Robert Bontrager - Filmmaker
Based in Upland, California, USA
AWARDS/HIGHLIGHTS
2011, Script Frenzy Winner
2010, Big Bear Film Festival Selection
2010, Doorpost Film Selection
2009, Faith & Film Audience Award
1996, SPLIT SECOND Feature Winner
1991, Biola Video Student of the Year
In 1991, Robert Bontrager graduated from Biola University in Southern California and was awarded as the university’s most outstanding film & video student. During his 3-year education he produced and directed several short independent films. His accomplishments include a dramatic feature titled No Compromise; the first ever Biola Video Yearbook – featuring a comedic short, Biola Bob is Late for Class; for 3 consecutive years he produced and directed a live multi-camera shoot of the music department’s variety show titled Third Half; an action comedy short, Mike Callahan meets Dr. Faymar; and a 16mm short film titled Sublevel 134.
After graduation Robert worked as a production assistant for Wild Eye Pictures and on the game show, Born Lucky by Stone Stanley Productions which aired on Lifetime Television Network and PAX-TV. Robert also independently produced an industrial film for a missionary organization titled Project Barnabas, along with a humorous short, Pastor 2000.
In 1995 he came to work at Stillwater Productions as the Executive in Charge of Production for the award winning animation series Adventures In Odyssey for Focus on the Family. Here he produced five half-hour episodes, Someone to Watch Over Me, In Harm's Way, A Twist in Time, A Stranger Among Us, and Baby Daze. He also produced the hour long, direct to video feature for UAV titled, The Secret of the Hunchback.
With his free time at Stillwater, Robert produced and directed an independent feature length 16mm film titled, Split Second. The 83 minute film cost a little over $6,000 and took about a week to film.
In 1998 Focus on the Family put the Adventure In Odyssey on hiatus, and Robert worked freelance briefly at several places including Studio C Productions, and Phil Cooke Pictures.
In 1999 Robert came to work as the Media Producer for the non-profit organization, Reasons To Believe. Here he launched and co-produced the radio show, titled Creation Update. He also directed and produced the documentary video, The rUFO Hypothesis and the award winning video documentary, Journey Toward Creation, which has been an international bestseller for Reasons To Believe. In 2008 Robert finished Reasons To Believe's second documentary, Dual Revelation. The documentary went on to win the audience award in the 2008 Faith and Film Festival.
Currently, Robert is the Media Producer for the non-profit ministry, Center For Biblical Unity.
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