton composes in almost every medium, from theatrical motion pictures and television to computer games, in styles ranging from large symphonic settings ("Silverado") to contemporary electronic scores (the recently Emmy-nominated "The Dive from Clausen's Pier"). Broughton has written the scores for major motion pictures such as "Tombstone," "Lost In Space," "Young Sherlock Holmes" and "Bambi II." With 23 nominations, he has received 10 Emmy awards, most recently for his score to the HBO movie, "Warm Springs." His television credits include the main title themes for "Jag" and Steven Spielberg's "Tiny Toon Adventures," as well as the scores for countless television series ("Dallas," "Quincy," "Hawaii Five-O") and movies and mini-series ("The Blue and the Gray," True Women"). His score for "Heart of Darkness" was the first orchestral score composed for a CD-ROM game.

Clayton Ferguson

Clayton Ferguson

After a successful transition into artist and touring management in the music industry, Ferguson joined Walden Media, the film company that would bring C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia" to the big screen. While there, Ferguson developed a marketing approach to soundtrack promotion that was so successful he was appointed to expand these approaches into film marketing. Ferguson directed key marketing initiatives for "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" (2005), "Hoot" (2006), "Charlotte’s Web" (2006), and "Amazing Grace" (2007). In 2007 Ferguson moved to Becker Group, an experiential marketing company. Clayton produced the promotional "Big Cheese Tour" for Disney/Pixar’s "Ratatouille" and is now producing "The Chronicles of Narnia - The Exhibit" opening in June 2008 - a 10,000 sq. ft. interactive and educational exhibit scheduled to tour internationally over five years. Ferguson lives with his wife in Eagle Rock, CA.

Erik Lokkesmoe

Erik Lokkesmoe

Erik Lokkesmoe is the founder and managing partner of DIFFERENT DRUMMER, a social good media and marketing firm. Erik recently left AFG/Walden Media/Bristol Bay Productions where he served as the VP of Strategic Partnership and Outreach. An author, political and celebrity speechwriter, and former Capital Hill press secretary, Erik has a MA in Public Communication from American University, with an emphasis in Social Marketing. He and his wife, Monica, have two children and split time between Malibu and Capital Hill.