Rik Swartzwelder

Rik Swartzwelder grew up in New Philadelphia, Ohio, a small town in the northeast corner of the state, near both Amish country and the birthplace of the National Football League. A former stand-up comic and sketch writer who almost became a preacher, he has worked as a radio DJ, public relations director, video store clerk, security guard, maintenance man, and college professor. He earned his MFA in Motion Picture Production from The Florida State University and was honored with a gubernatorial appointment to the Florida Institute for Film Education. He wrote, directed, and acted in the feature film OLD FASHIONED, which inspired both a novel and a non-fiction companion book (both based on his screenplay and published by Tyndale House Publishers). As a writer-producer-director, his films have screened at over 145 film festivals worldwide and garnered over 50 major awards, including a Crystal Heart, a national "Student" Emmy, and a CINE Special Jury Award.