JUDGING PANEL
Norris J. Chumley
Ivan Jovic
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Nicholas Savas
NORRIS J. CHUMLEY, Ph.D. is an Emmy award-winning executive producer, author, director and professor. His work includes the highly successful film, Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer, and network TV series, Getting the Love You Want, hosted by Oprah Winfrey, and on radio, Rethinking Religion (National Public Radio).
He has served on the faculty of New York University’s Kanbar Institute of Film and Television, Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, the University of Missouri summer abroad programs, and Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. One of the original contributing editors for Beliefnet.com, his daily spiritual weight loss and health e-newsletter and blog grew to over 1.3 million subscribers. His Joy of Weight Loss special with Susan Sarandon’s Big Body Yoga and A Union of Spirit with Bill Moyers are considered pioneering interactive media properties. Chumley’s The Gospel According to Jesus is a bestseller in its third release.
He created, wrote and produced hundreds of commercials for Toyota, Hershey Foods, General Foods, Random House, Ballantine Books, WNET/13, Golub Toys, USA Network, et al. He was Associate World Production Liaison for the ABC Television Network for the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games responsible for all Olympic game feeds for over 100 broadcast companies. While at NYU Undergraduate Film and TV, his Little Mike portrait was aired nationally on PBS, then A&E and The Movie Channel, winning Grand Prize at the American Film Institute/SONY Visions Awards in 1986.
Before moving to New York City, Chumley began his career in media by starting a pirate radio station at the age of 9, then was hired by the local TV station at age 12. He worked every day through middle and high school, being promoted to producer/director of two daily live shows, and the weekly Bobby Knight Basketball Show.
Philanthropically, Dr. Chumley has served as Chairman of New York City’s Manhattan Neighborhood Networks, Trustee of Friends Seminary, the Bloomington, Indiana Area Arts Council, and as Advisory Board member, the Buskirk-Chumley Theater in Bloomington, Indiana. Chumley is a longtime member of the Producer’s Guild of America (PGA), Writer's Guild of America - East (WGAE), American Academy of Religion, Author's Guild, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, International Radio and Television Society, National Arts Club, listed in Who's Who in Entertainment (1989-present), Who's Who in Finance and Industry (1989-present), Who's Who of Emerging Leaders (1990-present).
He is a devoted husband to author, Catherine Stine Chumley, of over 35 years and has two sons. He is a Greek Orthodox Christian.
IVAN JOVIC was born in 1971. He graduated at Teacher Education Faculty, University of Belgrade and finished his MA studies at Faculty for Special Education in Belgrade. He also finished film school at Centre for Visual Communications Kvadrat in Belgrade.
He has worked on different alternative educational projects in Serbia and wrote several books, including two novels.
With the support of Center for Visual Communications Kvadrat, he wrote the screenplay and directed the short documentary film, Tea party, short feature films, Ordinary Day and Winegrower, which won the best film and best screenplay award at Byzanfest 2015.
His debut first feature film, The Healing, won dozen international and national awards, among which are The Golden Knight award in the feature film category and the best supporting role award at the 24th Golden Knight International Film Festival in Sevastopol and Signis award at Religion Today Film Festival in Trento, as well Serbian Film Jury Prize at 43rd International film festival- FEST in Belgrade.
After five years of work on archival-film project Legacy, in 2016 he finished working on a documentary film of the same title, about civilian suffering during the World War II on the territory of Independent State of Croatia. The film had premiere at Moscow International Film Festival in 2017 and successful screenings, including: Australia, Sweden, Israel, Austria and the region of former Yugoslavia.
He was a co-screenwriter of the documentary film, Shattered dreams, which deals with the problems of children who grew up in enclaves on Kosovo and Metohija. Besides being screenwriter, he was leading this program of psychosocial support for those children and also Hilandar Summer School, which had a focused educational character.
Ivan Jovic was also the screenwriter of a documentary series made by TV Vojvodina about the program for the professional development of children without parental care, The Fund for the Future, which Ivan Jovic created and managed for three years.
NICHOLAS SAVAS is a Georgia, U.S. based actor and producer with over 17 film/TV credits. He graduated with his B.A. in Religious Studies and his Masters in Theological Studies.
While working full time in New York City after graduation he enrolled at the famous Upright Citizens Brigade and quickly developed a talent and love for improv theatre. That love quickly turned into taking acting courses and performing in various roles in New York before moving to the Hollywood of the South; Atlanta, Ga.
Nicholas continues to find ways to intertwine his love for the Orthodox Faith with his love for the film/TV industry.