Biola Day One

Biola Day One April 23, 2005

After I made the acquaintance of Greg Stump (I love meeting Looking Closer readers… it usually ends up with me becoming a big fan of them instead of the other way around), and we had a hearty breakfast, I took to strolling the sidewalks at Biola under a cloudy grey sky.

The very first person I saw on campus was Craig Detweiler. He was engrossed in a conversation with some other faculty at a table, but his was the only face I could see. Good. Important contact #1 on campus! Detweiler’s books on film are worth checking out, and in conversation he speaks so eloquently about his passion for film that I won’t need to edit him for the articles I’ll be writing.

But that conversation didn’t happen until later. He was busy, so I kept walking around and nearly collided with a tall, striking fellow around the next corner… Steve Taylor.

After an meeting with some Biola folks (thanks to Irene Neller and Jay Lee for making me feel welcome), I chatted about film and faith with Mr. Detweiler and then he took me to Taylor, who was talking with music students about how to break into music careers. Afterward, we went out to a coffee shop, just the two of us, and I filled him in on just what an impact his music had made on my life from 1985 on through to today. We talked about his upcoming directorial debut… The Second Chance… about working with Michael W. Smith (the star of the film), about his favorite filmmakers, and agreed to continue the conversation soon by phone and email. Great to finally make a friend out of one of my biggest heroes.

After that, I retired for an evening of reading (second time through Greg Wolfe’s Intruding Upon the Timeless) and my first full night of sleep in a long, long time. I’d forgotten how good sleep feels.

Now, it’s Day Two, and I’m off to the Biola Media Conference for a day packed with interviews.

The festival gets started with a presentation by Craig Detweiler, and heads right into a presentation I’m sure many aspiring Christian filmmakers will find transporting… a talk with the Christian WWF wrestler Sting. Hmmm.

Then, there’s Ralph Winter, Arthur Anderson (who works with John Woo), Lori McReary, Terry Botwick, a special preview presentation of the upcoming Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe with behind-the-scenes stuff and sneak-peek footage, and then a sneak preview of Steve Taylor’s The Second Chance.

More to come.


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