LEADERSHIP

 

Festival Owners and Co-Directors

Marshall & Michelle Moore

Marshall and Michelle Moore have over 45 years of combined film industry experience and are extremely passionate about helping connect filmmakers, friends and audiences alike. With their background in marketing, public relations, film production and business operations it was a beautiful marriage of skill sets when they became the new owners and co-directors of the LDS Film Festival in 2021.

Marshall has an impressive filmography that started in Los Angeles and ultimately brought him to Utah working on the TV mini-series, The Stand in 1994. He worked full-time as a location manager for 20 years before joining the staff of The Utah Film Commission and was subsequently named Director by Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. in 2007 where he stayed until 2014. Marshall is currently the VP of Operations and Marketing at Utah Film Studios in Park City, Utah which was home to the Paramount Network television series Yellowstone for 3 seasons.

Michelle is a tenacious and experienced film publicist and brand specialist. Her creative PR thinking and strong relationships with the media has made her a valuable asset to many theatrical release campaigns. In the last decade Michelle has worked on over 30 movies with filmmakers and actors from around the world. She is the owner/operator of Moore PR Group and with the help of her talented team they work year round on media campaigns, movie premieres, and special events.

Filmmakers, industry professionals, and audiences will be delighted with the programming and focus the Moore's have as they work hard to become one of the top-tier festivals over the next few years.

 

Board of Directors

Brandon Purdie

PURDIE DISTRIBUTION:
Purdie Distribution is a full-service theatrical distribution company known for releasing independent films nationwide. Established in 2011, Purdie Distribution led the theatrical campaigns for SAINTS AND SOLDIERS: AIRBORNE CREED and THE VOID, THE SARATOV APPROACH, FREETOWN, MEET THE MORMONS, ONCE I WAS A BEEHIVE, THE STRAY, OUT OF LIBERTY, HEART OF AFRICA, THE FORGOTTEN CAROLS, LAMB OF GOD: THE CONCERT FILM along with T.C. Christensen’s THE FIGHTING PREACHER and LOVE, KENNEDY. Purdie Distribution is generally focused on films that inspire audiences and elevate the human experience. Before launching on his own, founder and owner Brandon Purdie helped establish the faith-based theatrical film movement with his work on the release of SAINTS AND SOLDIERS, THE WORK AND THE GLORY trilogy, and FOREVER STRONG.

Rebecca Cressman

Rebecca Cressman hosts FM100.3’s Middays radio show broadcasting every workday from 10am-3pm. A San Diego native, Rebecca has lived across the country and a few international borders, but she and her husband, Dale, adopted Utah as their beloved family's home years ago. Rebecca is an Emmy nominated former TV Host and Producer. She continues to guest-host on local television, anchors and produces FM100.3’s weekly community affairs program, Utah Weekly Forum, and is honored to be the PA Announcer for the University of Utah Gymnastics team. Rebecca graduated in Communications from Brigham Young University, studied towards a Master Degree in Education, is fluent in Spanish, and supports educational and humanitarian projects in South America as a board member of Eagle Condor Humanitarian. A breast cancer survivor, Rebecca also serves as a Patient Research Advocate at Huntsman Cancer Institute

Gary Crandall

Gary Crandall is the owner of Crandall Capital a family-owned real estate development firm with over 40 years of expertise. Headquartered in Park City, Utah our firm focuses on mixed-use, condominium, commercial, and out-of-the-box investments. Crandall Capital targets assets located in the Mountain West and West Coast regions.

As a boutique firm, Crandall Capital is more agile than larger developers, allowing our firm to make decisions, close, and finance properties rapidly. Additionally, Crandall Capital specializes in creative financing and other innovative problem-solving techniques.

Gary is also the owner of Utah Film Studios located in Park City, Utah



Chantelle Squires

Chantelle Squires is an Emmy award-winning filmmaker. She directed and produced Jane and Emma a historical drama released in theaters in 2018. She also directed and produced Reserved To Fight, a feature-length documentary that received finishing funds from ITVS and aired nationally on PBS. She produced the third season of The Generations Project for BYUtv, which was awarded an Emmy for the episode Natalie. She was the founder and owner of the production company MirrorLake Films, where for 10 years she developed, directed, and produced documentaries and non-scripted television content. She is a member of Film Fatales, and is the VP of Utah Women in Film and Television.

Danor Gerald

Veteran actor, Danor Gerald has over 50 credits listed on IMDb.com. He has a degree in Digital Cinema and owns a creative production company. He directed his first feature film “Grandpa’s Crazy?” in 2020. Gerald began his career in Dallas Texas, acting in both film/tv and legit theater during the 1990’s. Gerald is also a producer and co-host of the PBS television series “Roots, Race, and Culture” premiering in May 2022. He is a screenwriter, director, actor, singer, speaker and community advocate. Danor gave a TED talk at TEDx 2020 in Salt Lake City, explaining the economic impact of diversity and inclusion to the community.

Mr. Gerald lives with his wife and 3 of their 4 children in Saratoga Springs. He speaks regularly on "The Come Follow Me App” a faith-based digital platform that provides resources and inspiring messages. Mr. Gerald’s experience in marketing, business, creative production, and communications have been leveraged by ESPN, Disney, and Facebook.

Garrett Batty

Garrett Batty is an independent film producer, director, and writer. In 2013 Batty wrote, produced, directed, and edited THE SARATOV APPROACH, about two American missionaries kidnapped in Russia. The award-winning thriller grossed 2.1 million theatrically and made Batty an indie director to watch. In 2015 Batty wrote, produced, directed, and edited FREETOWN, filmed entirely in Africa. The film received domestic and international theatrical releases and was nominated for 11 Ghana Film awards - Ghana's equivalent to the Academy Awards. Batty has since produced and directed pilot episodes for SEE THE GOOD (BYUtv), LET'S GET EPIC (VidAngel), and directed the feature-length Vietnam doc THE JOURNEY HOME, starring Jon Voight. He has produced and directed several successful commercial campaigns including Stories of Change for Mitsubishi Electric, and Meet the Missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 2019 Batty wrote, directed, and edited the period western, OUT OF LIBERTY, distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films. Batty has worked in over 30 countries creating award-worthy content to entertain and inspire audiences. When he's not on set, he lives in Lehi, UT with his wife and their four wonderful children.

Shelley Bingham

Shelley Bingham Husk was born and raised in Southern California, where her love for words began at the age of four. Her poetry and libretti have been commissioned by the California State PTA; composer Brent Pierce; artist Alan McMurtrey and novelist Michael Jensen.

Shelley has made a career of writing and producing movies that empower families. Notable films include The Last Straw starring Corbin Bernsen, Midway to Heaven, Friends for Life and Thorns, all of which have earned five doves from the Dove Foundation. She received the Filmed in Utah Award for her screenplay "The Last Straw". Shelley’s films have appeared on Netflix; Hallmark; UPtv; The Dove Channel; Amazon Prime; and Red Box.

Shelley resides in Utah with her husband Dale, where she continues to write and produce films; and is working on book three of her American Apparitions Trilogy.