A festival like ours can't happen without dedicated volunteers who spend countless hours from concept to execution... Professionals with a passion to explore the life of the spirit in the art of the cinema.
Rebecca VerStraten-McSparran - 2006 Festival Chair Rev. Rebecca Ver Straten-McSparran Executive Director
of the Los Angeles Film Study Center and the pastor of Tribe, a
new church located in the Miracle Mile District of Los Angeles.
She has for many years been involved in urban ministry, living and
working in urban communities with families and gang members, currently
spearheading the development of the inner city Commonwealth Neighborhood
Council. Rebecca also is very involved with ministry in the
visual arts and film arts, having created a gallery, leading and
facilitating art and film groups and retreats. She is on the board
of Reel Spirituality, a faculty member of Act One: Hollywood and a regular speaker at the Focolare Conference in Italy.
Ralph Winter Ralph
Winter has been invovled in the City of Angels Film Festival since
its inception. He started in film as a visual effects wizard and was involved
in the Star Trek film franchise beginning with Star Trek
II, emerging as an Executive Producer for the series in 1986.
He has subsequently Executive Produced a string of major blockbusters,
including I, Robot, X2: X-Men United, X-Men, Fantastic 4, and X-Men 3 and 4 .
Robert K. Johnston Robert is Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. Johnston teaches courses both in Theology and Film and in Constructive Evangelical Theology. His books include Evangelicals at an Impasse: The use of the Bible in Theology-Evangelical Options, and his most recent, Reel Spirituality: Theology and Film in Dialogue. He and his wife Catherine Barsotti are regular movie reviewers for The Covenant Companion.
Jerry L. Jackson Jerry is a dad and an Elder in the Disciples of Christ church. Other passions include being an award-winning feature writer/producer/director/cinematographer/videographer (CINE Golden Eagle, New York, Chicago, and Houston International Film Festivals, CINDY Awards, Excellence in Media Angel Award, C.V.M. Crown Awards), web designer, photographer, new media journalist, and critic. Jerry is an active member of the Writer's Guild of America where he is a founding member of the Writers Education Committee, chairs the New Members Committee, and has served on the Committee Advisory Panel, the New Media Committee and two Board Nominating Committees. He has developed curriculum for UCLA Extension as a member of their Curriculum Advisory Board. Jerry was the Executive Director of the groundbreaking Refocus International Film Festival in the mid '70's and VisionFest in the mid 80's. He has also served as a finals judge for Excellence in Media's Angel Awards and The Gabriel Awards. This is his eighth year with CAFF
Barbara R. Nicolosi Barbara R. Nicolosi is the
Director of Act One: Writing for Hollywood, an educational program
sponsored by Inter-Mission to train screenwriters from the Christian
community for mainstream entertainment industry careers. Miss
Nicolosi is a screenwriter, monthly media columnist, and frequent
speaker at writer's conferences.
Brian Oppenheimer Brian is a writer/producer and has written for newspapers, magazines, the stage and screen. His recent TV credits include episodes for "Mike Hammer, P.I., With Stacy Keach" and "Flatland." For the past 3 years, he has produced the CIMA Awards. He is also a reader for the Humanitas Prize, a juror for the Angelus Awards and is on the Board of Directors of the Catholics In Media Associates.
Sr. Rose Pacatte Sr.
Rose is the founding Director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies.
She teaches media/film studies to adolescents, parents, teachers and
clergy. Sr. Rose has an M.A. in Education in Media Studies from the
University of London, UK. She is a founding member of Cine & Media
(USA affiliate of O.C.I.C.), a member of the executive committee of
Unda-USA, the national Catholic association for communicators, a member
of the Religious Communications Council and the Catholic Press Association.
Rose recently co-authored Lights, Camera... Faith: A Movie Lectionary,
Cycle A (2001, Pauline Books & Media) with Fr. Peter Malone.
Rev. Wilfred J. Raymond, CSC National Director of Family Theater Productions, a Catholic production company in Hollywood. During his first year, Family Theater produced four half hour dramas aimed at teens and families, linking social issues; also a third series of Spanish-speaking dramatic radio programs, “Historias para Mejorar El Mundo” (Stories for a Better World) developed a contemporary billboard campaign on prayer and featured a student film festival honoring college-level filmmakers. Before coming to Family Theater, Father Raymond was provincial and served as Chairman of the Corporate Members and President of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committees of both Stonehill College in Easton, MA and King’s College in Wilkes Barre, PA.
Darryl Tippens Dr.
Tippens is the Provost of Pepperdine University, where he is also
Professor of English. He has served at Pepperdine University for almost
five years. Prior to his service at Pepperdine he taught English literature
at Abilene Christian University and at Oklahoma Christian University.
He serves on the editorial boards two periodicals: New Wineskins and Explorations in Renaissance Culture. Darryl is a scholar
who enjoys researching and teaching literature from the English Renaissance,
but he also has a strong interest in contemporary culture and frequently
writes film reviews. With Stephen Weathers and Jeanne Murray Walker,
he's completed the second edition of an anthology of literature called Shadow and Light: Literature and the Life of Faith.
Justin Bell Justin Bell is assistant director of Reel Spirituality, Fuller Seminary's
creative encounter between the church and Hollywood, and a student in the
Peter Stark Producing Program at USC School of Cinema-TV. When not working
in entertainment, Justin volunteers with the creative worship & arts team at
his church, Bel Air Presbyterian.
Monika Moreno Director
of the Angelus Awards Student Film Festival, honoring student filmmakers
whose work reflects the complexity of the human condition and triumph
of the human spirit. A screenwriter, she is now completing the UCLA
Writers Program, and has won or placed in several competitions, including
UCLA Diane Thomas Dreamworks, HBO Montage, & Telluride. Her radio
play credits include The Midget and the Music and Ship
of Hearts. Story Editor, Family Theater Productions & Associate
Producer and story analyst for the Nicholls Foundation, project of
the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences.
Paul Begin Paul Begin (Ph.D) is an Assistant Professor of Spanish at Pepperdine University, where he teaches Spanish language, literature, and cinema. He has most recently published academic articles on subjects such as the transnational character of contemporary Spanish youth culture and theoretical writings of Luis Buñuel.
Rev. Rebecca Ver Straten-McSparran Executive Director
of the Los Angeles Film Study Center and the pastor of Tribe, a
new church located in the Miracle Mile District of Los Angeles.
She has for many years been involved in urban ministry, living and
working in urban communities with families and gang members, currently
spearheading the development of the inner city Commonwealth Neighborhood
Council. Rebecca also is very involved with ministry in the
visual arts and film arts, having created a gallery, leading and
facilitating art and film groups and retreats. She is on the board
of Reel Spirituality, a faculty member of Act One: Hollywood and a regular speaker at the Focolare Conference in Italy.
Ralph
Winter has been invovled in the City of Angels Film Festival since
its inception. He started in film as a visual effects wizard and was involved
in the Star Trek film franchise beginning with Star Trek
II, emerging as an Executive Producer for the series in 1986.
He has subsequently Executive Produced a string of major blockbusters,
including I, Robot, X2: X-Men United, X-Men, Fantastic 4, and X-Men 3 and 4 .
Robert is Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. Johnston teaches courses both in Theology and Film and in Constructive Evangelical Theology. His books include Evangelicals at an Impasse: The use of the Bible in Theology-Evangelical Options, and his most recent, 
Jerry is a dad and an Elder in the Disciples of Christ church. Other passions include being an award-winning feature writer/producer/director/cinematographer/videographer (CINE Golden Eagle, New York, Chicago, and Houston International Film Festivals, CINDY Awards, Excellence in Media Angel Award, C.V.M. Crown Awards), web designer, photographer, new media journalist, and critic. Jerry is an active member of the Writer's Guild of America where he is a founding member of the Writers Education Committee, chairs the New Members Committee, and has served on the Committee Advisory Panel, the New Media Committee and two Board Nominating Committees. He has developed curriculum for UCLA Extension as a member of their Curriculum Advisory Board. Jerry was the Executive Director of the groundbreaking Refocus International Film Festival in the mid '70's and VisionFest in the mid 80's. He has also served as a finals judge for Excellence in Media's Angel Awards and The Gabriel Awards. This is his eighth year with CAFF 
Barbara R. Nicolosi is the
Director of Act One: Writing for Hollywood, an educational program
sponsored by Inter-Mission to train screenwriters from the Christian
community for mainstream entertainment industry careers. Miss
Nicolosi is a screenwriter, monthly media columnist, and frequent
speaker at writer's conferences.
Brian is a writer/producer and has written for newspapers, magazines, the stage and screen. His recent TV credits include episodes for "Mike Hammer, P.I., With Stacy Keach" and "Flatland." For the past 3 years, he has produced the CIMA Awards. He is also a reader for the Humanitas Prize, a juror for the Angelus Awards and is on the Board of Directors of the Catholics In Media Associates. 
Sr.
Rose is the founding Director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies.
She teaches media/film studies to adolescents, parents, teachers and
clergy. Sr. Rose has an M.A. in Education in Media Studies from the
University of London, UK. She is a founding member of Cine & Media
(USA affiliate of O.C.I.C.), a member of the executive committee of
Unda-USA, the national Catholic association for communicators, a member
of the Religious Communications Council and the Catholic Press Association.
Rose recently co-authored Lights, Camera... Faith: A Movie Lectionary,
Cycle A (2001, Pauline Books & Media) with Fr. Peter Malone. 
National Director of Family Theater Productions, a Catholic production company in Hollywood. During his first year, Family Theater produced four half hour dramas aimed at teens and families, linking social issues; also a third series of Spanish-speaking dramatic radio programs, “Historias para Mejorar El Mundo” (Stories for a Better World) developed a contemporary billboard campaign on prayer and featured a student film festival honoring college-level filmmakers. Before coming to Family Theater, Father Raymond was provincial and served as Chairman of the Corporate Members and President of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committees of both Stonehill College in Easton, MA and King’s College in Wilkes Barre, PA. 
Dr.
Tippens is the Provost of Pepperdine University, where he is also
Professor of English. He has served at Pepperdine University for almost
five years. Prior to his service at Pepperdine he taught English literature
at Abilene Christian University and at Oklahoma Christian University.
He serves on the editorial boards two periodicals: New Wineskins and Explorations in Renaissance Culture. Darryl is a scholar
who enjoys researching and teaching literature from the English Renaissance,
but he also has a strong interest in contemporary culture and frequently
writes film reviews. With Stephen Weathers and Jeanne Murray Walker,
he's completed the second edition of an anthology of literature called Shadow and Light: Literature and the Life of Faith.
Justin Bell is assistant director of Reel Spirituality, Fuller Seminary's
creative encounter between the church and Hollywood, and a student in the
Peter Stark Producing Program at USC School of Cinema-TV. When not working
in entertainment, Justin volunteers with the creative worship & arts team at
his church, Bel Air Presbyterian. 
Director
of the Angelus Awards Student Film Festival, honoring student filmmakers
whose work reflects the complexity of the human condition and triumph
of the human spirit. A screenwriter, she is now completing the UCLA
Writers Program, and has won or placed in several competitions, including
UCLA Diane Thomas Dreamworks, HBO Montage, & Telluride. Her radio
play credits include The Midget and the Music and Ship
of Hearts. Story Editor, Family Theater Productions & Associate
Producer and story analyst for the Nicholls Foundation, project of
the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences.
Paul Begin (Ph.D) is an Assistant Professor of Spanish at Pepperdine University, where he teaches Spanish language, literature, and cinema. He has most recently published academic articles on subjects such as the transnational character of contemporary Spanish youth culture and theoretical writings of Luis Buñuel.