Showcase Theater Institutions

• Saturday, January 31st, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

• Sunday, February 1st, 10:00 AM -11:00 AM

For decades, the Church has embraced the arts yet kept Hollywood at arm’s length. Is it really a lost cause or a growing mission field too important to ignore? Media shapes our families, our culture, and our values. So how should Christians respond: retreat or engage? From the perspective of a veteran television executive turned film school dean, this presentation explores why Christian higher education is uniquely positioned to equip students to make lasting impact inside the most influential form of communication on the planet. The session will include an insightful discussion with television writer/producer and Biola Associate Professor, Jim Hope.

Tom Halleen serves as the Founding Dean of the Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts at Biola University, which has become Biola's fastest growing school. Additionally, Hollywood trade publications Variety, TheWrap, The Hollywood Reporter, and Filmmaker Magazine have highlighted it as one of the top film schools in North America.

Through his nearly 30 years as an entertainment industry executive, Halleen has experience in all divisions of programming national television networks including acquisitions, scheduling, development, production, operations, research, legal, standards & practices, viewer services and promo/media planning. With this experience, he has an in-depth and unique understanding of the interrelation of all programming elements that contribute to a network’s schedule.  At AMC Networks, Halleen led a 43-member team across the linear and on-demand platforms for five of its national entertainment services including AMC, BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV and WEtv. He served as a key team member in the transition of AMC into one of the most innovative and successful cable networks on television in part through the launch of groundbreaking and Emmy winning series including Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead, the highest rated basic cable series in television history.  Prior to joining AMC Networks, Halleen began his journey with the Family Channel (now known as Freeform), working his way from intern to senior vice president of primetime programming and development. 

Throughout his career, Halleen led multiple national television networks through schedule and brand overhauls with record-breaking results. He negotiated for the acquisition of well over $1 billion in series, specials and movies. He developed and supervised hundreds of hours of original series, movies and specials across all genres, including Emmy-winning productions.

Jim Hope serves as an Associate Professor in the Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts.  He’s a three-time Emmy nominated writer/producer who has worked on everything from feature films and network sitcoms to talk shows, game shows and animated web series. His credits include NBC’s “Later,” FOX’s “Titus", ABC’s “George Lopez,” Nickelodeon’s “Planet Sheen,” and Disney’s “Dog with a Blog.” He is currently developing animated and live-action projects with various studios and networks. Jim Hope is also a stand-up comedian and actor who has made over fifty TV appearances.