Learn more about this seasons of talented directors
Episode 2 : Bread Alone
Writer/Director/Producer Brandon Adams
Born and raised in Boise, ID, Brandon Adams headed to Southern California in 2003 to tell stories. During his time at Chapman University as a Knott Scholar, Adams was mentored by screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz (Superman, Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun) and producer Mace Neufeld (Hunt for Red October, The Omen, Patriot Games) as part of Chapman’s Filmmaker in Residence program. Adams has gone on to write and direct another short film Seed For You as well as numerous commercial projects. In addition to his filmmaking, Adams teaches courses in systematic theology, which has a tremendous impact on the stories he tells. http://www.lightandheat.net
Episode 2: In Gods Hands
CJ JOHNSON
CJ Johnson is an award winning actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known in independent cinema circles as the “go to guy” for horror/sci-fi hybrid stories. In just a small time he has built a promising career with a diverse body of work in all genres. His hip-hop music video, “Motherless Child” was a critical hit and winner of BET’s “Ya heard?” Independent Music Videos Contest. He is only the second filmmaker to win back-to-back awards at the Tabloid Witch Awards for his breakout short films “The Signal” & “Creepers”. And his comedy short, “Venice Boulevard” was a finalist in the 2008 Scion-IFC.com Web Series Challenge. Currently, he is developing feature and television concepts while filming new episodes of of his comedy web series, “Venice Boulevard”.
Episode 5: Hands
When Sharon Arteaga turned fifteen, she convinced her parents that a video camera was a better investment than the Quinceañera they wanted her to have. She wrote and directed short films using her church youth group as cast, crew, and producers.
She received her B.S. in Radio, Television, Film in May 2009. While in school, she produced “Duplex,” a short film which won the Shorts Competition at the Binational Film Festival in El Paso, Texas. “hands.” was Sharon’s Undergraduate Thesis film. It was an Official Selection for the Imago Film Festival, New York’s Faith Film Festival, and is currently still in its festival
run.
Sharon’s latest short film, “When I Grow Up,” was completed in April 2010. It screened at this year’s NALIP Conference in Santa Monica, California, and won the Texas Archive of Moving Image (TAMI) award at Cine Las Americas international film festival.
She is currently writing two short films she plans to shoot by August and is writing 80 Candles,
a feature she would like to shoot late 2011. She loves God, a lot.
Episode 7 : Man Enough
Man Enough
Erika “E.Free” Freeman is an aspiring writer/director from Houston, TX that resides in Helena, AL, a suburb of Birmingham, AL with her husband and 2 boys.
When not filming, Erika lends both her time and talent to her other passion, empowering youth, through her organization SkinDeep Ministries. Erika remains a sought after motivational speaker for youth events and schools. She utilizes her “Worth My Destiny” program to encourage girls and young women to discover their true self-worth and fulfill their red carpet dreams.
As the owner of Skindeep Filmworks, Erika intends to use writing for television and film as a medium to inspire people to embrace truth, forgiveness, diversity, love, and faith. “MAN ENOUGH”, her first short film, premiered in Birmingham, AL in May of 2009 and was selected to screen at various U.S. film festivals. She is currently in postproduction on two film projects, a short and a documentary, highlighting critical teen issues, which is set for Summer 2010 release. Erika hopes to contribute more than just film to the world. She wants to contribute a reflective legacy.
Movies that take you beneath the surface
www.skindeepfilmworks.com
Episode 10: Another Journey
Majdi Ammari is a filmmaker from Jordan who is finishing his MFA in film at Ohio University. Before coming to the US, Ammari was a news director and editor for six years at Jordan Radio and TV Network. He is a translator from Arabic to English for film. Currently Ammari is a supervisor of the Multimedia Center at Ohio University’s Library. In 2000 his documentary Water Harvesting In Jordan was the Best Film in the Yarmouk Film Festival. His short The Cross won Best Show in the College Division 2009 Action Student Film Festival in Louisiana. Ammari shot and directed Another Journey selected for the Faith Film Festival 2010. Majdi Ammari is interested in developing filmmaking as a missionary tool. He believes in helping mend the world through art making. His interest in visual effects can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/user/Ammariism.
Episode 12: From Above
Name: Joel Guelzo
BIO: I used to play with GI Joe action figures a lot and pretend they were in an action movie when I was a kid. I would borrow my aunt’s VHS camera a lot to film my toys moving around on cardboard boxes. I fell in love with film making because I enjoyed taking the world I created in my mind and putting it on screen for everyone to see. Making films is the only way I know best how to express how I feel. I hope people can see that through the films I make.
Web Exlusive Bio
Listen My Children
Carol Runge: Director, Co-producer, Narrator, Additional Photography
Carol Runge is a 54-year-old mother. She lives with her husband, Howard, and their three children in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia overlooking the Shenandoah Valley. Carol is of Italian decent, and is Roman Catholic. She received a BA from Wellesley College in 1977 and a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Connecticut in 1989.
Although Carol has had no formal training in video production, she found to her surprise she had been given a natural acuity for filmmaking, a gift which she used in cooperation with the inspiration of Our Blessed Mother. Carol has a deep and unusual faith due to severe abuse she suffered during her young life. She and her family have consecrated their lives to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and plan to make more films according to Our Lady’s wishes. In March of 2009, Carol and her daughter, Catherine, completed their newest film intended for television entitled “Listen, My Children: The Fatima Message.”
