Media Producing alumnus Spencer Folmar and his wife McKenna started the Hard Faith Film Festival in 2023. Hard Faith Fest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting filmmakers and artists who tell meaningful stories about faith, hope, redemption, and the difficult parts of life.
The festival originated in Los Angeles and in 2025 Spencer, the artistic director for the festival, brought the festival to the East Coast. Hard Faith is the only Christian film festival in Los Angeles and Manhattan. Beginning in 2027, the festival will have a rotating third city.
“As an independent filmmaker, I wanted to create a space where faith and artistic excellence could come together without compromising authentic storytelling,” Spencer said. He continued, “We launched Hard Faith Fest in Los Angeles in 2023 with the mission of "Telling Stories That Liberate." Since then, we've expanded to New York City, bringing filmmakers and industry professionals together to celebrate meaningful stories and create new opportunities.”
The festival’s Pitch Fest gives writers and filmmakers three minutes to pitch their projects to industry professionals, followed by five minutes of feedback. The festival also features film screenings, Q&As, panels, workshops, networking events, and their Red Carpet and Awards Gala. “We want to do more than showcase films. We want to help filmmakers get their next projects made,” Spencer said.
