Spirit of Windrider Award

Recognizing Commitment In Encouraging The Creative Spirit To Impact Culture Through Film And Media

Each year, we honor an individual who embodies the heart of soul of Windrider.  We are always excited to feature our accomplished and eclectic Spirit of Windrider Award Recipients.  We take the time each year to go through a nomination, presentation and selection process, as we gather together to choose each year’s recipient.

We have been excited to honor the following individuals over the years.

2015 Spirit of Windrider Award Winner,
Monika Moreno-Lapp

“I honestly don’t think I would be where I am today without Monika’s unwavering belief in me. Sometimes that’s all that it takes.”– Barbara Stepansky, filmmaker; Angelus Award winner

Disruptor. Change Agent. Innovator. Nurturer. Mentor. Touchstone. All of these could be considered Monika Moreno’s monikers, according to those with whom she has collaborated or those whom she has guided along their journeys in the film world. These roles, and the qualities that are their underpinnings – commitment, passion, courage, innovation, creativity and tenacity – are what make Monika the very deserving recipient of the 2015 Spirit of Windrider Award.

Currently in its 11^th year, the Windrider Forum at the Sundance Film Festival has grown into a distinct community of seekers, scholars, and visionaries, equal parts cinema and Socratic dialogue, over an unparalleled weeklong experience of screenings, seminars and celebratory events. A collaboration between The Priddy Brothers, Fuller Theological Seminary and numerous undergraduate film schools, the Windrider Forum brings together graduate and undergraduate film and theology students, in the immersive environment of one of the world’s premier film festivals.

One centerpiece at the Windrider Forum each year has been an evening showcase of award-winning student films, curated by Forum producers together with Monika, former director of the prestigious Angelus Student Film Festival.

“When it comes to Monika Moreno, I am admittedly biased — probably because she has been such an ardent, consistent and thoughtful supporter of my work and career ever since she saw Earano, a film I made in my second year of grad school at NYU. Since then, Monika and the Angelus Student Film Festival have been the guardian angels over my still-young career. Angelus gave my thesis film, God of Love, its top prize in 2010. And when the film was nominated for an Academy Award, Monika hosted a party for my cast, crew, friends and family at the Family Theater offices in Los Angeles the night before the ceremony. It was a generous and valuable gesture that I’ll never forget. Monika is a kind, intelligent, strong leader and I congratulate her on her well-deserved Spirit of Windrider Award.” 

–  Luke Matheny, Oscar-winning writer-director of “God of Love” and the feature film Lovesick, starring Matt LeBlanc and Chevy Chase.

If you’re a student filmmaker, or know anyone who is, you’ve probably heard many a horror story about the festival submission process, or even about attending festivals. In the mad rush to be discovered, many young filmmakers find themselves shipping their precious, blood-sweat-‘n-tears-soaked oeuvre off to a slew of festival programming offices, only to later receive formulaic rejection letters, or worse, to have their submissions mailed back, the shrink-wrap package tellingly unopened.

Not so Angelus, in its 15+ years.  With a mission of honoring and showcasing student films that respect the dignity of the human person, the Angelus Student Film Festival grew from several dozen submissions in its inaugural year of 1996 to more than 5,000 by 2011, with more than 50 countries worldwide represented. Each year, a handful of those films – narrative, animation and documentary – were presented at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood, with cash and prizes among the most generous in the industry. Despite its exponential growth, Monika remained integrally involved, from shepherding the films through each round of voting, to convening the jury of entertainment executives and artists, to producing and emceeing the DGA screenings in an evening that offered a glimpse of the film industry’s next generation of filmmakers.

 “Simply put, the Angelus Student Film Festival is the kind of festival that filmmakers dream of when pouring their heart, soul, and money into creating their cinematic masterpieces. I believe Festival Director Monika Moreno is a key force in what made Angelus evolve into the diverse, strongly programmed and crowd-inspiring showcase it is today. Monika’s passion for superior storytelling and her support of the filmmakers has produced a family atmosphere that keeps past winners coming back to current Angelus events,thus ever expanding the  ‘family’ network and Angelus’ positive reach.”

–John Arlotto, writer-director of Deface, winner of the Angelus Production Design Award.

Five Oscar nominees in five consecutive years.  This phenomenon brings to a total of seven Oscar nominees and two winners among Angelus alumni – a noteworthy accomplishment.  Monika’s exceptional talent and considerable passion for storytelling and film propelled the Angelus Student Film Festival into the #1 preferred international student film festival among 180 colleges and universities, garnering household name recognition status among the young Hollywood demographic. Subsequently, Monika fielded invitations worldwide to speak and advise young filmmakers, including teaching a writing course on short filmmaking at the Universita del Santa Cuore, Milan, Italy and has lead other seminars and panels across the globe.

An accomplished, award-winning screenwriter herself – her work has resulted in several options and awards, including First Place awards in the Santa Catalina Film Festival, Blue Cat Screenplay Competition and HBO Montage. Other awards include the Big Bear Film Festival, Long Beach Film Festival, UCLA Diane Thomas Award and Telluride Indiefest. Her radio plays were also produced and translated to Spanish, The Midget and the Music, Ship of Hearts and Final Season, and eventually went on to receive recognition from the Communicators Awards and The Gabriel Awards.  Monika has a flair for detecting stories that are compelling in both their ability to evoke particular times and places, as well as to transcend cultures, borders and languages to touch hearts and minds everywhere.

“Monika doesn’t just support the film, she supports the filmmaker. Monika has been there championing me during the development of my career. She truly cares about you in your endeavor to create something worthwhile. I honestly don’t think I would be where I am today without her unwavering belief in me. I’m very grateful that I could call Monika my guide, fan and friend. I couldn’t think of a better person to honor.”

– Barbara Stepansky, winner of the festival’s top honor, the Patrick Peyton Award, recipient of the Mary Pickford Foundation Scholarship and the Franklin J. Schaffner AFI Fellow Award as well as the Academy’s Nicholls Fellowship in Screenwriting.

And it isn’t just positive affirmation and visibility for their work that Monika offers these emerging artists; there is practical, career-making advice and mentorship. From introductions to potential executive producers and investors, to exposure to agents and managers, to creating an arena in which future collaborations among filmmakers can flourish, Monika has, over more than 15 years, had a hand in fostering many a film and launching more than a few on their paths in the industry.

“It was following the screening of my film The Replacement Child at the 2008 Angelus Film Festival that I met two producers who were taken with my work enough to want to produce and finance my first feature film, Girlfriend.  The deal for Girlfriend was solidified during Windrider Forum at the Sundance Film Festival, where my short film got to play as part of the group of Angelus winners, the Angelus festival itself is hands-down one of the most important for any student filmmaker to be accepted.”

– Justin Lerner, winner of the Angelus Director’s Choice Award

Of course, one screening at the DGA does not a film career make; but Monika and her Angelus team were not content to let the story end there. Together with John and Ed Priddy, they pioneered “An Evening of Angelus at Windrider Forum,” affording some of the winning filmmakers another opportunity to screen their films in Park City against the backdrop of the Sundance fest, a convergence of filmdom’s key players and influencers. Attendance at Windrider Forum grew steadily each year, with participants debating, dialogue-ing and ultimately, drawing inspiration from the Angelus screenings.

“Monika Moreno is the heart of the Angelus Awards.  She was there at its birth and helped shape its vision, guide its growth and always fought diligently for protecting its independent status.  As Angelus grew, Monika spent much of the year in administrative, creative and promotional roles, but she was always true to her passion for film and filmmakers. “

–David Buelow, President of Film and Televison, Envision Media Arts, and Angelus co-founder, who produced the festival hit and Sony Pictures Classics release Celeste & Jesse Forever, starring Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg.

Monika subsequently brought similarly programmed “evenings of Angelus” – and these filmmakers – to the University of Notre Dame’s Center for Ethics and Culture, as well as to international screenings hosted by prominent organizations and film schools in Prague, Rome, Milan, and London, comprising a kind of “Angelus on the Road” series. Each stop along this trajectory added immeasurably only to the individual filmmakers’ experience and development, but to a burgeoning cultural dialogue, with cinema as the medium and artistic advancement as the currency.

“The journey through Angelus Student Film Festival and the exposure we received was absolutely amazing and came along with a great guidance and support from Ms. Moreno. The contribution of the Angelus festival to promote me and my film has been far beyond any other film festival in which I have participated. As an Israeli filmmaker, to receive the grand prize for my film demonstrates the vision of the Angelus  Student Film Festival which ignites dialogue that respects the dignity of the human person, and stories from all cultures, faiths and backgrounds.I am therefore grateful to the Angelus Student Film Festival and to its director, Ms. Monika Moreno, for her support and many contributions to promote young filmmakers and cultural exchange and debate through film.”

–Khen Shalem, writer-director of the narrative film The Road to Tel Aviv and winner of the Angelus top prize, the Patrick Peyton Award.

“Monika is not only deserving of this award, but it is indeed long overdue, as evidenced by the vast impact she has had on young and emerging filmmakers. We are delighted to honor her at Windrider 2015.  and stay tuned for an exciting announcement for the new student film festival that Monika will be leading,” Priddy brothers,  John and Ed, Windrider Forum co-founders.

 “I’m incredibly humbled to be honored with the Spirit of Windrider Award, and feel blessed to be recognized for doing what I love to do: explore storytelling through film and champion those stories that deserve – in fact, need – to be heard. To have this honor from an organization, founded by courageous, creative individuals with so much artistic integrity that I respect so deeply, makes me doubly grateful,” states Monika. “Can’t wait for the next chapter to begin, and it is fitting that it will begin at Windrider Forum this January.”

 

 

 

2014 Spirit of Windrider Award Winner,
Dr. Craig Detweiler

The Windrider Forum at the Sundance Film Festival has always been a model of radical collaboration, and example of how a myriad of partners can create something exponentially greater than their individual contributions. But without the vision and creative instincts of one person, Windrider might never have blown into Park City. On the 10th anniversary of the Windrider Forum it seems only appropriate that we would honor one of our co-founders, Dr. Craig Detweiler, filmmaker, author, and educator, as our annual Spirit of Windrider award winner.

Filmmaker Detweiler has several feature films in his credits including The Duke (1999) and Extreme Days (2001). His 2008 documentary, Purple State of Mind, was both a deeply personal look at the journey of friendship with Davidson College freshman year roommate, John Marks (an accomplished writer and journalist), but also a provocative exploration of the contentious issues that create the Red State/Blue State civil war in our country. The film was selected as the “Best Spiritual Film” at the Breckenridge Film Festival. Detweiler’s blogs and film reviews offer some of the most thoughtful and refreshing perspectives on both mainstream and indie films. Check out his annual list of tops films of 2013 in this recent article on the Patheos website where he writes under the moniker, “Doc Hollywood”.

Author Detweiler could be described as the Captain Kirk of theology and culture, going boldly where no author has gone before. His first book (co-written with Barry Taylor), A Matrix of Meanings: Finding God in Pop Culture (2003) was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in Theology/Doctrine. He followed with Into the Dark: Seeing the Sacred in the Top Films in the 21st Century (2008), Halos and Avatars: Playing Video Games with God (2010), and Don’t Stop Believin’: Religion and Pop Culture from Ben Hur to Zombies (2012). His recently released book iGods: How Technology Shapes Our Spiritual and Social Lives, explores the dizzying role of technology in our daily lives – Google, Facebook, Apple, YouTube, and Twitter – and the role of wisdom and discernment in our interaction with that technology.

It was the Educator Detweiler who made his unique contribution to the Windrider Forum. In 2004, Craig regularly taught a course on Theology and Film for Fuller Theological Seminary. It was his vision to offer an immersive course experience at the Sundance Film Festival, something no other seminary was doing, that provided the spark to ignite the Windrider vision. Craig blended a deep appreciation for the unique contributions of both the artist and theologian in our culture. He modeled a curious and humble approach to dialogue that enabled filmmakers and film lovers to engage in an honest conversation about some of the most important and often divisive issues and questions of our time. Now in its 10th year, there is still nothing quite like the course experience students have at the Windrider Forum at the Sundance Film Festival.

Reflecting on his award, Craig Detweiler had this to say about the vision of Windrider. “What a humbling and inspiring honor. Windrider began as an educational experiment and became a transformative experience. I’m so proud that my former students have won prizes at Sundance and South by Southwest and two from the first group of Windrider students are premiering projects at Slamdance this year. This award affirms how we’ve seen our efforts multiplied across the next generation of storytellers.”

Craig is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Davidson College and earned an M.F.A. ifrom the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema and TV. He also completed and Master of Divinity and PhD from Fuller Theological Seminary. This educational background uniquely qualifies Craig to screenwrite, direct, and produce as well as baptize, marry and bury. Craig is currently Professor of Communication at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, where he directs Pepperdine’s Center for Entertainment, Media and Culture.

It is our great honor to welcome back co-founder, Craig Detweiler, filmmaker/author/educator, to the 10th anniversary of the Windrider Forum @ Sundance, a very worthy recipient of the 2014 Spirit of Windrider award.

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2013 SPIRIT OF WINDRIDER AWARD WINNER, DESTIN DANIEL CRETTON

T.C. Johnstone, Director/Producer, Rising From Ashes
An Unlikely Journey to Becoming an Award-Winning Filmmaker

It is probably not uncommon that most successful filmmakers begin their journey in a very unlikely way. That is certainly true of our 2013 Spirit of Windrider Award winner, T.C. Johnstone.

T.C. first explored the idea of becoming a filmmaker over 10 years ago when he took a class in Theology and Film at Fuller Theological Seminary in Colorado from Professor Craig Detweiler, one of co-founders of the Windrider Forum.   T.C. was a youth worker for Young Life living a charmed life in a resort community in Colorado.  Craig challenged T.C. to make the risky move to L.A. to get his feet wet and see if he couldn’t find a place in the industry.

After producing his first feature, an unlikely project with a group of high school students in Steamboat Springs, CO, he moved to Santa Monica, California, and began working as a Director of Photography and documentary director on a wide variety of projects ranging from national television (ABC, CBS, NBC, Discovery, CNN) to independent films.

He also landed a unique opportunity which eventually led him to Rwanda.  T.C. was asked to become the videographer for Pastor Rick Warren at Saddleback Community Church.  “T.C. has literally traveled the globe with me recording amazing stories of the church,” states Warren. “I consider him to be one of the finest young producers of his generation.  He has an ability to capture and interpret stories in a powerful and compelling way.”

It was during one of his trips with Warren to Rwanda that TC was first introduced to Jock Boyer and the Rwandan cycling team.  Rising From Ashes is the feature length documentary about two worlds colliding when cycling legend Jock Boyer moves to Rwanda to help a group of struggling genocide survivors pursue their dream of a national cycling team.  As they set out against impossible odds both Jock and the team find their journeys to be linked in surprising ways as they rise from the ashes of their past.

Work on the Rising From Ashes project spanned more than seven years, culminating with some final scenes from the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.  It has had a very successful festival run in the fall of 2012 taking home awards at a number of festivals.  And, the team of filmmakers often remind viewers that it is not just about the bike.  The bicycle became a tool that has changed a nation and launched a non-profit,Project Rwanda.

Rising From Ashes will be screened at the closing event for the 2013 WindriderForum at the Sundance Film Festival followed by a Q&A with T.C. and Producer, Greg Kwedar.  T.C. will also receive the Spirit of Windrider award at that event which is open to the public at no cost.  The Rising From Ashes screening will take place on Saturday, January 26^th, 6:30-9:00pm, at the LDS Stake Center, 2300 Monitor Drive, in Park City, UT.  There is no cost for the event which is open to the public.

T.C. currently focuses on independent documentary feature films.  With a passion for transformative stories and world issues, T.C. began writing and directing films with redemptive themes. The vision was simple, allow audiences to dream. He believes a well told story can be the catalyst for change. T.C. is focused on five strategic areas: reconciliation, leadership, poverty, health care and education. He believes these issues affect us all and we are all part of the solution.

Please join us as we congratulate the 2013 Spirit of Windrider award winner, Film Director/Producer, T.C. Johnstone.

Festival Awards 2012 – Rising From Ashes:

• WINNER Hamptons International Film Festival: Best Film on Conflict and Resolution
• WINNER Heartland Film Festival: Grand Prize Best Documentary
• WINNER Heartland Film Festival: Audience Choice Award
• WINNER Aspen Film Festival: Audience Choice Award
• WINNER Austin Film Festival: Audience Choice Award
• WINNER Starz Denver Film Festival: Audience Choice Award
• WINNER Napa Valley Film Festival: Audience Choice Award
• WINNER Bahamas international Film Festival: Audience Choice Award

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2012 SPIRIT OF WINDRIDER AWARD WINNER, T.C. JOHNSTONE, Director/Producer/strong>

Destin Daniel Cretton, Returns for a Third Charmed Time to the Sundance Film Festival.

In 2008, the Windrider Forum brought Writer/Director, Destin Daniel Cretton, and his first film to the Sundance Film Festival, the Angelus award winning short, Deacon’s Mondays (created together with Lowell Frank).  In 2009, Destin returned to Sundance, this time with an official entry in the festival’s Shorts Competition, Short Term 12 (produced with Michelle Steffes).  Now, in 2012, Destin returns for the third time, along with his first feature length film, I Am Not a Hipster, a drama set in the indie music scene.

Destin will be honored on the opening night of the 8^th annual Windrider Forum @ Sundance as the recipient of the 2012 Spirit of Windrider award.

Daniel Cretton

His Sundance journey parallels Windrider’s surprising run at the festival.  Launched as an experiment in 2005, the Windrider Forum brought a group of students, faculty, and guests to the festival to have a conversation at the intersection of faith and film.  That “experiment” has now become the premiere immersive educational event at the festival.  And each year since 2005, Windrider has hosted a half dozen young award-winning filmmakers, including Angelus winners like Destin, to celebrate their work and allow them to network, learn, and dream at Sundance, about the ways that they can develop as artists, filmmakers, and storytellers.  Destin took full advantage of that opportunity since his first Windrider experience.  The Sundance Film Festival is all about discovering new talent, and Destin has emerged as one of the promising young talents in the film world.

Destin grew up in Maui with five siblings in a religious home that had concerns about the content of TV and movies, but with parents who encouraged his imagination and creativity.  He completed an undergraduate degree in mass communications at Point Loma Nazarene University, attended the Los Angeles Film Studies Center where he was mentored by Windrider co-founder, Craig Detweiler, and then completed a graduate degree in filmmaking at San Diego State University.  He launched a film company, Flagpop, together with his college buddy, Lowell Frank, and produced several short films including Deacon’s Mondays (2007),Drakmar: A Vassal’s Journey (2006), Bartholomew’s Song (2006), and Longbranch: A Suburban Parable(2002).

Destin’s thesis film at San Diego State University, Short Term 12, premiered at Sundance in 2009.  Each year more than 5000 short films are submitted by young filmmakers hoping to make it onto the dance floor.  From that list 96 are selected as entries in the competition.  Breaking through those daunting odds, Destin along with Short Term 12’s producer, Michelle Steffes (a graduate of Taylor Univesity, one of the participating schools at Windrider), who became friends one year earlier as guest filmmakers invited to participate in the Windrider Forum, decided to work together on the film and submit it as an entry to Sundance.   The concept for Short Term 12 emerged from Destin’s work at a residential treatment center as a young adult.  The film is a crazy, roller coaster, “typical”,day in the life, ride with the staff and kids at this treatment center.  It is honest, gritty, and painful, yet filled with compassion, empathy, and even humor.  It highlighted Destin’s skills as a storyteller to introduce us to characters who were so broken and yet so likeable.

Short Term 12 rose to the top of the long list of short film entries in 2009, taking home the award as the best of the best, the US Jury Prize.  Craig Detweiler in his Purple State of Mind article on the film interviewed one of the Sundance judges, celebrated indie actor, Lou Taylor Pucci (Thumbsucker, The Answer Man, and The Go Getter) who praised Cretton’s ability to create characters that were believable, troubled, and yet still empathetic in the brief span of his 22 minute film.  Said Pucci, “Many features don’t display the same level of depth.”

Daniel Cretton and Craig Detweiler

So, it is against the backdrop of those high expectations that Destin returns in 2012 to Sundance with I Am Not A Hipster, his first feature length film that promises not only an entertaining ride into the unique indie music scene but also another look at the complexity of the characters who inhabit this world.

I Am Not a Hipster is already garnering some of the pre-Sundance “buzz” that could make it one of this years’ break out successes.  The film’s look at one narrow slice of the  San Diego culture, resonates with local culture commentator, Nada Alic.  In her blog on the film she also identifies the universal appeal of the film, “Hipster explores the San Diego indie music scene in a raw and incredibly human way – the hipster walls come down, exposing vulnerable young adults struggling with lingering adolescent malaise and grappling with their dysfunctional relationships.  Real life stuff.”

Each year, we honor an individual who embodies the heart and soul of Windrider, individuals whose skills, creativity, and courage are shaping the cultural landscape.  The talented and unique collection of Spirit of Windrider recipients have included Heather Rae in 2009 (Director/Producer of Sundance Grand Jury Prize winning film, Frozen River), accomplished veteran Director/Producer, Ralph Winter in 2010 (whose vast body of work includes four movies in the XMen series, two Fantastic Four movies, and Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes), and Jeff Sparks in 2011 (founder, president, and CEO of the Heartland Film Festival and Truly Moving Pictures).

We are honored to add to this impressive list the 2012 Spirit of Windrider award-winner, Destin Daniel Cretton, who returns to the Sundance Film Festival for a third charmed time.  We’ll let his new film help us to decide whether or not Destin qualifies as a true hipster, but his four year run at Sundance has demonstrated that he clearly embodies the spirit of the Windrider experience.

(Click here to view the trailer)

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2011 SPIRIT OF WINDRIDER AWARD WINNER IS: JEFF SPARKS

Heartland’s Sparks named “Spirit” Winner

7th annual Windrider Fourm will take place January 24th-30th, 2011 during the Sundance Film Festival

Jeff Sparks

The Windrider Forum is pleased to announce the 2011 “Spirit of Windrider Award” winner is Heartland Truly Moving PicturesPresident and CEO, Jeff Sparks

Jeff will be joining the Windrider Forum for the opening night festivities on Monday night, January 24th, to accept the award. Jeff will also be on hand for the entire forum, and will participate in numerous panel discussions and Q&A sessions.

Each year, we honor an individual who embodies the heart of soul of Windrider. We are always excited to feature our accomplished and eclectic Spirit of Windrider Award recipients. We take the time each year to go through a nomination, presentation and selection process, as we gather together to choose each year’s recipient. The award, which recognizes commitment in encouraging the creative spirit to impact culture through film and media, will honor a worthy recipient in Mr. Sparks.

The current President ,CEO and founding board member of Heartland Truly Moving pictures, has been a leader in recognizing and honoring filmmakers, whose works explore the human journey, artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life. Since 1991, the annual Heartland Film Festivalhas recognized filmmakers with the largest prize purse worldwide.

The prestigious Heartland Film Festival takes place in Indianapolis from 14-23, 2010. Beginning in 1991, Sparks led a group of visionaries, united to create a unique film festival to honor beautifully made films that celebrate the positive aspects of life called the Heartland Film Festival.

The Heartland Film Festival started in 1992 as a small event in Indianapolis and has expanded over time to become one of the fastest growing film festivals in the country. Today, the annual film festival is a ten-day event full of independent films, a variety of special events for film enthusiasts of all ages, and a one-of-a-kind experience in one of the Midwest’s most inviting cities.

Each October, the Heartland Film Festival screens independent films from around the world and presents more than $100,000 in cash prizes and Crystal Heart Awards to the Festival’s top-judged submissions.

About Heartland Truly Moving Pictures

Heartland Truly Moving Pictures recognizes and honors filmmakers whose work artistically expresses hope and respect for positive values of life. Heartland is a cultural institution, but it’s also an ideal. The organization was formed around the belief that great films can inspire people to accomplish amazing things. They can increase our understanding of the world around us. They can motivate us to treat one another with compassion and respect.

Maximizing film’s potential to promote the common good calls for action on multiple fronts. Heartland has responded in a variety of ways – from producing an internationally regarded film festival, the Heartland Film Festival, to presenting a highly coveted ndustry award, the Heartland Truly Moving Picture Award, to inspiring today’s youth through programs produced by the Heartland Institute such as the F.I.L.M. Project and the Heartland High School Film Competition.

Moreover, we continue to forge successful partnerships with film studios, like-minded national non-profit organizations and our supporters to achieve our goal of making more uplifting films more accessible than ever.

The result is a series of ripples that over the years has developed into a powerful wave.

Please join us in congratulating, Jeffrey L. Sparks, the 2011 Spirit of Windrider Award recipient.

 

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2010 SPIRIT OF WINDRIDER AWARD WINNER IS: PRODUCER, RALPH WINTER

Ralph has accepted the invitation to be with us Jan. 30, 2010, at Windrider Forum in Park City, Utah, to receive the award.

Ralph Winter is a successful movie producer who is has produced some of the largest tent pole movies for 20^th Century Fox Studios in the last 10 years: four XMEN movies, two FANTASTIC FOUR movies, and Tim Burton’s PLANET OF THE APES. The latest of these is WOLVERINE: XMEN ORIGINS, which was released May 1, 2009.   All of these movies have set box office records, and his cumulative career total is close to $2BB in world wide theatrical box office.

Currently Ralph has formed a new partnership, 1019 Pictures, with Terry Botwick, in order to raise a slate of $300MM to co-finance movies with the studios.  With over 25 pictures on the slate, 1019 is currently in pre-production on an environmental documentary with activist Bjorn Lomborg, and Ondi Timoner directing (the only director to win the Govenor’s Sundance award twice).   In active development:  Paul Verhoven will be directing THE SURROGATE, and the thriller MAN AND WIFE.  This project was selected by Peter Chernin to partner with Ralph, as Peter launches his new venture in Hollywood.

Other notable pictures in development are SCREWTAPE LETTERS, based on a best selling work by C. S. Lewis. SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME, from a NY Times best selling book, and FRANKENSTEIN, again based a the best selling book by Dean Koontz.

Before going to 20^th Century Fox in 1999, Ralph executive produced INSPECTOR GADGET, for Walt Disney Pictures, a $100MM box office hit for that summer.  Along with Tom Jacobson, he produced Disney’s remake of the 1949 RKO classic, MIGHTY JOE YOUNG, directed by Ron Underwood (CITY SLICKERS). Additionally he produced the movie HACKERS for United Artists, directed by the critically acclaimed Ian Softley (BACKBEAT, K-PAX).  He produced the ABC-TV series “High Incident” for Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks in ‘95-’96.  This led to his directorial debut on the special Halloween episode, “Masquerade”.  In the fall of ’96 he headed to Warner Brothers to work with director Sam Raimi.  He has also produced an award winning short film entitled: OPIE GONE MAD that year.

Ralph produced STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, nominated for two Academy Awards and STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME, which was nominated for four Academy Awards.

Mr. Winter is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley.  He is a member of the Directors Guild of America, and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences.

Having met while attending Glendale High School together, Ralph and Judy Winter have been and continue to be an active part of the local community. As a RN, Judy works in several of the Glendale area schools and with at-risk students.  She also volunteers at the local church working with college students.  Their children are graduates of Whitworth College in Spokane; daughter Beth is married, living and working in La Canada, CA; son, Benjamin, also married, lives and works in Columbus, Ohio.

Ralph is one of the founders of the City of Angeles Film Festival, now in its 14th year, celebrating urban films that encourage theological dialogue.  Ralph is also one of the founders of Reel Spirituality, an outgrowth of that film festival, and in conjunction with Fuller Seminary, provides an in depth conference each year on theology and the arts.  Ralph also teaches for Act One, a ministry to developing Christians as writers and producers within the Hollywood community.  Ralph is on the Board of Compass Arts, a small film school based in Grand Rapids, MI.

Ralph also sits on the Board of Advisors for Heartland Film Festival, co-chair of Biola University’s Studio Task Force, and the Board of the 168 Film Project.  Ralph is a past member and Chairman of the Alex Regional Theatre Board, serving Glendale and the performing arts community.

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2009 SPIRIT OF WINDRIDER AWARD WINNER IS: FILMMAKER, RICK STEVENSON