7 replies to this topic

[Overstreet]

I'm just finalizing plans to be in L.A. in April for the 2011 Reel Spirituality Conference.

Will I see any of you there?

Edited by Overstreet, 15 February 2011 - 07:02 PM.

[Ron Reed]

Overstreet, on 15 February 2011 - 07:01 PM, said:

I'm just finalizing plans to be in L.A. in April for the 2011 Reel Spirituality Conference.

Are they showing any movies?

[BethR]

OMG! My former student Melissa Croteau is one of the featured speakers! I'm so proud of her! Wish I could be there. OK, actually, she's a speaker at one of the conferences happening at the same time/in conjunction with the Reel Spirituality conference. Still very impressive.

Jeffrey, if you happen meet her, tell her I said hi, and "well done!"

Edited by BethR, 21 February 2011 - 12:57 PM.

[Peter T Chattaway]

Looks like this year's event could be a tad sombre, if they do any memorial-related stuff:

- - -

Four Americans killed by pirates off Somalia’s coast
The yacht Quest was hijacked on Friday off the coast of Oman, and owned by Scott Adam and his wife Jean, a couple from California. Organizers of the Blue Water Rally yacht race said the couple had with them two other Americans, Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, both from Seattle.
The Adams, who were members of the Marina del Rey Yacht Club in Marina del Ray, California, run a Bible ministry, according to their website, and had been sailing the world with a yacht full of Bibles since 2004. They had been distributing the Bibles to schools and churches in remote villages in areas including the Fiji Islands, Alaska, New Zealand, Central America and French Polynesia.
Robert K. Johnston of Fuller Theological Semin ary in Pasadena told The Associated Press that Mr. Adam — who last year earned a master of theology degree from the school — had sent friends emails detailing his international sailing trip. But Mr. Adam went silent Feb. 12 to avoid revealing the location of his yacht, the Quest, to pirates. . . .
Mr. Adam, now in his mid-60s, had been an associate producer in Hollywood when he turned in a spiritual direction and enrolled in the seminary a decade ago, Mr. Johnston said.
“He decided he could take his pension, and he wanted to serve God and humankind,” he said.
Mr. Johnston and Mr. Adam worked together to start a film and theology institute. Mr. Adam also taught a class on church and media at the school.
Craig Detweiler, a professor at Pepperdine University in Malibu, who attended Fuller with Mr. Adam in the 1990s and early 2000s, also recalled his friend's adventurous spirit. . . .
Associated Press, February 22

[Overstreet]

Wow. I had no idea about that connection. That brings an already horrible story much closer to home.

Looks like that story has been revised. The mention of Detweiler is gone now. Strange.

Edited by Overstreet, 22 February 2011 - 05:20 PM.

[Overstreet]

Even though I was there, I still kinda can't believe I got to share the stage with these folks from whom I have learned so much.



(From left: Me, Claudia Puig, Justin Chang, Elvis Mitchell)

What a rush.

Too bad I had laryngitis and could hardly talk.

[Overstreet]

Well, I post this with some embarrassment. I had terrible laryngitis during this event and almost bailed at the last minute. (Actually, I had laryngitis the day before, in Chicago, where I did two lectures, and then it just got worse on my late-night flight to L.A. and during this 10 a.m. event.) But the Reel Spirituality team had been so gracious as to bring me down to L.A., I didn't want to completely disappoint them.

So, for the sake of the much stronger voices on this panel, here is a discussion of the state of film criticism, including Elvis Mitchell, Justin Chang, Claudia Puig, and what was left of me.

[LibrarianDeb]

Interesting discussion, well worth the time.