Posts in film
S13 E08: Come And Save Me with Danielson and Chris White

Film director Chris White and songwriter Daniel Smith of The Danielson Family have crafted an 8-minute short film/music video titled "Come and Save Me," a poignant exploration of acceptance and community as a cure to the loneliness epidemic of our post-pandemic world.

In this episode, Daniel and Chris share about the film’s inception, working with lead actor and comedian Fred Armisen, and why the arts play a central role in addressing social concerns.

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S9 E13: Electric Jesus with Chris White

Chris White is an award-winning filmmaker who has spent over a decade writing, directing, and producing a variety of feature length and short films. His most recent project is the music-centric, coming of age comedy Electric Jesus, which explores the world of a fictional 1980's Christian hair metal band called 316.

The film follows the band's journey from playing Bible camp talent shows to larger rock venues and gives an amusing look at youth culture during the time when heavy metal music was bathed in controversy.

The film stars Brian Baumgartner (better known as Kevin from The Office), also Judd Nelson (from The Breakfast Club), and newcomers Shannon Hutchinson (Assassinaut) and Andrew Eakle (Creepshow, The Glorias).

In addition to writing and directing Electric Jesus, Chris White also co-wrote original songs for the film, collaborating with composer/indie rock legend Daniel Smith of the Danielson Family.

In this episode, I talk with Chris about the making of the film, the art of satire and why thinking about humor as a spiritual practice is not funny.

Patrons of the podcast can enjoy additional segments of this conversation at: http://www.patreon.com/makersandmystics

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S8 E01: Hosea: A Modern Adaptation with Ryan Dobson & Michael Gungor

This Season Premiere Episode features a conversation with writer and director, Ryan Daniel Dobson of the feature film HOSEA, along with the film’s music composer, Michael Gungor of Gungor music and The Liturgists podcast.

After studying theology in college, Ryan turned his attention to the entertainment industry with a focus on marrying theological and philosophical concepts to powerful visual storytelling.

The feature film HOSEA follows this trajectory with a modern adaptation of the biblical narrative by the same name. The film takes place in the southern landscape of Oklahoma and follows the story of a young girl by the name of Cate and her childhood friend Henry. Cate’s story is one of substance abuse, mental illness, prostitution and the search for self-worth and acceptance.

In this episode, I talk with Ryan and Michael about the film, their creative collaboration and why it is important to reconsider familiar spiritual narratives apart from inherited cultural interpretations.

You can discover more about the film by visiting Hoseafilm.com

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S6 E13: The Poetic Encounter with Tinasha LaRayé

Tinasha LaRayé is a poet, actress, and filmmaker who has an intense passion to see nations transformed through storytelling. As a spoken word artist, she incorporates her theatrical world of acting to elevate poetry from the page to an encounter. From working with inner city kids, to young women, to budding creatives, she loves empowering individuals to move in their God-given voice, purpose, and power. Tinasha also desires to see the wound of racism healed in the United States and uses her creativity and teachings to equip this generation to walk out healing, justice, and unity. She currently serves as a pastor in Creative Arts at Bethel Church in Redding.

In today’s episode Stephen talks with Tinasha about her work as a poet and actress standing at the intersections of spiritual encounter and social justice. The two also talk about her film, Hope Song which explores the historical experience of Black people in America, and paints a poetic and prophetic vision for racial healing.

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