MISSION

Reel Spirituality is a creative encounter between the church and Hollywood, featuring ministers and filmmakers in discovery of common ground as story tellers, image shapers, and culture makers.
Reel Spirituality brings together leading filmmakers, emerging pastors, and rising scholars around our image driven culture's primary texts--film and television.
Reel Spirituality is available for your school, studio, church or conference. Contact us for more information.

Rob Johnston, Eugene Suen, Co-Directors

Priddy's Place

20 films over 20 weeks. Weekly discussions of 20 different films being screened at the Windrider Forum coinciding with the Sundance Film Festival. Commentaries by John Priddy, co-founder of the Windrider Forum.

Week 5

WINDRIDER WINTERFEST

by John Priddy

We are proud to present the next Windy Wednesday film in our Windrider WinterFest series: “Topi” by Arjun Rihan, and, as an added treat: “American Made” by Sharat Raju. Both family friendly (FF) films feature “hats” as a key story theme; both use headwear to illustrate points of cultural friction. And, both encourage us to look beyond external symbols (like hats) — into the very heart of the wearer. As we jump in to 2010, I want to again wish our “windy” followers a Happy New Year … one that increasingly finds us looking beyond people’s physical appearance and into their spirit.

A Brief Synopses:

“Topi,” inspired by a true story and set against the harrowing backdrop of Partition-era India (circa 1947), depicts a life-altering, chance encounter between a Hindu boy named Bir, and a Muslim stranger.

View Topi here.

"Topi...conveys the qualities of redemption, forgiveness, and the ability to transcend differences among people, via the emerging and oft-overlooked format of animation."
- Monika Moreno, director, Angelus Student Film Festival

“American Made” is a courageous film following the 9/11 tragedy — the poignant story of a stranded Sikh American family.

View American Made here.

"Rarely does a film garner unanimous consensus among our jury ... "American Made" was one gem that did."
- Monika Moreno, director, Angelus Student Film Festival

My Personal Connection to These Films:
I received several very thoughtful Christmas presents from my adult children this year: a scarf from my daughter, gloves from one son and a ski hat from another (I must look really cold these days!). My son, Michael, got me a really cool tam-o’-shanter — a stylish, yet utilitarian, hat (especially for the “hair challenged”!). It’s been really cold in Boise lately, and I’ve been wearing my tam every day. My son’s gift got me thinking about hats and the significance they have in many religious communities. Turban, topi, yarmulke, Amish straw, or any type of headwear … each is important to the wearer and can serve as an outer symbol of an inner faith. 

This week’s feature film, “Topi,” tells the story of one such “hat” and the meaning to both the wearer and a stranger he encounters. As a Windrider encore presentation, I have chosen the amazing film, “American Made,” because it’s another great and moving “headwear” story — this one about a son and his father (who proudly wears a turban).

“Topi,” based on a conflict that took place over 60 years ago, seems eerily relevant today, as religion continues to serve as a flashpoint for conflict around the globe. Rihan’s visual fundamentals, combined with a solid directorial prism, lay the foundation for a well-developed storyline that cuts across cultural barriers and stimulates conversation. When done well, animated storytelling is a fine and beautiful art form. “Topi” is an example of this form at its best. We are pleased to offer these two high-quality films for our Windrider Windy Wednesday audience. We believe you will enjoy both — wholeheartedly.

Filmmaker Bio: Originally from Pune, India, Arjun Rihan studied Computer Science and Economics as an undergraduate at Stanford University. He recently graduated with an MFA from the John C. Hench Division of Animation & Digital Arts at the University of Southern California, and ‘Topi’ is his thesis film. Arjun is currently a Camera/Staging Artist at Pixar Animation Studios.

“Topi”: Noted Screenings, Awards, Honors:
This 6.17-minute Samaritan-like tale is presented in 3-D computer animation and features streamlined-yet-evocative imagery. The film was an Angelus finalist for Best Animation and one of five finalists for the HBO Short Film award at the South Asian Film Festival. Writer/director/animator Rihan (http://www.arjunrihan.com/ ), a film student at the University of Southern California, has screened “Topi” at festivals on several continents, including Siggraph Asia and the River to River Indian Film Festival in Florence, Italy.

“American Made”: Noted Screenings, Awards, Honors:
This outstanding film has captured the attention of film critics worldwide, garnering 17 honors at some 40 festivals. http://windriderforum.org/2009/06/10/sharat-raju-is-american-made/

Raju was with us at our very first Windrider Forum, at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. He and his film, “American Made,” served as the perfect “opening act” for 5+ years of interacting with incredible films and filmmakers at Windrider Forums worldwide. We hope you will enjoy another golden opportunity to view it again. If this is your first time, we are confident you will be thankful for every one of the 25 minutes you’ll spend with this eye- and mind-opening story.

Click here to view "Topi."

Click here to view "American Made."

John Priddy will be a new and regular columnist for Reel Spirituality writing about independent feature films and documentaries.

John is an entrepreneur and award winning film producer  .  He is co-founder of Priddy Brothers www.priddybrothers.com and is executive producer of acclaimed documentaries, including Hilla Medalia's After the Storm, Medailia's Peabody Award-Winning To Die in Jerusalem, Laura Waters-Hinson's Academy Award-Winning, As We Forgive, Doug Block's critically acclaimed 51 Birch Street and Dani Menkin's Academy short listed 39 Pounds of Love.

Other films include Craig Detweiler's and John Marks' cult hit, Purple State of Mind and Michael Hoffman's Out of the Blue.

Staunch supporters of young filmmakers, John was instrumental in launching the Windrider Forum, which includes creative workshops at the Sundance Film Festival, Webfest Film Series and a hosts a lively web community with over 10,000 monthly followers.

John has a B.A in Business from the University of Colorado and an M.A in Leadership  (M.A.C.L)  from Fuller Theological Seminary. John lives in Boise, Idaho with his wife Terri and their four children.