In this episode of the Hard Faith Podcast, host Spencer Folmar welcomes Monique and Paige to discuss Vision Reel, a unique approach to visualizing and shaping one’s future through faith and storytelling. The conversation traces their friendship back to Monique and Paige’s podcast, Sacred Potential, which led them to discover Spencer’s work on Holy Traitor, sparking a deep creative connection. The idea for Vision Reel emerged from Monique’s background as a life coach and her personal journey thro...
Feb 26, 2025•38 min•Ep. 15
Podcast Summary: Nathan Clarkson & Spencer Folmar on Bright Sky, Hard Faith, and Filmmaking Without Excuses On this episode, Nathan Clarkson and Spencer Folmar sit down to talk about their newest film, Bright Sky, which releases February 7, 2025, on all digital platforms, home video rentals, and DVD. The duo dives deep into the making of Bright Sky, exploring the heart of Hard Faith storytelling—films that don’t shy away from life’s struggles but instead meet them head-on with honesty and ho...
Feb 06, 2025•36 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In this emotional and deeply personal episode of The Hard Faith Podcast, host Spencer Folmar and his wife, McKenna, open up about the heartbreaking loss of their daughter, Mary Claire. As they navigate the grief and faith challenges that come with such a profound loss, they share their raw emotions, reflections, and the journey of healing. This episode marks the beginning of Season 3, offering an honest look at faith in the midst of tragedy, the overwhelming support they’ve received, and their h...
Jan 29, 2025•17 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Hard Faith Podcast | Season 2 Finale In this heartfelt and candid season finale, Spencer Folmar reflects on a momentous and challenging year for Hard Faith and his family. From officially transitioning Hard Faith into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to celebrating the theatrical release of Saint Nick of Bethlehem and publishing his book, The Need for Hard Faith, Spencer shares the triumphs and trials that shaped 2024. Spencer opens up about his family’s ongoing journey as they navigate significant health ...
Dec 30, 2024•21 min•Ep. 14
In this episode of the Hard Faith Podcast, host Spencer Folmar dives into an inspiring conversation with Kaleb and Kyler Cook of Twin Bowl Media, filmmakers from central Pennsylvania. The Cook brothers discuss their journey of blending faith and filmmaking, highlighting their award-winning short film, David: A King’s Calling. The film, set in Pennsylvania but doubling as ancient Israel, has captured audiences with its innovative storytelling and resourceful production. The episode explores: •The...
Nov 30, 2024•43 min•Ep. 13
In this episode, we explore the journey behind Out of the Flames, a gripping 14th-century historical drama by screenwriter Stephanie Hutchinson. This award-winning screenplay, which took the Grand Prize at the Kairos Prize for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays and Hard Faith Fest, transports us into a world of medieval challenges and profound faith. Stephanie shares the inspiration behind the script and the research that shaped this dramatic portrayal of survival and redemption. Stephanie transi...
Oct 23, 2024•50 min•Ep. 12
In this episode of the Hard Faith Podcast, host Spencer Folmar sits down with award-winning director Brad Alexander to discuss his documentary The Threshing Floor. The film, which received both the top award and the audience award at the Hard Faith Film Festival, is described as an evangelism story disguised as an addiction film. Brad shares how he was inspired to tell the story of his friend, who overcame heroin addiction, and how the film evolved from a short project into a full-length feature...
Sep 07, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 11
In this episode of the Hard Faith Podcast, host Spencer Folmar, founder of Hard Faith, interviews filmmaker Matthew McCaulley about his award-winning feature film unDEFILED. They discuss the film’s origins, inspired by shocking statistics on pornography use among churchgoers and pastors, and the journey from script development to final production. Matthew shares insights into the ministry-first approach that guided the making of the film, aiming to spark conversations and support viewers struggl...
Aug 09, 2024•28 min•Ep. 10
In this episode of the Hard Faith Podcast, host Spencer Folmar speaks with award-winning filmmaker John Kestner, who recently won Best Experimental Short Film at the Hard Faith 2024 Film Festival for “The Foxhole.” They discuss the unique environment of the festival, which embraces challenging and faith-adjacent narratives. John shares his experiences creating thought-provoking films, the inspiration behind “The Foxhole,” and the importance of addressing tough topics through cinema. He also talk...
Aug 02, 2024•34 min•Ep. 9
Today Spencer & Co-Host McKenna Folmar talk about all the details and events taking place at the Hard Faith Film Festival. The event takes place in one week at the Garland Hotel in North Hollywood CA. July 19 + 20 from 10AM - 6PM. We hope you can join us for the 2nd Annual Film Festival Event! Learn more at www.HardFaith.org/festival
Jul 10, 2024•15 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Today we talk with filmmaker David Pozdyrka about his Hard Faith Fest 2023 winning short film "Cohabitation" as well as announcing our new streaming channel to find Hard Faith Films! You can now rent films on the HardFaith.org website. David lives in the country of Moldova and we talk about Christians depicted in art, the use of art to portray ourselves and moral themes, as well as David's process for creating his film. Also please be sure to check out and attend the upcoming Hard Faith Film Fes...
Jun 21, 2024•28 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Today we interview filmmaker Benjamin Ironside Koppin and lead actress Courtney Bandeko of the upcoming theatrical release of "Pastor's Kid" (2024). The film comes out March 15 Pastor's Kid in theaters nationwide March 15, 16, 17. https://pastorskidthemovie.com/ https://www.fandango.com/pastors-kid-2024-235233/movie-overview Benjamin Ironside Koppin Bio: Benjamin Ironside Koppin is an award winning Director and Cinematographer who intermixes humor with honesty in each of his films. As an Emmy Wi...
Mar 14, 2024•31 min•Season 2Ep. 2
We are excited to announce Season 2 of the Hard Faith Podcast. We kick off this new season catching up and recapping on our long break. It has been a busy few months, but we are eager to get back to regular episodes and guests. We have an exciting lineup this season featuring filmmakers, theologians, film festival news, and film updates.
Mar 13, 2024•16 min•Season 2Ep. 1
All faith is Hard Faith! We talk all things related to our upcoming 1st ever Hard Faith Film Festival happening 1 month from today on July 22nd 2023 at the Arena CineLounge on Sunset from 11am - 7pm. See you there and pre order your ticket before supplies run out.
Jun 22, 2023•15 min•Ep. 8
Our guest today is Jessica Boss, a filmmaker who is tackling difficult subjects with a faith perspective. Her company Boss Pictures is making feature films about important topics. Her lasting word of advice to filmmakers is to keep pushing forward and to not rob audiences of the experience of your story!
May 18, 2023•30 min•Ep. 7
We talk today with filmmaker William McCann and his film "The Liberator". His film won top prize at our last film festival and we wanted to share the details about our next in person film festival event taking place in Burbank CA on July 22nd. Please submit today at www.HardFaith.com/Fest
May 09, 2023•37 min•Ep. 6
Hard Faith Beginning - My First Book Release! This is a book about my time at Adventure Bible School in New Zealand 12 years ago. This is where I converted to Christianity and began having the first ideas about telling Hard Faith stories. This is a very personal journey, but I hope that it is encouraging to others. Purchase the book on Amazon today!
Apr 08, 2023•19 min•Ep. 5
McKenna Folmar today talks about healing hurt and how to process spiritual abuse. Important topic with my darling wife discussing “Healing Church Hurt”. Episode 4 of the Hard Faith Podcast is out now! McKenna is a children's book author, a specialty and wedding events planner, and podcaster herself!
Mar 18, 2023•29 min•Ep. 4
Nathan Clarkson is an award winning actor, a Publishers Weekly bestselling author, a hit indie filmmaker, and a podcast philosopher on The Overthinkers. He lives between Los Angeles and New York City. His most recent book, Finding God in Hollywood is out now.
Mar 08, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Legendary director, writer, and producer Paul Schrader talks about the state of the faith based industry. He discusses his films as well as inspiration behind some of his classic scripts.
Dec 20, 2022•22 min
Spencer Folmar (host) and founder of Hard Faith™ explains the story behind the company and its focus.
Dec 18, 2022•15 min
Intro Trailer Announcing the new Hard Faith Podcast!
Dec 18, 2022•1 min
