KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Micheal Flaherty
Co-Founder, Walden Media & President, Think Again studios

Mike Flaherty, President of Think Again Studios, previously co-founded Walden Media where he developed, financed, and produced films grossing over $3.3B at the Global Box Office, including The Chronicles of Narnia, Charlotte’s Web, Amazing Grace, Holes, Because of Winn Dixie, Bridge to Terabithia, The Giver and more.

Prior to founding Walden Media in 2001, Flaherty designed innovative curricula in the Boston Public School System, which captured national attention from The Wall Street Journal and The Boston Globe. He designed the curriculum and taught for the Steppingstone Magnet Program for students in the worst public school cluster in Boston. As a result of his curriculum, the percentage of minority students in the troubled school district who gained admissions to Boston’s elite exam schools increased by more than 1000%.

As an author, Flaherty has been published in National Review, The Boston Business Journal and American Spectator. He also worked as a speechwriter for William Bulger, former President of the Massachusetts Senate, and Tom Reilly, the Massachusetts Attorney General. Flaherty is a graduate of Tufts University.

Mike Bamiloye was born 13th April, 1960, in Ilesa, Osun State, Western Region of Nigeria. He studied English Language and Education from the College of Education, Ilesa, Osun State in 1983. He is a Christian drama minister, script writer, actor, movie producer and director. He is an author and drama ministry teacher and trainer.

He and his wife, Gloria Bamiloye, are Founders and Presidents of Mount Zion Faith Ministries International, a non-profit drama and film production ministry founded in 1985. The ministry eventually became the major independent Christian drama and film production organization in Nigeria. Mike is the Executive Director of Mount Zion Institute of Christian Drama, Nigeria with her main campus in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, a Christian drama and film school which has trained more than four thousand students since its inception in 1991.

He is Executive Director, Mount Zion Institute Alumni International Fellowship, which has active members in 60 nations.  He is the Chairman of MZIAIF International Christian Film Festival, a global outreach arm of MZIAIF serving Christian film makers from over 5 countries. He is Executive Director, Mount Zion Film Productions, Nigeria, which has produced and released more than 200 Christian movies, with some of the movies voiced over in foreign languages.

Mike Bamiloye
Founder Mt. Zion Film & TV - Africa

Christina Lee Storm is an award-winning producer and executive known for her expertise in the intersection of storytelling and technology. She has worked across various mediums, including film, television, short-form content, animation, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and the emerging field of the metaverse.

With a diverse background in the entertainment industry, Christina has been instrumental in implementing advanced production technologies, spearheading virtual production initiatives, and driving innovation in content creation. As Director of Virtual Production at Netflix, Christina focused on creating worldwide virtual production ecosystems and hubs to foster growth, talent, and adoption of real-time and virtual production across Netflix’s films, series, and ancillary content while working with filmmakers and key industry partners.

Christina founded ASHER XR to implement strategic and creative development of real-time, virtual production, AI, and emerging technology for linear and multi-platform storytelling. She served as Head of Content and Acquisitions for Positron, whose mission is to bring premium cinematic XR experiences to all audiences. Previously as Vice President of Business Operations, Strategy, & Emerging Technology at DreamWorks Animation, Christina led the Advanced Creative Technology group, advocating for the future of content creation. She produced award-winning VR experiences for the “How to Train Your Dragon” franchise (Winner of Lumiere, Infinity Festival Award, 2 time Nominee of Producers Guild of America’s Innovation Award), AR projects for “Trolls World Tour” & “Abominable,” and producer of interactive real-time “Kung Fu Panda” experience for Universal Studios Beijing. Christina’s passion for making films with profound themes led her to produce “Solitary” with David Oyelowo and BRON Studios. She has collaborated with filmmakers from around the world — working on Oscar-winning films “The Artist” and “Life of Pi,” producing the award-winning short documentary “Life After Pi,” and most recently as Consulting Producer for “Jurassic Punk.”

Christina Lee Stom
Founder & CEO, Asher XR

Darren Moorman is a seasoned producer and the head of Reserve Entertainment. He has worked with studios that include MGM, Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures and Netflix.

Reserve develops and produces high-quality films and television programming that not only entertains, but also Influences, Impacts and Inspires audiences. Working with Paramount Pictures, Darren produced Same Kind Of Different As Me. The movie starred Academy Award® nominated actors Renee Zellweger, Greg Kinnear, Djimon Hounsou, and Jon Voight. 

Darren also created and produced the television show Mark Hamill’s Pop Culture Quest with Lionsgate. Reserve Entertainment latest release was Blue Miracle, which stars Dennis Quaid a Netflix Original, and has had huge success since its release! 

He is in post-Production on a feature film entitled SIGHT starring Greg Kinnear! Reserve just wrapped principal photography on a few other Features, THE HILL starring Dennis Quaid, and BOYS OF SUMMER starring Mel Gibson and Kevin James, and SWEETWATER starring Cary Elwes, Kevin Pollak, Jim Caviezel, and Richard Dreyfus. Darren and his wife Krista live in California with their two sons, Eli and Zion.

Darren Moorman
Owner, Reserve Entertainment

Ralph is the Head of Creative for Sphere Studios, leading various teams making cinematic immersive experiences for Sphere Entertainment in Las Vegas.

Before coming to Sphere Studios, Ralph has been producing television and motion pictures, including two of the top ten movie franchises of all time.  Winter produced four of the STAR TREK films, the first four X-MEN movies, Tim Burton’s PLANET OF THE APES, and the FANTASTIC FOUR movies.  He has also produced THE GIVER, starring Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep; THE PROMISE with Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac, the story of the Armenian Genocide in 1915; the pilot of ALTERED CARBON with Miguel Sapochnik directing for Netflix; and ADRIFT, with Shailene Woodley, directed by Baltasar Kormakur, shot in Fiji.  He also produced the pilot for HBO Max, TOKYO VICE, with Michael Mann directing, shot in Japan.

Last year he Executive Produced HOCUS POCUS 2 for Disney, starring Bette Midler.  Ralph was also the EP on the first Hocus Pocus feature in 1993. He is an active member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the Directors Guild, and the Producers Guild of America.

Ralph Winter
American Film Producer, Head of Madison Square Garden Sphere Studios

Because we’re called to be strong, courageous Christian leaders, turmoil or adversity cannot be an excuse for preventing triumphant success. International speaker, author and founder of JC Empowerment Ministries, Janet Perez Eckles, has been called the excuse eraser. Her complete blindness, the murder of her son, the acquittal of the man responsible, and the abandonment of her husband could not stop Janet from rising above and reaching glorious victory, joy, and success.

Janet’s illustration of perseverance, because of her faith in God, has been transforming thousands across the globe. Her writings appear in her own five books, in 32 Chicken Soup for the Soul bestselling titles, dozens of anthologies, and hundreds of magazine articles.

In addition to being featured on the cover of Hispanic Woman Magazine, Janet’s story has appeared on Fox 35 News affiliates, the Spanish sister network of Good Morning America, the 700 Club, Focus on the Family, Univision, and Telemundo networks, along with regional, national, and international radio and television outlets.

Janet Eckles (Devotional Speaker)
International Speaker & Author

Bill McKendry is the founder and chief creative officer at HAVEN | a creative hub, which he launched after heading Hanon McKendry, being vice chairman and chief creative officer of JDA Worldwide, serving at Tracy-Locke/BBDO | Denver, co-founding Compass College of Film + Media, and winning over 1,200 national and international awards in advertising and marketing. 
 
Bill is also founder of the nonprofit organization Do More Good® and author of a bestselling book by the same name. He was inducted into the American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) National Hall of Achievement for his cause work.
 
He Gets Us is a $100+ million-dollar campaign to raise the respect and relevance of Jesus in our culture and it has been hitting TV, billboard and digital airways since March of 2022 under Bill’s leadership. He and his team placed two commercials in the 2023 Super Bowl with incredible build-up and outcomes. He Gets Us became the most talked about advertiser in this year’s Super Bowl and the aftereffects are still being calculated and felt today.

Bill McKendry
Founder & Chief Creative Officer of HAVEN

Dan Rupple’s unique strength lies in his ability to integrate the cultural insights of a media professional with the visionary voice and inspirational heart of a pastor. Dan Rupple has over 40 years of media experience as a respected producer, writer and speaker. Today, Dan serves as CEO of Mastermedia International, a respected voice of faith and trusted Christian presence within the mainstream global media industry.

Mastermedia consults regularly with leading media executives and influencers world-wide. In his ten years as a supervisor at CBS Television, he oversaw some of the most iconic shows in America television history, including The Price Is Right and The Late Show with David Letterman. Later Dan served as head of digital programming and development for five Internet TV companies. Dan began his career as a founding member of the pioneering Christian comedy team Isaac Air Freight.

Dan is co-founder and Honorary Chairman of the national Christian Comedy Association and is a contributing partner of the Windrider Summit at the Sundance Film Festival. He is an honored graduate of Biola University, with MFA work in Screenwriting from Regent University and an ordained minister.
Dan has been married to the love of his life Peggy, for over 45 years, and together they celebrate three  married children and seven wonderful grandkids. Today, Dan and Peggy co-hosts the popular podcast, Life Off Screen.

Dan Rupple
CEO, Mastermedia/Act One

WORKSHOP SPEAKERS

Learn more about our workshop speakers.

Distribution Workshop - jared Geesey (former ICVM President)
SVP Global Distribution for Angel Studios

Jared Geesey has worked at the intersection of technology and entertainment for over 20 years and is currently Senior VP of Global Distribution at Angel Studios, a platform and distribution company empowering filmmakers to crowdfund, create, and distribute films and TV series globally, backed by more than 70,000 investors in the Angel Guild.
He launched Angel Studios theatrical division with “His Only Son”, debuting at #3 in the box office, and the surprise summer box office breakout hit “Sound of Freedom”, which opened at #1 on July 4. Through Angel Studios’ flagship original series ‘The Chosen’, he established a network of over one hundred distribution and licensing partners around the world in 27 countries and counting, with views for The Chosen now over 550 million worldwide directly through Angel Studios streaming platform. He built the first transactional VOD platform for the faith and family market at ChristianCinema.com in 2014. He then pioneered the first TV series to broadcast on Facebook Live in 2017. In 2020, he launched Trellis Virtual Cinema to help filmmakers directly reach audiences with premium ticketed showtimes available to watch at home. Jared is an advocate for creators connecting directly with their audience, innovating new distribution models to support that connection and to generate revenue that pays back film investors.

Paula Bryant-Ellis is CEO of Mary Esther Ruth, Inc., aka MER Productions, a feature film and television production company based in Los Angeles, CA.
Some of Paula’s notable credits include Executive Producer & Co-creator of the provocative new OWN series, All The Single Ladies; Executive Producer, Creator, and Director of Behind Her Faith on AMC’s AllBlk network, which features Niecy Nash, Essence Atkins, Aisha Hinds, and Angelica Nwandu; and Producer of the animated scripted series Daytime Noir for FX nominated for the Sundance Short-Film Grand Jury Award.
Prior to returning to the entertainment industry in 2016, where Paula started her career as an accountant in television at A.H. Belo Corporation, she held multiple leadership roles in banking and finance including Chief Operating Officer. As COO she was responsible for the strategic and operational direction for a $20 billion sales & servicing division with over 600 employees.
She’s studied filmmaking and producing at the New York Film Academy in New York and Los Angeles. She’s a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management, in Cambridge, MA; she holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a BA in Accounting from Concordia University in Austin, Texas.
Her and her husband Wendell have been married 41 years. They have one son and one grandchild and reside in Los Angeles, CA.

Production Workshop - Paula Bryant Ellis
CEO of MER Productions

Tiffany Long began her career in Nashville over 28 years ago in film and video post-production which led to many years working in the music business producing commercial photography, album packaging and music videos. Over the last seventeen years, her career has evolved into multi-faceted leadership on theatrical film marketing campaigns and in 2015 she founded Troops & Allies, a company dedicated to telling women about things they will love. Tiffany strives for Troops & Allies to be a place where trusted relationships are formed with the women and men who are shaping the culture of entertainment and education in the world of faith, family and inspirational content.   With notable clients such as Lionsgate, Kingdom Story Company, Sony Pictures and Sony Affirm, Roadside Attractions, Twentieth Century Fox, and Franklin Entertainment, Tiffany has worked on films that have amassed approximately $600 million in domestic box office. Most recently, Troops & Allies was the lead marketing agency responsible for the campaign to the faith audience for Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company’s box office success, Jesus Revolution. Other film campaigns Tiffany and Troops & Allies have been part of include A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, American Underdog, Breakthrough, I Can Only Imagine, Risen, Miracles From Heaven, The Star and more.   Tiffany is a unique Nashville native who loves travel, hiking, and reading. She and her husband, Russ, have two boys at home and one in college at The University of Vermont.

Marketing Workshop - Tiffany Long
Founder & President, Troops & Allies

Michael Vossler is the Founder of Vossler Media Group, Vossler Studios, and co-founder of Optic8 integration. He has been working as a creative director in the media industry for over 20 years. Michael is a Visionary and futurist with a passion for creating immersive experiences with positive emotional impact. He is a composer and musician with many years of experience touring and engineering a vast array of projects. From content design to high-tech visual system design, Michael has decades of experience working with larger-than-life formats and more recently, Virtual Production. Michael’s passion is to understand the nuances of sound and light and how they affect human emotion.

Virtual Production Workshop - Michael Vossler
Founder of Vossler media Group

Dan spent 8 years in the industry as a musician and composer, before turning his efforts to business development. For the next 15 years, Dan worked with startup or struggling companies to help them succeed or reinvent themselves. With 9 patented products, including the GaffGun, his passion is to invent tools that help move technology and industries forward. He is now the President of Optic8 integration which focuses on LED volumes, immersive experiences and new product innovations.

Virtual Production Workshop - Dan Kretz
President of Optic8

Tom Bassford is founder and President of Significant Matters, a non-profit organization working with churches and other faith-based groups wanting to move beyond the “helping that hurts” narrative.  He’s also the creator of SaTtalks. Before founding Significant Matters, he pastored for over 30 years and has been involved in the work of church missions both locally and internationally for over 40 years.  “Our particular niche is to help churches reframe missions around sustainable solutions and create room for business-minded people who can help that happen.”

Investing Workshop - Tom Bassford
CEO | COO EquityVest

See Full Agenda
July 28, 2023

Register

Join our virtual event to learn & network with storytellers, distributors, and investors. Free for current members. 

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$1K - 5K

Sponsor

Sponsorship packages are available as an opportunity to showcase your company before our virtual audience. 

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July 28, 2023

Exhibit

Host an Exhibit to showcase your company to a community of Christian storytellers, distributors, and investors. 

Exhibit
July 28, 2023

Agenda

See our full schedule with morning and afternoon sessions. Ongoing updates are being made. 

Agenda