The Candlelight Forum is pleased to announce presentations from the following distinguished members of the entertainment industry:
SQUIRE RUSHNELL
SQuire Rushnell has set himself apart from others throughout his four-decade career in television and radio. As one of the most compelling spokespersons in the communications industry, he has appeared on Good Morning America, FOX News, Nightline, NBC Nightly News and CBS Early Morning. Rushnell also has been seen nationally on The 700 Club, The Crystal Cathedral’s Hour Of Power and Life Today with James Robison.
As a veteran ABC Network Television executive, Rushnell led Good Morning America to number one, increasing ratings by 140 percent and growing annual profits to $40 million. While ABC vice president of family programs he fathered the acclaimed Schoolhouse Rock series and ABC After School Specials, capturing 75 Emmy Awards. Rushnell left his position as a TV president/CEO of a cable network after the tragic events of 9-11. He is a dynamic, inspirational/motivational speaker sought after by corporations and associations.
Likewise, Rushnell is bestselling author of the word-of-mouth phenomena When God Winks: How The Power of Coincidence Guides Your Life (Simon & Schuster/Atria, October 2002), When God Winks On Love (Simon & Schuster/Atria, February 2004), and When God Winks at You. Rushnell’s newest book is Couples Who Pray: The Most Intimate Act Between a Man and a Woman.
Rushnell is a riveting storyteller and frequently appears with his wife, the multi-talented comedic-impressionist Louise DuArt. She is a popular Women Of Faith speaker and host of Living the Life seen daily on ABC Family Channel. DuArt is also a popular performer both on and off Broadway. She recently ended an eight-year tour with Tim Conway and Harvey Korman in Together Again, a show that recreated classic sketches from the Carol Burnett Television Show.
Rushnell and his wife reside on Martha's Vineyard and New York City. For more information, visit louiseduart.com and coupleswhopray.com.
TOP
KATHIE LEE GIFFORD
Kathie Lee Gifford is an accomplished playwright, singer-songwriter and Emmy-nominated actress, who became famous for her 15-year stretch as cohost on the television talk show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.
Gifford has contributed a number of musical numbers to Hats and wrote and produced Under The Bridge, based upon the Newberry award- winning children's book The Family Under The Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson.
In 2007, she premiered Saving Aimee in Arlington, Va. Saving Aimee is about the life and times of evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson. The premiere starred Tony-nominated actress Carolee Carmello in the role of McPherson.
In addition to her work on screen, Gifford devotes herself to the Association to Benefit Children, which spawned the Cody Foundation. The resources from the association continue to support Cody House and Cassidy's Place. Cody House provides a transitional home for infants and children who have severe disabilities and serious medical problems. Named for Gifford’s daughter, Cassidy’s Place, which just celebrated its tenth anniversary, is the home of the Association to Benefit Children’s (ABC) national children advocacy. Its programs include comprehensive family support services, a day care center for homeless children whose parents are in ABC's employment program and a unique mentoring program. Cassidy’s Place provides a safe haven for all family members who are struggling with the effects of poverty and illness.
In December 2003, Gifford accepted the position of Celebrity Spokeswoman for the National Children’s Advocacy Center, which works to prevent and educate against the physical and sexual abuse of children. Gifford also received the Heart's of Compassion Award from Childhelp USA for her many efforts on behalf of children.
www.kathieleegifford.com
TOP
From The Film Foundry
RICK ELDRIDGE
With over 30 years in the entertainment business as a musician, producer and entrepreneur, Rick Eldridge knows how to make projects happen. Whether it is audio and sound design, sports programming, film, animated, broadcast video, or feature length movies, Eldridge has been involved in every facet of the business.
His creative vision has led to numerous projects including:
- The Monkey Trial (pre-production), a romantic, controversial and historical story of a man named Tom Anderson. Anderson is reporter in Dayton, Tenn., asked to make escalating moral compromises as the eager protégé of the cynical columnist H.L. Mencken at the famous Scopes “Monkey Trial” of 1925.
- Running the Sahara, a feature documentary with Academy Award winning director James Moll and executive producer/narrator Matt Damon. The film was premiered during the Toronto Film Festival and includes an all-star music soundtrack with Bono/U2 … Pearl Jam … Wycliffe and the African Children’s Choir. The soundtrack was produced by Hans Zimmer.
- The Perfect Game, based on a true story. This is a tale of the rag-tag, shoeless group of kids from Mexico who shocked the world in 1957 by winning 13 baseball games in a row and the Little League World Series in the only perfect game ever pitched in the championship.
- The Ultimate Gift, a feature film based on the book of the same name by Jim Stovall which has sold over a million copies. The story sends trust fund baby Jason Stevens on an improbable journey of discovery, having to answer the ultimate question: "What is the relationship between wealth and happiness?"
- Bobby Jones-Stroke of Genius, a 2004 feature film about the life and times of legendary golfer Bobby Jones, starring Jim Caviezel.
- Hermie & Friends, an award-winning animated series featuring the voices of Don Knotts and Tim Conway.
Eldridge has won numerous awards including 20 Telly Awards, six Communicator Awards, one New York Festivals World Metal Award and one U.S. International and Film and Video Festival Award.
Eldridge is currently president and CEO of the Film Foundry and Independent Producers Alliance (IPA Studios) , a multifaceted film and video production company making itself at home in Charlotte, N.C. Most recently the studio housed editing and daily production for George Clooney’s Leatherhead feature.
Eldridge is a member of the Charlotte Regional Partnership, an Executive Officer and Trustee Board for Brevard College, and the Heartland Film Festival Board of Advisors, and is a founding member of the Compass Arts Film Academy. He also has been awarded the International Who’s Who of Entrepreneurs.
www.thefilmfoundry.com
TOP
From TLC Entertainment
ROB LOOS
As co-founder and partner of TLC Entertainment, the independent family entertainment production company, Rob Loos serves as executive producer and writer for the company’s multifaceted projects, as well as guiding the development and management of TLC.
Loos first partnered with TLC Entertainment co-founder George Taweel in 1987, when both were hired to produce DIC Animation’s television and stage production of The DIC Superstar Showcase. The collaboration was so successful that the duo decided to make it permanent, forming Taweel-Loos & Company Entertainment in 1988, now known simply as TLC Entertainment.
TLC Entertainment’s first project was the groundbreaking McGee and Me! mini-movie®. The made-for-video series, first introduced in 1989, went on to sell over 4.5 million units and earned 12 gold and 12 platinum video awards from the International Tape Association (ITA). The award-winning animation series spawned over 30 licensees for ancillary products, a soundtrack album and became the first made-for-video property to air on American network television (ABC).
Under the TLC banner, Loos and Taweel co-executive produced Treasure House Block, the branded two-hour family entertainment-programming block for Fox Family Channel. The duo produced The Legend of Three Trees, starring Hal Holbrook, which won the World Gold Medal at the New York Festivals; The Christmas Lamb with Robby Benson and Jodi Benson, which made it number one on Billboard’s music video chart; and Secret Adventures, named as one of the top-ten television programs for girls by TV Guide. Kids’ Ten Commandments, which Loos and Taweel created and executive produced, stars Peter Strauss, Paul Winfield, Lou Diamond Phillips, Tim Curry, John Schneider, Tom Bosley, and Jodi Benson.
Loos and Taweel have also had a history of successfully writing and producing for other studios, including Sony/Disney, Moonwater/CBS, Marvel/Cartoon Network, Weller-Grossman/MagRack, and Mirus Entertainment. They have been recognized with 113 various awards for creative excellence, including recognition for some 70 gold- and platinum-selling videos, for projects produced under the TLC Entertainment banner.
Prior to forming TLC Entertainment, Rob served as director of creative affairs for Republic Pictures and director of development for Bob Banner Associates. Over a seven-year period, he guided the development of six series (including Star Search), three pilots and fifteen specials.
Loos is member of the Writer’s Guild of America West (WGAW), the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), and The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE). He was the 2001 recipient of The Knight Fellowship from Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, his alma mater. A graduate of Northwestern University, Loos resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.
www.tlcentertainment.com
TOP
Also From TLC Entertainment
GEORGE TAWEEL
George Taweel is co-founder and partner of TLC Entertainment, which specializes in creating, writing, producing and directing all forms of family entertainment. Taweel first partnered with TLC Entertainment co-founder Rob Loos in 1987. Under the TLC banner, Taweel and Loos produced the groundbreaking McGee And Me! series of mini-movies®; co-executive produced the Treasure House Block, the branded two-hour kids/family programming block for Fox Family Channel; and worked on The Legend of Three Trees, The Christmas Lamb, Secret Adventures, and Kids’ Ten Commandments (the most awarded kids religious project ever).
Taweel and Loos have successfully written and produced for other studios, including Sony/Disney (Buster and Chauncey’s Silent Night), Moonwater/CBS (Touched by an Angel), Marvel/Cartoon Network (Fantastic Four), Weller-Grossman/MagRack (John Lithgow’s Paloozaville), and several upcoming feature films, including Destiny and The Catch. TLC has over 113 awards for creative excellence, 70 gold- and platinum-selling videos, and has spawned over 50 licensed products, 20 juvenile fiction novels, and CD-ROMs, CDs and many other products released worldwide.
Prior to forming TLC Entertainment, Taweel won an Emmy Award® for Survival Guide, hosted by Robert Guillaume (PBS); produced Rocky Road, the first situation comedy for basic cable (Turner); developed and produced Mousercise, a Disney Channel series (10 years); was one of the producers of the original Star Search; directed day-time dramas and situation comedies; and produced/directed numerous music, variety, and beauty pageant productions.
Taweel is a member of the PGA, WGA, DGA, BMI, and ASCAP. He is an ordained clergyman in the Eastern Orthodox Church, a black belt (Tae Kwon Do), co-founder of EagleScoutParents.org, and official Santa of Studio City, Calif.
He is married to his equally talented wife Kimberly and has two outstanding children, David and Diana.
www.tlcentertainment.com
TOP
From Metanoia Films
EDUARDO VERÁSTEGUI
Eduardo Verástegui is the son of a sugar cane farmer from a small town in Mexico. During a phenomenal career as a recording artist and actor, Verástegui had been signed by a high-profile talent agency and management company who were guiding his fast track to stardom.
As his career was skyrocketing Verástegui realized that he was unfulfilled. He wanted to make films that “have the potential to touch people’s hearts and minds.” He also did not want to continue to take roles that contributed to the negative stereotype of Latinos in film. “I wanted to portray Latinos as heroes, not like Batman or Superman, but everyday heroes who are hard working people of integrity, individuals who are willing to sacrifice for their family and for others,” said Verástegui. However, with few projects coming out of Hollywood that were in line with his mission, Verástegui did not work for almost three years. "I realized that I had to start my own production company that would make films that entertain, engage and inspire audiences with a positive message.
Bella is the first film produced by Metanioa Films, a production company owned by Verástegui, Sean Wolfington, Leo Severino, Alejandro Monteverde, and Eustance Wolfington. Their mission is to make timeless movies that have the potential to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
www.bellamoviesite.com
TOP
Former Paramount President
DAVID KIRKPATRICK
David is the former president of Paramount Pictures where he worked for over 17 years, starting there as the studio's story editor. He is also the first person ever in the motion picture industry to hold two studio production chief jobs simultaneously when he ran both Walt Disney Studios and Touchstone Studios. As a motion picture executive, David has overseen some
200 movies including Forrest Gump, Top Gun, The Firm, Ghost, Witness, Ordinary People, Hunt For Red October, Terms of Endearment, Dead Poet's Society, Elephant Man, An Officer and a Gentleman, Reds, and Little Mermaid. He also was responsible for such successful franchises as the Indiana Jones and Star Trek series.
In the 1980s, David oversaw the most successful exclusive arrangement with an actor and a studio in the last 50 years with Eddie Murphy. As the responsible executive for Eddie Murphy, David oversaw such early classics as 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop I & II, Trading Places, and Coming to America. The pictures on which Kirkpatrick worked have a collective worldwide box office gross of over $10 billion and have garnered close to 400 Academy nominations and 163 Academy wins.
As a producer, Kirkpatrick has been the recipient of the Golden Globe, The Emmy, and The Independent Spirit award; is a member of the Producer's Guild of America; and maintains active membership with the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
www.plymouthrockstudios.com
TOP
EVP of Walden Media
FRANCIS XAVIER FLAHERTY, JR.
Francis X. (known as “Chip”) has been with Walden Media since its beginning, helping to make real the idea of a film company that could achieve the dual objectives of making family, commercial films while informing its audience about the power and presence of great literature. Films such as Holes (2003), Because of Winn-Dixie (2005), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), Charlotte’s Web (2006), Bridge to Terabithia (2007), and the upcoming Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (May 16, 2008) all provide testimony to the strength of that founding idea.
In an attempt to magnify Walden Media’s contribution to storytelling, Chip oversaw the company’s successful efforts to enter the world of publishing. By joint venturing with major publishers, Walden Media can now give voice to the next generation of great writers, producing stories that will not only populate our libraries as books but could also someday be at the local theater as faithful film adaptations. Recent published books include Mike Lupica’s Comeback Kids series and Ingrid Law’s Savvy (in bookstores May 2008), which is currently in film development at Walden Media.
Walden Media’s publishing efforts are yet another step in establishing a media company that can provide an experiential, trusted, and multi-dimensional learning environment for families and children. But as Chip noted in a recent interview, it all starts with story: “The technology and platforms – film, publishing, the Internet – available today for storytellers is staggering. But the indispensable element is the same as when Virgil and Homer traveled hundreds of miles to recite one of their epic poems – you need a great story.” Walden Media and Chip continue to look for those stories that will inspire, educate, and entertain.
Chip lives in Medford, Massachusetts with his wife Leslie and their four children, Maggie, Bridget, Abby, and Francis X. III (“Trey”). They often can be seen in a green minivan, taking turns practicing the art of storytelling while en route to a soccer field, hockey rink or ballet recital.
TOP
MATTHEW CROUCH
Matthew Crouch is Chairman & CEO of Gener8Xion Entertainment, Inc., a publicly-trade multi-media entertainment company engaged in the development, production, financing and distribution of family and “faith-based” feature films and television programming. Mr. Crouch possesses senior level managerial experience in virtually all phases of independent feature film production and television programming and has produced some of the most successful “faith-based” films of all time. His first feature, THE OMEGA CODE, was the #1 independently produced and distributed film of 1999. Mr. Crouch followed this with other noteworthy independent features such as MEGIDDO, a sequel to THE OMEGA CODE, and THE CHAMPION. His most recent box-office hit was the extravagant Biblical epic ONE NIGHT WITH THE KING, which was based on the Book of Esther and reunited legendary actors Peter O’Toole and Omar Sharif.
TOP
