Gideon Film Festival 2024
October 4-6, 2024
About Gideon Film Festival
Welcome to the Gideon Film Festival, one of the most inventive and forward-thinking festivals created for Christian filmmakers. Located in the greater Nashville area, the Gideon is held at the Storytellers & Hideaway Farm where country music legend Johnny Cash once lived and gave free concerts for the community. This unique venue allows us to revel in God’s creation and toss aside all the glitz and glamour usually associated with film festivals. There are no red carpets, the dress is casual. We sit around bonfires wishing someone had brought the makings for S’mores. We decompress and encourage each other, and we’re not surprised when someone busts out in spontaneous prayer. There is no pretense here, there are no egos.
But what Gideon does have to offer is excellence in the films we screen and the Q&A sessions with filmmakers that follow. Sometimes we show the rough cuts of our projects in hopes of getting honest feedback and sometimes we share our testimonies, the bumpy journeys that got us to where we are today in hopes of encouraging our peers. And then there’s the networking. Lots of networking! So, if you need instruction, advice, recommendations, introductions, encouragement or prayer, then Gideon is the place for you!
VENUE
The Storytellers & Hideaway Farm are less than a mile from each other which will require some driving between the two. The schedule will reflect which location is hosting which event.
LODGING
There are 14+ hotels/motels from which to choose from at Exit 172 off Interstate 40. While the festival venue is in Bon Aqua, TN, this exit is considered Dickson, TN.
TICKETS/REFUNDS
Ticket sales end Friday, September 27 at midnight. THERE ARE NO TICKET SALES AT THE DOOR (Storytellers).
Refunds are available until Friday, September 27 at midnight. However, tickets are transferable. If you can’t make it and are able to sell your tickets, please let our Operations Manager Dave Trouten know by emailing him at [email protected].
TICKET OPTIONS
There are four ticket options: a Full Access pass for G24 (for October 4-6) and day passes for either Friday, Saturday or Sunday. MEALS ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR TICKET PRICE. Because of the logistics of the venue, it is wiser to take advantage of our lunches/dinners provided each day on the property. This arrangement will maximize your networking time as opposed to you leaving the premises to drive to a fast-food restaurant.
MEALS
What’s Cookin’ 615 will be catering our lunches and dinners, Friday-Sunday (10/4-10/6). There will be many selections at each meal block to choose from (more on the menu later!) but if you have food restrictions, you may bring your own food or seek out the many restaurants at Exit 172. But the cost for meals remains built-in to the ticket price.
NOTE: Driving off the property to a local food establishment will decrease the time you’ll have for networking opportunities.
CHECK-IN
Check-in is at the Storytellers, 9672 Old Highway 46, Bon Aqua, TN 37025. The Full Access pass and Friday pass holders may check-in Friday, October 4, 7:00-9:00am. Saturday and Sunday pass holders may check in October 5-6 respectively from 7:00-9:00am. You’ll receive your lanyard needed for access to both properties as well as the latest news on additions or cancellations to the G24 schedule.
COMMUNICATION AND CONVERSATIONS
The Gideon Facebook Page will be our primary location to post your questions and to get to know the Gideon family in advance to the festival.
Schedule (More Details to Come!)
9:00 – 10:00 am | Check In
10:00 am – 11:45 pm | Circle of Friends devotion & networking session with Denny Brownlee & Joe Loesch
G24 will kick off the festival with a devotion and prayer and a networking session we call CIRCLE OF FRIENDS. We pull our chairs into a circle where can see our peers. We share our names, where we’re from, and what brought us to Gideon. Doing this allows us to expedite the networking process – as we go around the room, we make mental notes of those individuals we want to make connections with. This morning event was so spiritually uplifting and beneficial to our attendees last year (with almost 60 in attendance!) it was brought back by popular demand for G24!
12:00 – 1:15 pm | Lunch (Networking Time)
1:30 – 2:15 pm | PANEL – Coming Soon!
2:15 – 3:00 pm | SCREENING of short film Galactic Fantastic with Paul & Sonia Brunotto
3:15 –4:15 pm | PANEL – “The Power of Music in Film” with Danny Duncan & Michael Whitaker
4:15 –5:15 pm | PANEL – “Transforming the World with Feature Films” with Joel Bunkowske & George Escobar
5:30 – 7:00 pm | Dinner (Networking Time)
7:15 – 7:30 pm | Presentation of the Gideon Warrior Award (Kyle Saylors)
7:30 – 10:00 pm | Screening of Bonhoeffer (135 mns) followed by Q&A with Jared Geesey/Angel Studios
9:30 – 10:00 am | Screening of short film David: The Calling of a King
10:00 – 11:00 am | Beyond the Circle (devotion and prayer)
11:00 – 12:00 am | PANEL: “Reel Faith” with Melissa Wylie and Jennifer Ann Massey
12:30 – 1:45 pm | Lunch (Networking Time)
2:00 – 3:00 pm | Screening of These Stones (episode 104) followed by Q&A with producer/writer/showrunner Cheryl McKay
3:15 – 4:15 pm | PANEL – “Producing/Line Producing Nuts & Bolts” with Sheri Reeves and John Duffy
4:15 – 5:15 pm | PANEL – “The Kinds of Stories that Get Produced” with Maurice “Termite” Watkins and John Duffy
5:30 – 7:00 pm | Dinner (Networking Time)
7:00 – 10:00 pm | Screening of White Bird (120 mins) followed with Q&A Bobby Downes/Kingdom Story
10:00 am – 12:00 pm | The Sound Immersive Worship Experience w/ PCA (Jason Hildebrand)
12:30 – 2:00 pm | Lunch (Networking Time)
2:00 – 5:30 pm | Presence Creative Arts tear-down
2:00 – 4:00 pm | Screening of In the Shadow of the King (105 mins) with Kyle Saylors & Kenny Saylors
4:15 – 5:15 pm | PANEL – “Creating a Concept Film that gets your Project Produced” with Kyle Saylors, Kenny Saylors and Kevin Hooper
5:30 – 7:00 pm | Dinner (networking time)
7:00 – 10:00 pm | Screening of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (154 mins) followed by Q&A with Bobby Downes/Kingdom Story
10:00 pm – ? | GIDEON after-party!
Speakers
Denny Brownlee
Since doing his first celebrity impression at age five, Denny Brownlee has entertained audiences with the countless sounds that come out of his mouth! Through the years, he has hosted children’s programming on a cable TV network and cohosted a morning radio show for many years.
In recent years, he’s teamed up with children’s historical fiction author Jenny L. Cote as her audiobook narrator providing 15-27 hours of joyful listening. Denny’s vast range of voices and accents – over 100 characters in every book – earned him the Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for Audiobooks for Jenny’s “The Voice, the Revolution, & the Key.”
In 2020, Denny created a podcast for kids, centered around two of Jenny’s novels. The Epic Order of the Seven – the Podcast consists of over 120 weekly episodes, hosted by Denny and some of Jenny’s main characters. Each episode was written by, produced by, and voiced by Denny, in a true labor of love! Plans to produce a third season are currently in the works.
Joe Loesch
Joe Loesch is the voice for several cartoon characters for Disney and PBS Kids. He is the producer for Baby Looney Tunes sound books. He has produced hundreds audiobooks for various publishers such as, Harper Collins, Zondervan Publishing, Thomas Nelson, Mission Audio, Oasis Audio, Toy Box Productions and Readio Theatre. He has narrated dozens of audiobooks, Audible.com.
Joe has also voiced dozens of commercials for national advertisers, Philips/Magnavox, Bridgestone/Firestone, Coca-Cola, Folgers, Sun Sweet Prunes, Ford, Chevy and Toyota. He has appeared in a number of movies and dozens of national TV commercials. JoeLoesch.com
Joe was nominated ‘Spoken Word’ Producer of the Year by AFIM Indy Awards. He’s a Grammy nominated producer, and has won, multiple Silver Microphone, Communicator, Telly and Davey awards. He is the recipient of the Early Childhood News Directors Choice award for his creative writing and audio production. His “Abraham Lincoln Logues” book with audio was voted a top ten children’s book by Chicago Parent Magazine and is available at Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC. He also received a platinum album for Garth Brooks, “No Fences,” for his special effects on “The Thunder Rolls.”
Dr. Joel W. Bunkowske
Dr. Joel W. Bunkowske, Esq., JD, MBA, PhD is one of the world’s most educated, experienced, and successful Christian corporate and entertainment lawyers. He is an award-winning attorney with over 30 years of experience in the music, television, and film industries. He is the recipient of Grammy, Dove, and Gold Record Awards for his legal work in the music and film industries. He has worked with Academy Award-nominated actors, Grammy and Dove award-winning recording artists, and legendary producers. His areas of practice include corporate law; film, television, and music Chief of Legal and Business Affairs; film production, finance, and distribution; contracts, venture capital, dispute resolution, and University teaching.
George Escobar
George Escobar is a joyful follower of Jesus Christ, dedicated to making God’s love, truth, and mercy known to cinema audiences. He co-founded Advent Film Group, was VP at Discovery, served as Executive Producer of Films for Focus on the Family and is now Head of Films at TrustPoint Studios. George’s credits include producing, directing, and writing for films like Alone Yet Not Alone (Academy Award-nominated for Best Original Sone), The World We Make, and Farmer and the Belle: Saving Santaland. His projects have been distributed by Universal Home Entertainment, Cinedigm, and Vision Films, and featured on platforms like Netflix, PureFlix, and Amazon Prime Video.
Cheryl McKay
Sheri Reeves
Sheri Reeves started at CBN as a news and documentary producer at NewSight and in the international programing department producing TV specials in the Philippines.
Sheri ran Shepley Winings Public Relations, a boutique entertainment agency based in Los Angeles and New York.
She has produced over 50 movies and tv projects that have been seen worldwide. Prior to producing Sheri was a production accountant with over 50 credits in multiple platforms. She has worked with Disney, Sony, Hallmark, CBS, Turner, to name a few.
Sheri has earned a BA in Journalism from the University of Hawaii and a M.A. in Media Management and an M.B.A. in Marketing from Regent University.
John Duffy
John Duffy is a Film Producer/Line Producer, Director, Film Professor, Author, Podcaster, and Motivational Speaker who shares a powerful message of overcoming all odds to succeed. He has produced over 50 feature films. John is also active in military veteran support and mentoring activities. Presently, he is working on producing a feature film based on the incredible true story of a Houston Boxer, Maurice Termite Watkins, who took Iraq to the Olympics in 2004. The film is entitled “They Call Me Termite.”
He also hosts a weekly Podcast Show, “Live Courageously,” producing 85 shows.
Live-Courageously.com
Maurice “Termite” Watkins
From the age of 10, Maurice “Termite” Watkins’ passion has been to be a champion. He realized that dream many times over by becoming our Nation’s first 16-year-old National Golden Gloves Champion and concluded his career with a fight for the coveted world title!
After retiring, Termite was asked to use his pest control skills to rid our US military camps of bugs in Iraq. Through a series of events, he was soon asked to coach and qualify the Iraqi boxing team for the 2004 Olympics.
He inspired the world with his story of incredible perseverance in overcoming daunting obstacles as he helped Iraq reach its Olympic dreams in Athens, Greece!
Today, he is a motivational speaker, Pastor of Fighter Nation, working with disadvantaged kids in Houston, and working to produce the feature film of his life, “They Call Me Termite.”
Kyle and Kenny Saylors
Kyle and Kenny Saylors are a brother producer/director duo whose motto is “Entertainment with Purpose.” The pursuit of their childhood dreams has led down a path of many adventures, from last year’s theatrical release of His Only Son (opening #3 in the Box Office) to the Lombardi Honors to Sundance Premieres to filming for LEE CHILD’s passion music project for the Jack Reacher Franchise. Inspired by films like Indiana Jones, it sparked a wanderlust that has taken them from the palaces to the most poverty-stricken parts of the world (England, Ireland, India, Africa, South Korea, Dubai, Japan, China, Mexico, across the US and Canada). They even had the first film ever screened at the US Capitol private theater, Kimjonigila, which lead to a congressional hearing and the first sanctions against the NK prison camps. This led them to produce more films exposing travesties regarding untold stories and bringing hope around the globe.
Previous credits include national music video, animation, motion picture, TV, and docs featured on PBS, BBC, NPR, Fox News, MTV, BET, CNN, Netflix, HULU, ABC News, CBS Sports, FOX Sports, NBC Sports, ESPN, Golf Channel, Sundance Channel, IFC, Newsweek, Time Magazine, The New York Times, Variety, Guideposts, Charisma, The Los Angeles Times, Hollywood Reporter, Huffington Post, Sports Illustrated, Indie Wire (Top 5), Slated, Vanity Fair, Family Net, Documentary Channel, USA Network. Their projects have screened at over 60 festivals around the world, including Sundance Premiere (nominated for Grand Jury Prize), PIFF (Best of Fest). Other critically acclaimed documentaries are Veil of Tears (narrated by Natalie Grant).
Paul Brunotto and Sonia Woodfield Brunotto
Sonia began her career in the entertainment industry when she was hired as a screenwriter by Producer Chako Van Leeuwen (of the Piranha film franchise). Soon after she went into her first love of costume design and over the next 25 ears worked on over 30 films and 50 TB shows including 14 years with Dick Clark Productions (the Golden Gloves, American Music Awards, The Daytime Emmys, Hollywood Film Awards) and currently has two costumes on permanent display at the martial Arts History Museum in Glendale, CA. In 2007, she and her husband, Paul, ventured into producing, starting with a documentary co-produced with long-time friends Kenny and Kyle Saylors. In 2019, she and Paul wrote, produced and financed a short film, Galactic Fantastic!, a 50’s sci-fi comedy which was accepted into four film festivals. Sonia gives all the glory to God for her artistic talents and for opening doors for her to talk about her faith with the many A-listers she’s come in contact with during her career. Her goal is to reach the lost through her films and art to bring souls into the kingdom.
Paul has been in the entertainment industry for over 25 years. He started off writing scripts, his first love, then over the years he’s worked in various departments including camera, sound, wardrobe, grip, art director, etc. He and his wife, Sonia, have co-produced several projects. He is currently focusing on writing and producing documentaries and feature films.
Melissa Wylie
Melissa Wylie is known for her work in scripted television development and production. Her credits include The Wonder Years, The Long Road Home, based on Martha Raddatz’s New York Times best-seller, American Horror Story, Portlandia, Tracey Ullman’s State of the Union, and You’re the Worst.
Over the past decade, Wylie has worked in scripted comedy and drama for NBC, ABC, FOX, Twentieth Century, Warner Brothers, Warner Horizon, Universal, HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central, IFC, Nickelodeon, CMT, and VH-1.
Wylie recently produced the drama pilot Judgement for ABC and made her directorial debut on a comedy variety pilot.
She began her career in network news, working for Nightline, ABC News, and This Week with David Brinkley. Melissa has received three Emmy® nominations for producing Comedy Central’s Drunk History.
Jennifer Ann Massey
Jennifer Ann Massey is a versatile producer, patent inventor, and reformed actor. A proud graduate of the University of Southern California, she has worked in the film and television industry for decades. A native Texan, she continues to make significant contributions to the entertainment industry from a new entertainment hub, Tennessee. This includes producing the pilot for the reality show Pink Ladies, MTV’s Teen Rehab, and serving as a producer for the feature A Day Like a Week. She specializes in film distribution and film finance.
G23 Film Screenings
Photo gallery by Lorraine Howard
Lori Marett (center) Director of the Gideon Film Festival, flanked by Irma Torre (left), Disney animator, and Jenny L. Cote (right), children’s book author.
About Lori
Lori Marett‘s screenwriting career began two decades ago when she won or was finalist for many regional and national screenplay contests. Her first adaptation of author Yvonne Lehman’s In Shady Groves received awards and acclaim which opened the door for her to adapt Hollywood producer Ken Wales’s novel, Sea of Glory, for the screen. Continuing to hone her craft as a screenwriter, her first feature film, Meant To Be, was released in December of 2012 by Pure Flix Entertainment. In 2019, her adaptation of Deborah Raney’s novel, Beneath a Southern Sky (co-written with Kay Mortimer) was optioned. Due to Covid, the option lapsed, but BaSS has been picked up again and is currently under consideration with investors for production.
Lori has had writing success beyond her scripts, having her works appear in many publications. As a story consultant and script coach, she is highly sought out by best-selling novelists and successful screenwriters for her expertise in story construction. Lori also mentors beginning novelists and screenwriters at several annual writer’s conferences. In 2021, after the passing of her mother, Lori partnered with author Cindy Sproles to continue the work Cindy and Lori’s mother, Yvonne Lehman, founded with WRAMS (Writing Right Author Mentoring Service). In addition to mentoring others, Lori continues to adapt novels for the screen as well as writes original stories, and in her spare time, she directs the Gideon Film Festival.