Visiting Kurtz (again)

We just confirmed one of our last trips for the film, and one that is really overdue. We had planned on coming last year, but a severe snow storm forced us to cancel. We were in the area in June, but Kurtz came to NJ that week. We’re all set to visit with Dr. Kurtz, who is known as the father of secular humanisn, tomorrow at his home in Williamsville, NY. Following this interview, we will visit with a young lady from South Carolina and collect some b-roll from the National Archives in Maryland. That should do it. In the meantime, the film is actually half way edited! We’re just waiting to gather these last interviews before locking picture (only six months beyond our original deadline).

Interview with Ellen Johnson

We had the privilege of speaking with Ellen Johnson on Friday morning. We rented office space in Morristown for the interview, which went very well. The first time we spoke to Ellen, which was about a year ago, she was President of American Atheists. Today, she is a political activist. Her nontheist perspective will add some much needed depth to the documentary.

Evangecamp Visit

What a weekend! We visited with Jon Speed’s group in Niagara Falls/Buffalo, and they were kind enough to let us tag along as they “evangelized” the area. The backdrop of the Falls on the Canadian side provided some really breathtaking footage. On day two, we went with the group to the Allentown Fair, where we ran into some Scientology protesters on a street corner. We interviewed one of the protesters, who happened to be dressed as a pirate, for a good hour. What a character! He will definitely be one of the highlights of the film. We had also planned to interview Paul Kurtz this weekend in Amherst. However, Dr. Kurtz was actually traveling to our area. We’ll try to make our way back up ASAP.

Evangecamp in Niagara Falls

We’re leaving tomorrow for our last big event for the film. There may be a few more interviews lined up, but we’ve been looking forward to documenting Evangecamp for a while. The camp is run by Lost Cause Ministries and One Million Tracts.

Open-Air at Mid-Western State University:  Jon Speed   *

Soup Kitchen @ St. John’s Episcopal

Father Joe Parrish was gracious enough to invite us to his church, St. John’s Episcopal in Elizabeth, NJ, on Super Bowl Sunday. There was a soup kitchen at the church where teens were serving anyone who came and was hungry for a Sunday meal. Father Joe spoke with us about the church’s attempts to attract a youthful audience. He also introduced us to a few other important people at the event, some of whom were kind enough to talk on film as well. Local rapper “Runaway” is one of the ways Father Joe is reaching young people. Runaway filmed his latest music video at the church and is also set to have a premiere party there. You can watch the video here:

Fishers of Men Evangelism Conference

Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, Boundbrook, NJ

God Hates America?

We were invited to visit with the folks at the controversial Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. After flying in from Philadelphia on a connecting flight out of Atlanta, Shirley Phelps welcomed us into her home for interviews and an opportunity to tag along on some of their infamous church pickets. After two days with the family, we have collected more than four hours of interviews and footage for the film. I will avoid posting any positive/negative thoughts about the family’s tactics. Let the film speak for itself. Here are a few photos from the trip:

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Fort Wayne is known for two things: restaurants and churches. The city has the most of each per capita in the United States. This fact made it an obvious choice for a travel destination for our film project. Inquiries with local churches led to four invitations for interviews and full production schedule. We met with the following religious leaders:

1. Don Clemmer, Assistant Editor, Today’s Catholic Newspaper
2. Jeremy Ashworth, Pastor, Lincolnshire Church of the Brethren, Fort Wayne, Indiana
3. Stuart Riddington, Pastor, The Pointe Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana

A Visit with Ryan Bailey

We spoke with Ryan Bailey today for the film project. Ryan is the senior warden for the Episcopal Church in Vineland, NJ. It only took about an hour to get down to Vineland from Central Jersey. Mr. Bailey was very welcoming and answered all of our questions with conviction. A video clip will be added to this post shortly.