Hard Faith Podcast

Hard Faith Podcast | Season 4, Episode 10

Be Afraid: Horror, Halloween & the Theology of Fear with Dr. Kutter Callaway

Can horror movies actually strengthen our faith? And what if the Bible's command to "fear not" doesn't mean what we think it does?

In this special Halloween season episode of the Hard Faith Podcast, filmmaker and Hard Faith founder Spencer Folmar welcomes Dr. Kutter Callaway, theologian, film critic, author, and professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, for a fascinating conversation about horror films, Christianity, and the surprising spiritual value of being afraid.

Kutter Callaway will also be joining us as a featured speaker and panelist at Hard Faith Film Festival NYC, December 4–5, 2026, in Manhattan! Join us for two days of independent cinema, conversations about faith and filmmaking, industry panels, and opportunities to connect with Christian creatives and storytellers. Learn more and get tickets at https://www.hardfaithfest.com.

Callaway, who teaches at the intersection of theology, psychology, and culture and leads Brehm Film at Fuller Theological Seminary, is the author of the new book Be Afraid: What Horror Reveals About Facing the Darkness. Drawing from theology, psychology, and cinema, his book challenges Christians to reconsider their relationship with fear and explore how confronting darkness can lead to greater wisdom, compassion, and spiritual growth.

In this episode, Spencer and Kutter explore Hollywood's horror renaissance, why audiences increasingly gravitate toward frightening stories, and whether horror films can help us confront the real-life trauma, suffering, and evil we would rather ignore.

From The Exorcist and The Blair Witch Project to Sinners, The Substance, and even Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, their conversation examines how frightening stories can reveal profound truths about the human condition. They also discuss the dangers of glorifying violence, the importance of Christian discernment, and why Scripture itself refuses to sanitize the darkness of our fallen world.

Perhaps most provocatively, Callaway suggests that the Christian life isn't necessarily about eliminating fear, but learning to fear rightly—redirecting our fears toward what truly matters and recognizing that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

The conversation concludes with a timely discussion about Halloween, Christian traditions, and how families can approach difficult subjects such as death, grief, and the supernatural without surrendering to fear.

Learn more and connect:

At Hard Faith, we believe life is hard, and God is good. Through honest storytelling and meaningful conversations, we're telling stories that liberate.

Subscribe to the Hard Faith Podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who loves film, faith, or a good scary story.

What if the greatest way to change Hollywood isn't through criticism, boycotts, or better movies, but through prayer? And what happens when God calls you to a mission that even other Christians struggle to understand?

In this episode of the Hard Faith Podcast, host Spencer Folmar sits down with his longtime friend and mentor Karen Covell, founder of the Hollywood Prayer Network, to celebrate 25 years of ministry, faith, and bringing the love of Jesus to the entertainment industry.

What began as a small prayer gathering in Hollywood has grown into a worldwide movement, connecting thousands of Christian entertainment professionals and establishing more than 170 chapters across 40 countries. Karen shares the unlikely beginnings of Hollywood Prayer Network, the resistance she encountered from fellow Christians, and her conviction that the church should be praying for Hollywood rather than condemning it.

Karen also opens up about her personal faith journey, including the college roommate whose prayers helped lead her to Jesus and the moment she discovered the transformative power of prayer. She reflects on the challenges of building a ministry from the ground up, navigating financial struggles, experiencing betrayal, and learning to persevere when God's calling leads through unexpected hardship.

In a particularly personal moment, Spencer shares how Karen's encouragement helped sustain Hard Faith during one of its earliest and most difficult seasons. After his film Generational Sins faced intense criticism from Christian audiences, a simple phone call from Karen became a turning point in his filmmaking journey and the beginning of a friendship that has lasted more than a decade.

Together, they explore the importance of authentic Christian storytelling, why faith-based filmmakers shouldn't be afraid to tackle difficult subjects, and how Christians can engage culture with compassion rather than fear.

Above all, Karen reminds us that prayer isn't simply preparation for the work God has called us to do. Prayer is the work.

Whether you're a filmmaker, artist, ministry leader, or someone struggling to trust God through unanswered prayers, this conversation is an invitation to keep showing up, keep loving people, and keep believing that God is working even when the road is difficult.

At Hard Faith, we believe life is hard, and God is good.

Connect with Karen Covell & Hollywood Prayer Network:

Website: https://hollywoodprayernetwork.org

Get Involved: Join a local chapter, become a prayer partner, or discover ways to pray for entertainment professionals around the world.

Hollywood Prayer Network App: Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Learn More About Hard Faith:

Website: https://hardfaith.org

Join us for Hard Faith Fest NYC, December 4–5, 2026, as we continue bringing together filmmakers, artists, and audiences who believe in the power of storytelling to inspire hope and meaningful conversations about faith.

Subscribe to the Hard Faith Podcast and share this episode with someone who needs encouragement to keep pursuing their calling, even when the journey gets hard.

What does it mean to follow Jesus while pursuing a creative calling in one of the busiest cities in the world? And how do we hold on to faith when life takes us through seasons of depression, uncertainty, and struggle?

In this episode of the Hard Faith Podcast, host Spencer Folmar sits down with filmmaker, writer, and producer Robert John Rivera Jr., creator and showrunner of The Chosen Ones, a faith-based superhero series inspired by the storytelling and pop culture of the 1990s and early 2000s.

Born and raised in New York City, Robert shares his passion for bringing faith, culture, and storytelling together to create meaningful conversations about Jesus. As the NYC Chapter Director of the Hollywood Prayer Network and founder of the New York Christian Media Community, Robert is helping build connections among Christian artists and entertainment professionals throughout the city.

Robert also opens up about one of the most difficult chapters of his life: his personal battle with depression. He reflects on how his relationship with Jesus sustained him through that season, what he learned about trusting God when healing doesn't come immediately, and why Christians shouldn't be afraid to talk honestly about mental health.

Spencer and Robert also discuss the challenges of independent filmmaking, the development of The Chosen Ones, the importance of Christian community in the entertainment industry, and Robert's experience at Hard Faith Fest NYC, where his project received an award.

Through it all, Robert reminds us that faith doesn't mean life will be easy, but that God remains present even in our darkest moments.

At Hard Faith, we believe life is hard, and God is good.

Connect with Robert John Rivera Jr.:

Facebook: Robert John Rivera Jr.

Learn More About Hard Faith:

Website: https://hardfaith.org

Join us for Hard Faith Fest NYC, December 4–5, 2026, as we continue bringing together filmmakers, artists, and audiences who believe in the power of storytelling to inspire hope and meaningful conversations about faith.

Hard Faith Podcast: Season 4 - Episode 7

Spencer and McKenna Folmar sit down just two weeks after wrapping the Suicide Prevention Trilogy to look back on one of the most ambitious seasons in Hard Faith history: three feature films made in a single year, including two films shot back-to-back in just five weeks.

They share the story behind The Days Are Evil, God Is Beautiful, and REST—from an idea Spencer carried for nearly 15 years to a trilogy exploring suicide, grief, depression, faith, family, and hope from three different perspectives. They also talk candidly about the emotional weight of the material, the prayer and support that surrounded the production, and their hope that these films will reach people who desperately need to know that their lives matter.

Along the way, Spencer and McKenna take listeners behind the scenes of an extraordinary production: long days and sleepless nights, a cast and crew that became a family, community members opening their homes and businesses, McKenna feeding as many as 30–50 people while also producing and working on set, and countless people stepping outside their job descriptions to make the films possible.

Now that all three films are finally in the can, Spencer and McKenna reflect on what it took to get there, the people who carried the mission alongside them, and what comes next for the Suicide Prevention Trilogy and Hard Faith.

Hard Faith Podcast: Season 4 - Episode 6

In Episode 6 of the Hard Faith Podcast, Spencer Folmar sits down with screenwriter and veteran fighter pilot Marty Richards, winner of Best Screenplay at Hard Faith Fest NYC 2025 for his first screenplay, Nickel on the Grass.

Marty shares the remarkable true story behind the screenplay. On September 11, 2001, he was both a United Airlines pilot and an F-15 pilot in the Massachusetts Air National Guard. What began as a routine training mission became a scramble into the skies during the terrorist attacks. Marty ultimately spent hours over New York City helping intercept aircraft and stabilize American airspace.

But his story is as much about what happened after September 11 as what happened that day. Marty opens up about the lasting toll of the experience, his struggle to understand and process what he had lived through, and how faith, family, surrender, and eventually writing helped lead him toward healing. His screenplay grew out of that journey and his participation in the Writers Guild Foundation’s Veterans Writing Project.

Twenty-five years after 9/11, Marty offers a deeply personal perspective on service, trauma, storytelling, and the importance of asking for help. It is a conversation about what happens when a warrior discovers that sometimes the hardest act isn’t fighting—it’s surrendering what you cannot control and trusting God with what comes next.

www.HardFaith.org

Season 4, Episode 5: Peter Iengo — Turning Grief into Purpose Through Faith and Film at Hard Faith Fest NYC

Award-winning filmmaker Peter Iengo joins the Hard Faith Podcast to share the deeply personal story behind his feature film One More Time, winner of Best Feature Film at the inaugural Hard Faith Film Festival NYC. Inspired by the loss of his father during the COVID-19 pandemic, Peter opens up about his journey through grief, how the GriefShare ministry helped restore his faith, and why he chose to transform his pain into a film that offers hope to others.

In this moving conversation, Peter reflects on more than two decades in filmmaking, from winning a Student Emmy and screening films at international festivals to teaching the next generation of filmmakers. He shares how his experiences with loss reshaped not only his personal faith, but also the direction of his career, leading him to create stories centered on grief, healing, and the power of Christ.

Together, Spencer and Peter discuss the importance of authentic storytelling, the healing process that comes through creating art, and why Christians should not shy away from difficult conversations about suffering. Peter also explains how GriefShare welcomes people from every background and denomination, offering practical encouragement for anyone walking through loss.

If you’ve experienced grief, wondered how faith intersects with suffering, or believe stories can change lives, this episode is an honest and hope-filled conversation you won’t want to miss.

Submit and attend Hard Faith Fest NYC at www.HardFaithFest.com

In this episode of the Hard Faith Podcast, Spencer and McKenna Folmar give a full update on everything happening with Hard Faith, including the recent wrap of their newest feature film, The Days Are Evil, and the upcoming fourth annual Hard Faith Fest LA, taking place June 25–28, 2026 at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, California.

Spencer opens the episode by sharing that The Days Are Evil has officially wrapped production after a demanding but deeply meaningful shoot in Central Pennsylvania. The film is the first installment in the upcoming Suicide Trilogy, with the same core cast continuing into the next two films. Spencer and McKenna reflect on the strength of the cast and crew, the emotional weight of the material, and the grace they felt throughout production. Spencer also shares that he has already begun editing and is excited about how the film is coming together.

The conversation then turns to Hard Faith Fest LA Year Four, which will be the largest Hard Faith Fest yet. This year marks the festival’s first four-day event, hosted by Lake Avenue Church, a venue Spencer and McKenna describe as beautiful, gracious, and ideal for the growing festival. They discuss the move to Pasadena, the convenience of nearby hotel room blocks, the walkability of the area, and the ability for guests to fly into Burbank as an easier alternative to LAX.

Spencer and McKenna emphasize that Hard Faith Fest is not simply a screening event, but a true gathering place for Christian artists, filmmakers, writers, actors, producers, and industry professionals who are trying to tell honest, redemptive stories. The festival will include screenings, screenplay presentations, panels, workshops, live musical performances, the Pitch Fest, afterparties, Sunday worship at Lake Avenue Church, and a closing time of prayer and encouragement.

This year’s festival theme is “Do Not Fear.” Spencer explains that the theme feels especially fitting for Christian artists who are called to create courageously, even when the path is uncertain. The episode frames the festival as a place of encouragement, community, and faith-driven creative boldness.

The heart of the episode is the official announcement of the Hard Faith Fest LA official selections and category nominations. The festival received its strongest and most competitive submissions yet, with hundreds of entries and more than fifty projects being screened or presented across the festival.

The official selections include:

Screenplays:

Short Films:

Feature Films:

Student Films:

Documentary Features:

Documentary Shorts:

The episode also announces selections in Best Original Song, Episodic / Television, and Animation, along with nominations for acting, directing, producing, writing, cinematography, editing, visual effects, costume design, makeup, casting, international film, composer, trailer, and additional festival awards.

Spencer and McKenna close by congratulating all official selections and nominees, while also encouraging those who were not selected to continue creating and submit again in the future. They make clear that the festival’s mission is not only to recognize excellent work, but to champion artists who are telling stories that liberate.

The episode ends with an invitation for listeners to buy tickets, attend all four days, take part in the full community experience, and join Hard Faith Fest LA in Pasadena for a festival rooted in faith, art, courage, and honest storytelling.

www.HardFaithFest.com

In this episode of the Hard Faith Podcast, Spencer Folmar sits down with Los Angeles screenwriter Kimberly Jade Soliman to talk about her path into screenwriting, her long-standing connection to Hard Faith, and the grit it takes to build a career in film while staying grounded in faith. Spencer highlights Kimberly’s discipline, consistency, and practical approach to finding work, while Kimberly shares how God led her from a theater background into screenwriting and eventually to Los Angeles.

The episode is especially helpful for aspiring writers because it is not just inspirational — it is practical. Kimberly talks about the value of steady writing, learning the industry from the inside by working on set, going to conferences, building relationships over time, and refusing to let rejection knock her out of the game. She makes the case that perseverance matters just as much as talent, and that a real writing career is built through faithfulness over time.

At its heart, this conversation is about endurance, calling, and doing the work. It is an encouraging episode for screenwriters, filmmakers, and anyone trying to stay faithful to what God has put in front of them, even when the road is long.

In this episode of the Hard Faith Podcast, host Spencer Folmar sits down with filmmaker and cinematographer Sean Malone, whose striking black-and-white short film Grand Canyon won second place at this year’s Hard Faith Film Festival in Hollywood. 

Sean shares the deeply personal inspiration behind Grand Canyon, a film born out of the isolation, grief, and spiritual weight many experienced during the COVID era. Framed like a psalm of lament, the film follows a widowed minister struggling to hold onto faith amid darkness, division, and despair — ultimately becoming a cinematic prayer and cry out to God. 

The conversation expands into Sean’s love of cinema, his influences ranging from Spielberg to Lawrence of Arabia, and his journey as an artist who wants filmmaking to carry real spiritual substance. Sean and Spencer reflect on the importance of theology in storytelling — not making films that feel preachy, but honest stories that still center Christian hope. 

Sean also speaks candidly about his own faith journey, including seasons of depression, suffering, and slow spiritual growth — emphasizing that Christians may walk through valleys, but never without hope. Together, Spencer and Sean explore how hardship shapes character, how faith matures over time, and why art should ultimately point beyond ourselves to Christ. 

Finally, Sean reflects on the unique spirit of Hard Faith Fest: a community marked not by transaction, but by love, dignity, and the belief that artists are made in the image of God. He shares plans for a possible Grand Canyon sequel and encourages listeners to keep creating meaningful work rooted in truth and redemption.

In the Season 4 premiere of the Hard Faith Podcast, host Spencer Folmar welcomes back the show’s only recurring guest across every season, Nathan Clarkson, for a wide-ranging conversation on faith, honesty, and storytelling.

The episode centers on Nathan’s new book I’m the Worst: Freedom Is Found in Admitting Our Faults, which explores the personal and cultural consequences of refusing to acknowledge our own brokenness. Nathan shares how years of maintaining a polished Christian image hid deeper fear, doubt, and pain—and how facing that darkness became a bridge to healing rather than the end of his story.

Together, Spencer and Nathan discuss why Christians should be the first to admit their need for a Savior, how denial fuels division in culture and politics, and why much faith-based art fails when it avoids the reality of sin, suffering, and moral complexity. Drawing from Scripture, personal experience, filmmaking, and theology, they argue that honest art has the power to confront darkness while still pointing toward redemption.

This episode sets the tone for Season 4 by affirming a core Hard Faith conviction: life is hard, God is good, and truth-telling—both in art and in life—is essential to freedom and faithfulness.