Hayden Craddolph

President/ Founder

President and Founder of Haydenfilms LLC and The Haydenfilms Institute, Hayden Craddolph has always been a passionate moviegoer and collector of films. But after graduating from Kutztown University with a degree in Business Administration and Finance, Craddolph found himself working as a broker on Wall Street rather than a film producer in Hollywood. However, when Craddolph looked into theater classes at KU, he was encouraged to consider the Masters in Electronic Media program also offered at the University. He took a tour of the facilities that day, learned about the program and within two hours, left with an offer: admission and a graduate assistant position.

Craddolph accepted, formally applied and once in the program, used his thesis project as a basis for what would become Haydenfilms LLC – an online film festival for independent filmmakers and place for filmmakers to gather resources, technology and support for their projects. The company was formed in 2003 and the first festival began nationwide in 2004. Since inception, the festival has drawn submissions from dozens of countries and in 2010 the Haydenfilms Institute was formed to empower, educate and fund global independent and student filmmakers as a non-profit branch of the Haydenfilms LLC.

Drawing from one of his greatest influences, George Lucas, Craddolph believes filmmakers have a tremendous responsibility for the message communicated in their works. Craddolph hopes Haydenfilms will help enable starting filmmakers to share their stories from around the world by providing a platform available to all filmmakers and one not controlled by commercial projects.

Juan Castro

Director of Business Development

Juan Castro has been with Haydenfilms, LLC since November 2006. Juan Castro was named Director of Business Development for the newly founded Haydenfilms Institute. In his new leadership position, he has developed a plan to improve upon and showcase HFI’s existing relationships, as well as develop new international strategic partnerships. Through targeting niche markets and attracting sponsors from the corporate and university sectors, Juan has provided a platform for the development of innovative and revolutionizing projects.

The preservation of our sponsorships and endorsements will allow the Haydenfilms Institute to continuously execute the Institute’s mission of empowering, educating, and funding student and independent film makers across the globe.

Before joining the Haydenfilms Institute, Juan worked as a Clinical Supervisor and a Program Coordinator at a pediatric clinic in Los Angeles, CA. He was responsible for structuring and managing various programs that serviced families and children with special needs. In addition, he assisted the agency with developing new relationships with numerous funding sources across Los Angeles County.

Juan graduated summa cum laude from Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, with a major in Psychology. In January 2009, Juan graduated with the highest distinctions from National University, where he earned a master’s in Education with a specialization in Applied Behavioral Analysis.

Alan Shirk

Director of Communications

F. Alan Shirk is Director of Communications for Haydenfilms LLC and The Haydenfilms Institute. He has been with Haydenfilms since 2005 when he and Hayden Craddolph met while he was organizing the first Berks Movie Madness Film Festival that was held in 2006. Alan is a film historian and an avid fan of the cinema.

He owns and operates Shirk Communications, a marketing, advertising and public relations agency specializing in writing and design and one that serves international, national, regional and local clients. Over the years, the agency has received Philly Gold, ADDY, Neographics and the APEX Award for Publication Excellence awards and the Silver Microphone Award for its website, www.shirkcom.com.

Shirk founded the agency in 1977 in Allentown, Pa., and was later joined in the business by his eldest son, Michael A. Shirk. Shirk Communications has its offices in The GoggleWorks in Reading, Pa. Alan Shirk has added experience as a reporter and photojournalist, ad agency vice president of public relations, magazine publisher, industrial editor, newspaper entertainment copy editor, special events organizer, fine arts photographer and artist.

He has worked as a writer specializing in public relations for more than 30 years. He has developed, implemented and managed numerous public relations programs on a retainer and/or project basis for his and other advertising agencies and has written press releases, feature and technical articles, speeches, case histories, advertising copy, capabilities brochures, direct mail pieces,, radio commercials, scripts, newsletters, etc. He is the author of “Colonial Berks Sampler” and has published the novel/memoir, “I Only Have Eyes for You and Other Stories.”

Damon Williams

Board of Directors, Member

Hailing from Pennsylvania, Damon is currently a Sr. Web Developer at Neo-Pangea. During his tenure at Neo-Pangea, Damon has worked on a number of successful and award winning digital promotions for several Fortune 100 brands across the globe such as the National Geographic Channel, IKEA, Comcast, and Wal-Mart.

From 2001 to 2008, Damon was co-founder and developer for the east coast graphic design firm Pagoda Media. While there Damon bolstered his skill set along a wide range of creative activities including core website design and development and employing technologies such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, AJAX, Flash, ActionScript, PHP, and database programming. Damon also brings with him quite a bit of working and technical experience in SEO (search engine optimization) and internet marketing.

Having been involved with Haydenfilm, LLC. since early 2004, Damon brings to the table a wealth of knowledge and passion for projects underwritten by Haydenfilms as well as providing creative direction for technologies and social growth.

Michael Attardi

Board of Directors, Member

Award-winning Director, Screenwriter and Lyricist, Michael D. Attardi, Sr. was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, where he excelled on the athletic field as well as in the classroom. Michael was accepted as a gifted student to the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey where he won the Philip Turner creative award in music. Composing Big Band/Swing music at the age of 17, he completed 18 Big-Band arrangements, which were orchestrated at Monmouth University in 1985.

Michael was fascinated with the animated works of Walt Disney. Since 1997, he has worked with former Disney animators while taking courses at the Disney Institute in Orlando, Florida. Michael wrote his first musical animation in 1999. This inspiration guided him to write several musical screenplays and soundtracks.

Michael has won three Perri Awards, The Annecy Film Festival, The Telly Awards and the Slamdance film Festival for best original musical soundtrack in 2005 for his musical “Twin Treasures.” He is a member of the Writers Guild of America, East and the Society of composers and lyricist. Michael also has 198 musical U.S. copyrights.

Recently, Michael finished his short animated musical comedy film, starring Jim Belushi and Tim Curry called “Once Upon a Christmas Village” which won the Grand Jury awards at the Festival De Cannes, France, South Africa, Florence, Boston, Hollywood, Las Vegas, Houston, Swansea, Wales, Washington, D.C., Hollyshorts, Action/Cut Competition, Garden State, Delray Beach and First Glance Philly. He also won eleven Telly Awards, four Accolade Awards, six Aurora Awards and seven Davey Awards. The film had qualified for the Academy Awards for Short Animated Film Category and has shattered the all-time festival award wins with 96 awards.

Currently, Michael has joined forces with The Jim Henson Company and is co-producing his original animated film “Snowyville” with Brian Henson.

Michael married Colleen in 1999 and they share two beautiful sons, as they reside in Florida and New Jersey.

David A. Shirk

Board of Directors, Member

David A. Shirk is the director of the Trans-Border Institute and an assistant professor in the political science department at the University of San Diego. He conducts research on Mexican politics, U.S.-Mexican relations, and law enforcement and security along the U.S.-Mexican border.

Dr. Shirk received his Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of California, San Diego, and was fellow at the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies from 1998-99 and 2001-2003. In 2009-10, Dr. Shirk was a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington, D.C. Dr. Shirk is currently the principal investigator for the Justice in Mexico project (www.justiceinmexico.org), a bi-national research initiative on criminal justice and the rule of law in Mexico.

Recent publications by Dr. Shirk include: Justiciabarómetro: Resultados de la encuesta a la policia municipal preventiva de la Zona Metropolitana de Guadalajara (2009) co-authored with Marcos Pablo Moloeznik and María Eugenia Suárez de Garay; Contemporary Mexican Politics (Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2008) co-authored with Emily Edmonds-Poli; Reforming the Administration of Justice in Mexico (University of Notre Dame Press, 2007) edited with Wayne Cornelius; Evaluating Accountability and Transparency in Mexico: National, Local, and Comparative Perspectives (Trans-Border Institute, 2007) edited with Alejandra Ríos Cásares; “Migration and Development,” TBI Border Brief (October 2006); “Law Enforcement Challenges and ‘Smart Borders’,” in Homeland Security: Protecting America’s Targets (Praeger, 2006); Mexico’s New Politics: The PAN and Democratic Change (Colorado: Lynne Rienner, 2005), “Slavery Without Borders: Human Trafficking in the U.S.-Mexican Context,” CSIS Hemisphere Focus, January 23, 2004.

Pat Garrett

Board of Directors, Member

Pat has worked extensively in film, theatre, television and commercials. In 2009 she won the Best Director award for her feature length film ‘Kristina’ at the International Filmmaker Festival of World film and in 2007 she was nominated Best Director for her comedy musical ‘Johnny Maybe & the Porn Star’ at the Portobello Film Festival. Her films have been screened at numerous film festivals worldwide and have been nominated for and won many awards.

Pat’s London theatre directing credits include the West End premiere of ‘Too Close to the Sun’ at the Comedy Theatre, Hannah & Martin at the Courtyard Main Theatre which was selected for The Stage Annual Theatre Review as ‘setting a benchmark for quality drama on the London Fringe’, Spring Awakening, Never Left, All Right, Goblins Don’t Scare Us, Love Me Love My Dog, Cinderella, Playing for England, The Gut Girls and We Don’t Talk Anymore. She also directed a highly successful production of Anything Goes - Wagner Theatre, Staten Island, ‘Play’ at the Edinburgh Festival and Animal Farm at Harrogate Theatre.

As a choreographer and movement director Pat has more than fifty theatre credits (including 9 new musicals) and has worked with the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company. Her film choreography includes Little Shop of Horrors, Santa Claus – The Movie, King Ralph, Muppet Christmas Carol, Photographing Fairies, Muppet Treasure Island, Alice in Wonderland, Jesus, A Christmas Carol and Jack and the Beanstalk – The Real Story. She also choreographed the BAFTA winning short film Goodie-Two-Shoes and the award nominated Supergrass video Can You Hear Us Pumping On Your Stereo.

Pat was a soloist and principal dancer in classical ballet and contemporary dance before moving into choreography, specialist puppeteering and later directing. Since October 09 she has been a managing member of Michael Attardi’s Dream Balloon Enterprises in Orlando.

Jonathan Stephens

Board of Directors, Member

Jonathan Stephens, a California native, is currently studying television and movies. Prior to joining the Board of Directors of the Haydenfilms Institute, he had been the head of his own web and graphic design company, PixelStudios LA, which produced creative web solutions for companies around the globe. In addition to web design and development, Jonathan has been composing and producing music as a freelancer, and has been doing so for more than 12 years. Since joining the team at the Haydenfilms Institute, Jonathan has been involved in project management, as well as working along side third parties and the HFI team to create new web solutions for the Haydenfilms Online Film Festival.

Blake Stephens

Founding Board Member

Blake Stephens is an award winning California architect in practice for twenty-five years with a focus on custom residences, historic renovation, museum and display architecture. A full-time professor of architecture, teaching college students for the past seven years, he currently serves as Architecture Department Chair at Saddleback College. His professional work includes landscape architecture, interior design, and sustainable practice. He received his Bachelor’s of Architecture from the University of Washington in Seattle, and his Master’s of Architecture from NewSchool of Architecture and Design in San Diego; he holds an NCIDQ certificate and is a LEED A.P.

With a passion for education, Blake has served for fourteen years as Board Member and President of the Capistrano Unified School District Foundation, raising millions of dollars to enrich education in arts and sciences for the over fifty-thousand students in one of California’s largest public school districts. He has received commendations from both the California Legislature and United States House of Representatives for his work.

Married, with two children in college, Blake also serves as faculty advisor of two student design clubs, continues his busy architecture practice, and is active in non-profit support of higher education.

Morgan Rhodes

Board Member

Morgan Rhodes is an award winning filmmaker and President of Journey Blue Films . Rhodes has worked for the American Film Institute where she had access to creative new filmmakers and the extensive AFI library. While at AFI, she worked as an assistant on several of the television specials, including the Life Achievement Award shows for Tom Hanks, Robert DeNiro, and Barbra Streisand.

In 2003, she left AFI to devote her time to the production company where she worked as an Assistant Director on independent films and pilot television projects before making the jump to writer, director and producer. Rhodes has worked on the television show Nip/Tuck and was Co-Executive Producer on Bitter Brew, a television spec pilot starring David Moscow. She has worked on various film projects including, Assassins with Sylvester Stallone, The Job with Darryl Hannah, Moonlight Serenade with Amy Adams, Bunny Whipped with Joey Lauren Adams and Rebecca Gayheart, and Slipstream with Anthony Hopkins. Rhodes has worked as a Digital Artist on the theatrical releases of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Avatar, as well as, the Blu-Ray and theatrical re-releases of Disney’s Snow White, Pinnochio, Dumbo and Alice in Wonderland. Other Blu-Ray projects include Star Wars: Episode 1, Terminator, and Aliens.

Rhodes made her writing and directing debut in 2007 with the award-winning short film Little Wings. The film was picked up for worldwide distribution at the Cannes Film Festival by Echelon Studios and Singa Home Entertainment. She is currently polishing the feature version script called A Heavy Heart. Other projects include, The Field, a Vietnam war documentary called The Marines of Khe Sanh, and an untitled super hero feature.

Chole Hang Ngo

Board Member

Chloe Hang Ngo graduated from DePauw University in Indiana with double majors in Economics and Communication. Directing and producing a hit show at her university give her opportunities to intern with Commonwealth Talent Group and Lessall Casting in Los Angeles. Currently, Chloe is working in Development and Acquisition at Tricoast Studios, where she does script coverage and research on the film industry everyday. Chloe is also an avid moviegoer and a web designer. She ranked fifth in the National Olympiads in Informatics in Vietnam in high school. As someone who loves the art of filmmaking, Chloe is proud to be a part of Haydenfilm Institute to give the best support to emerging filmmakers.

Alan Hines

Board Member

Alan Hines received a B.A. in Communications, an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, and did post-graduate work in American Studies at N.Y.U. Harper & Row published his novel, Square Dance, and he wrote the screenplay adaptation that starred Winona Ryder, Rob Lowe, Jane Alexander, and Jason Robards (Island Pictures).

Other feature film credits include A Stranger in the Kingdom, O‘Keefe and Stieglitz, First Comes Love, and Save Me, which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Alan has written many movies for television, including Ambulance Girl (Lifetime) directed by and starring Kathy Bates (earning an Emmy Award nomination), Guilt by Association (Court TV), In Sickness and in Health (CBS), Too Close to Home (CBS), Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story (ABC), Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story (USA), and The Familiar Stranger (Lifetime). His film The Interrogation of Michael Crowe (Court TV) received a Peabody Award in 2003.

He has extensive experience as an editor and an author in educational textbook and magazine publishing (Scholastic, Inc., McGraw-Hill, Holt, McClanahan). For Prentice-Hall, he wrote a manual for GED candidates that focuses on Literature and the Arts.

Hines has been recognized with numerous awards for his fiction, including the D.H. Lawrence Fellowship. His fiction and feature articles have been published in various magazines in this country and in the U.K. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor of English at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches Dramatic Writing and Screenwriting.

Jim Ludlow

Board Member

Jim Ludlow has varied and deep professional business experience. As founder and CEO of Liquid Interactive and DSK Media Solutions, Jim successfully leads and manages profitable growth. Liquid Interactive provides Internet related marketing and technology support to many global based brands. DSK is a provider of award winning multimedia solutions. Also, Jim has been instrumental in leading the development, marketing and deployment of six successful Web based software platforms.

Jim is an active member in Vistage International, Inc., the world’s largest CEO membership organization, Jim spent 24 years in a variety of financial and technical management positions at DuPont and Air Products and Chemicals. Jim's expertise centered in; financial advisement, business process improvement and the deployment of electronic commerce technologies.

He has 22 published professional articles and has been quoted in many publications including Harvard Business Review and Fortune. Jim taught 14 accounting and finance courses at the University of Delaware and Penn State University and has spoken at many conferences and panels. He has also worked in leadership and non profit Board positions with several organizations. In 1994, Jim's first book The Road to Wealth which reflects his personal investment philosophies and advice appeared in bookstores nationwide.

He earned an MBA in Finance from Indiana University and a BS in Marketing from Indiana State University.

Michael Henderson

Board Member

Michael Henderson was born and raised in Austin, Texas. Michael studied Philosophy and Economics major from Howard University. His studies have taken him to the countries of Ecuador, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, and Morocco. He is an extraordinary visionary, organizer, and implementer. Mr. Henderson is a student of Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish. Mr. Henderson is an alumni of the School for International Training, Middlebury Language Institute, and the Latin American Studies Institute. Michael has contributed original research manifesting in the form of theses, essays, documentaries, and conferences. Contributed works are entitled; “Economic Development in the Sultanate of Oman; A Study of Oman Development Bank Loans Given to the Industrial Sector, Ecuador: Policy of Dollarization between the Years of 1998-2000, Break-Dancing in Oman: Opportunities for Corporate Involvement, China’s Role in the Development of the African Continent: Conference”, and Shabab: An Omani Hip-Hop Story.