Welcome to the WINDRIDER INSTITUTE

We believe independent filmmakers are among the poets and sages of our time …

The Windrider Institute endeavors to intersect with a conversation already taking place in our  culture — one with which people of faith can engage, and thereby enliven. The institute was founded in 2003 as a collaborative effort among The Priddy Brothers, Angelus Student Film Festival and Fuller Theological Seminary; and has expanded to include many other partners. The Institute focuses on the following initiatives:

After film Panel Discussion:Panel discussion with professor Lubos Kropácek; moderator Veronika Sedlácková and translator was Tomas Svoboda.

Windrider Film Forums. At Sundance Film Festival in Park City , Utah , in 2005, we launched Windrider Forum — an immersive educational experiment to inspire conversation between filmmakers and film lovers. Windrider Forums are now held annually at Sundance and also in several other U.S. locations including Colorado Springs, Colo. , and Menlo Park , Calif. ; and outside the U.S. — in Canada (Toronto Film Festival), Italy ( Milan , Rome and Tuscany ) and the Czech Republic ( Prague ).

Windrider WebFests. Through weekly, mid-week, online film screenings called “Windy Wednesdays,” we conduct open discussions throughout the year created to showcase a number of compelling short films that inspire and engage through the power of story. Knowing that we are drawing an international audience of 10,000+ visitors per month, we have chosen each award-winning film for its cinematic excellence and storytelling craft. Many of these films have never before been widely viewed, and we are excited to share them via the Internet with movie fans everywhere. Each film has been generously provided by its filmmaker; each screening made possible through the contribution of our sponsors and patrons. All are provided free to the Windrider online audience.

Windrider Web Site. At www.windriderforum.org we provide a virtual gathering place for informative articles and lively discussions centering on film, media and the arts. Here, our global community stays connected through e-mail updates, blogs and social networks that congregate at the intersection of faith and film. Windrider’s renowned correspondents and cultural commentators are among the best and brightest from film, media, business and theology. Thanks also to a highly energized group of global contributors, the site content is always fresh, engaging and thought-provoking. All of our content is author-donated and made available free of charge.

Windrider Institute is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

“At Windrider Institute we are challenged to not to be distracted by provocation in entertainment, but rather to see through cinema, T.V., video games and the like — to the hunger, the hurt, and the cries for justice, mercy and hope embedded within.” – Craig Detweiler, Co-founder Windrider Forum