Hard Faith Podcast
Join us at Hard Faith™ Welcoming honest, gritty, redemptive stories Hard Faith™ is a media production company established for the purpose of bringing compelling stories about the human condition to a film going audience in a way that artistically and speaks truth to this present generation in a fresh and powerful way. The world needs quality entertainment and art that speaks truth boldly. We need stories that are set in real-world settings with characters that talk about the ultimate truth. We accomplish this with realistic, real world scenarios and real life characters. Hollywood has been the masters of compelling storytelling for generations. These artists of dramatic cinema have produced some of the worlds greatest existential films dealing with human existence. Our desire is to make hard hitting, thought provoking secular art with characters who are portrayed as real life, flawed people who still find hope.
Episodes
Saturday Sep 07, 2024
S2 - Ep7: "The Threshing Floor" Hard Faith Fest Documentary Film Winner
Saturday Sep 07, 2024
Saturday Sep 07, 2024
In this episode of the Hard Faith Podcast, host Spencer Folmar sits down with award-winning director Brad Alexander to discuss his documentary The Threshing Floor. The film, which received both the top award and the audience award at the Hard Faith Film Festival, is described as an evangelism story disguised as an addiction film. Brad shares how he was inspired to tell the story of his friend, who overcame heroin addiction, and how the film evolved from a short project into a full-length feature. The documentary is not only a testimony of personal transformation but also a tool to reach those struggling with addiction, showing them that redemption and recovery are possible through faith.
Brad also delves into the challenges of making gritty, faith-based films and the tension between the church’s response to addiction and the real struggles people face. He emphasizes the need for the church to move beyond shame and offer compassion and understanding. The conversation explores the difficult yet rewarding journey of independent filmmaking, particularly within the faith-based genre, and highlights the impact The Threshing Floor is having by opening up meaningful conversations about addiction, faith, and redemption. The episode offers deep insights into Brad’s passion for storytelling that is both raw and redemptive, and it encourages filmmakers to tell stories that resonate with real-life struggles, no matter how messy they may seem.
Friday Aug 09, 2024
S2 - Ep6: "unDEFILED" Hard Faith Fest Feature Film Winner
Friday Aug 09, 2024
Friday Aug 09, 2024
In this episode of the Hard Faith Podcast, host Spencer Folmar, founder of Hard Faith, interviews filmmaker Matthew McCaulley about his award-winning feature film unDEFILED. They discuss the film’s origins, inspired by shocking statistics on pornography use among churchgoers and pastors, and the journey from script development to final production. Matthew shares insights into the ministry-first approach that guided the making of the film, aiming to spark conversations and support viewers struggling with addiction. The episode also highlights the importance of community and encouragement within faith-based filmmaking, with Matthew reflecting on his positive experience at the Hard Faith Film Festival. The conversation offers hope and resources for those battling pornography addiction, emphasizing that change is possible with the right support.
Thursday Aug 01, 2024
Thursday Aug 01, 2024
In this episode of the Hard Faith Podcast, host Spencer Folmar speaks with award-winning filmmaker John Kestner, who recently won Best Experimental Short Film at the Hard Faith 2024 Film Festival for “The Foxhole.” They discuss the unique environment of the festival, which embraces challenging and faith-adjacent narratives. John shares his experiences creating thought-provoking films, the inspiration behind “The Foxhole,” and the importance of addressing tough topics through cinema. He also talks about his upcoming projects, including another short film and a faith-based Western. Tune in for a deep dive into the intersection of faith, film, and storytelling.
Wednesday Jul 10, 2024
S2 - Ep4: "All Things Hard Faith Fest 2024!"
Wednesday Jul 10, 2024
Wednesday Jul 10, 2024
Today Spencer & Co-Host McKenna Folmar talk about all the details and events taking place at the Hard Faith Film Festival. The event takes place in one week at the Garland Hotel in North Hollywood CA. July 19 + 20 from 10AM - 6PM. We hope you can join us for the 2nd Annual Film Festival Event! Learn more at www.HardFaith.org/festival
Friday Jun 21, 2024
S2 - Ep3: "HFF23 Winner & New Streaming of Hard Faith"
Friday Jun 21, 2024
Friday Jun 21, 2024
Today we talk with filmmaker David Pozdyrka about his Hard Faith Fest 2023 winning short film "Cohabitation" as well as announcing our new streaming channel to find Hard Faith Films! You can now rent films on the HardFaith.org website. David lives in the country of Moldova and we talk about Christians depicted in art, the use of art to portray ourselves and moral themes, as well as David's process for creating his film.
Also please be sure to check out and attend the upcoming Hard Faith Film Festival on July 19 + 20 2024 at the Garland Hotel in Hollywood CA. We have a great lineup for films and submissions. Filmmakers will be attending from all over the world and we will have talks from distributors, producers, and a pitch fest competition.
Thanks for listening and please be sure to subscribe and share!
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
S2 - Ep2: "Pastor's Kid" Movie Release
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Today we interview filmmaker Benjamin Ironside Koppin and lead actress Courtney Bandeko of the upcoming theatrical release of "Pastor's Kid" (2024).
The film comes out March 15
Pastor's Kid in theaters nationwide March 15, 16, 17.
https://pastorskidthemovie.com/
https://www.fandango.com/pastors-kid-2024-235233/movie-overview
Benjamin Ironside Koppin Bio:
Benjamin Ironside Koppin is an award winning Director and Cinematographer who intermixes humor with honesty in each of his films. As an Emmy Winning Cinematographer he shoots his own films allowing his passion for collaborating with actors to push each other to find what is authentic within each moment. As a student of improvisation himself, he loves to allow actors the freedom to explore pursuing beautiful mistakes instead of manufactured moments.
Courtney Bandeko Bio:
Courtney Bandeko is an accomplished actress, gaining a cult fan following after playing the character Finch on the hit CW show Legacies. She brings both honesty and depth to each role, pulling the audience deeper into her character's journeys. Courtney is unafraid to take her performances to raw and vulnerable places.
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
S2 - Ep1: New Season Recap
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
We are excited to announce Season 2 of the Hard Faith Podcast. We kick off this new season catching up and recapping on our long break. It has been a busy few months, but we are eager to get back to regular episodes and guests. We have an exciting lineup this season featuring filmmakers, theologians, film festival news, and film updates.
Thursday Jun 22, 2023
Episode 8: Hard Faith Fest ”All Faith is Hard Faith”
Thursday Jun 22, 2023
Thursday Jun 22, 2023
All faith is Hard Faith! We talk all things related to our upcoming 1st ever Hard Faith Film Festival happening 1 month from today on July 22nd 2023 at the Arena CineLounge on Sunset from 11am - 7pm. See you there and pre order your ticket before supplies run out.
Wednesday May 17, 2023
Episode 7: ”Push Forward” Jessica Boss is a Boss
Wednesday May 17, 2023
Wednesday May 17, 2023
Our guest today is Jessica Boss, a filmmaker who is tackling difficult subjects with a faith perspective. Her company Boss Pictures is making feature films about important topics. Her lasting word of advice to filmmakers is to keep pushing forward and to not rob audiences of the experience of your story!
Monday May 08, 2023
Episode 6: Hard Faith Film Fest & William McCann ”The Liberator”
Monday May 08, 2023
Monday May 08, 2023
We talk today with filmmaker William McCann and his film "The Liberator". His film won top prize at our last film festival and we wanted to share the details about our next in person film festival event taking place in Burbank CA on July 22nd. Please submit today at www.HardFaith.com/Fest