Tell us a bit about your organization and what your specialty is in the film and video space.

We are a Catholic Media company located in the heart of Hollywood, founded by Venerable Father Patrick Peyton. My specialty is pitching, developing, producing, directing and editing videos for our YouTube channel along with our amazing Digital Team, collaborators, and staff at Family Theater Productions.

What is your organization’s ethos and how does it set you apart from industry competitors?

Great stories have the power to unlock the heart. They are authentic and illuminate our search for love, hope, and belonging. We tell those kinds of stories.

How can people join or learn more about what you do?

Visit our website. Watch, subscribe, like and share our YouTube videos.

Tell us about your Telly Award winning piece. What’s the story behind it?

Grace in Grief: Hope After Loss was inspired by many of my friends and family who experienced grief as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic. I wanted to create something that audiences could watch to affirm and help them through the grieving process. Along with our Digital Team at Family Theater Productions we partnered with Christine Gerety and the Bereavement Ministry at Saint Monica Catholic Church. We also worked with our expert Paula Staab Polk. The series has been well received and continues to touch audiences.

What are you most proud of about this piece? What was your biggest challenge during production and how did you solve it?

I am most proud that we were able to share the stories and lives of our participants and their late family and friends with dignity and respect. One of the biggest challenges was condensing these interviews in editing so that the series flowed with balance and had an arc towards hope.

Do you have any advice to other filmmakers based on your career or your team’s approach to work?

When I interview participants in documentary films, I try to be a good listener and to create a safe space for them to share their stories and feelings in a way that feels true and real. Our team at Family Theater Productions is always respectful of our guests, experts and participants, especially when we are invited into people’s homes.

Can you share a behind the scenes story or fun fact about the making of your piece?

Many of the participants in the series expressed gratitude that by talking about their grief in the interviews, it was helpful to their bereavement journey.

Tell us about the most memorable response you got from this work.

We did a screening and there was a woman in her 90s who opened up about losing her children many years ago. She wasn’t allowed to grieve then, but watching the series allowed her feelings of unresolved grief to be affirmed. There were many teary eyes in the audience during her testimony.

Complete this sentence: ‘Great video storytelling is…’

…when authentic, beautiful, entertaining and compelling content connects with audiences in a way that broadens their view of our world, inspires them to greatness, and upholds our human dignity.