BVN Member Interview: Meet Sharon Wilharm

We’re thrilled to be interviewing Blogger Voices Network Member Sharon Wilharm! She is a filmmaker with a movie releasing today! Read all about it right here, and don’t forget to linkup your posts at the end!

Meet Sharon Wilharm

Please start by telling us a little about yourself.

My husband and I are filmmakers who live in a 120-year-old Queen Anne home in the historic district of a small town north of Nashville, Tennessee. Our daughter is a photographer and she’s married to pastor. We’re blessed to have them living a few blocks from us.

List approximately three favorites:

Favorite hobby – antique-ing

Favorite movie – It’s a Wonderful Life

Favorite holiday – Thanksgiving

List one unique fact about you.

I grew up in Destin, Florida when it was just a small fishing village.

Sharon Wilharm’s Blog

Tell us about your blog/ministry.

I blog about faith-based films and the people who make them. I provide a behind the scenes look at filmmaking, interview filmmakers, writers, and actors, and do movie reviews. I’ve also expanded to include others areas of Christian entertainment as well.

How did you get started in this ministry?

In 2013 we went to the National Religious Broadcasters convention, filming for a Christian magazine. At the time we’d just released our fourth movie. I watched as all the press clamoured around the big budget filmmakers and ignored the little filmmakers like us. So I decided I’d share the stories of those who were being ignored by other outlets. Now I do both little films and big movies, but I’ve transitioned so that rather than just sharing stories, I also encourage individuals in the entertainment industries to strive for excellence in all they do.

Sharon Wilharm’s Spiritual Growth

How have you sensed God carrying you through the last season?

You’d think after having made six previous movies that it would get easier, but each one gets bigger and more challenging. As one woman put it, Summer of ‘67 was a God-sized project. I created a private prayer group on Facebook when I was still in the writing process, and those hundred prayer warriors prayed us through so many challenges. At each step of the process, we’ve run into issues, but God is great and He’s seen us through whatever trials came our way.

Wisdom from Sharon Wilharm

What advice would you give a new convert?

Trust in God, not people. It’s easy to look to other Christians and depend on them for spiritual growth, but people fall short, so it’s important to turn to the Bible and prayer for answers rather than depending on what someone else says is true.

How do you keep your Daily Time with God regular?

I think it’s important to bookend my day with prayer and continue throughout the day. Before I ever get out of bed I love to chit chat with God and talk about the upcoming day. At the end of the day I turn to him for wisdom and advice when things crop up that stress me out. And in between, well, I just break into prayer whenever I have something we need to talk about.

How do you think we best need to respond to criticism?

As a filmmaker, I’ve found people are quick to criticize movies, especially faith-based films. The best advice I ever received from a veteran filmmaker was that you couldn’t take any of the criticism too seriously. Don’t believe all the negative, but don’t believe all the positive, either. And he’s right. Some people will say this is the worst movie I’ve ever seen and someone else with say this is the movie amazing movie ever. And it’s neither. It’s somewhere in between.

Follow Sharon Wilharm online.

About the Movie Summer of ’67

Based on real life events, Summer of ’67  brings to life the turbulent times of the sixties and the struggles faced by the men and women impacted by the Vietnam War. Young wife and mother Milly (Rachel Schrey) is forced to live with her mother-in-law (Mimi Sagadin) while her husband Gerald (Cameron Gilliam) is away on the USS Forrestal. Kate (Bethany Davenport) must choose between Peter (Christopher Dalton) her high school sweetheart and Van (Sam Brooks) her new hippie boyfriend. Ruby Mae (Sharonne Lanier) finally finds true love with Reggie (Jerrold Edwards) only to have him whisked away by the draft. Each woman faces the question of whether or not their man will return, and even if he does, will life as they know it ever be the same?

Summer of ’67 is based in part on writer/director Sharon Wilharm’s parents. Her dad was aboard the USS Forrestal when it caught fire on July 29, 1967. She grew up listening to her parents talking about the Vietnam War, and wanted to pass along to younger generations the experiences and sacrifices made by the men and women of the 1960’s

Summer of ‘67 releases today!

Summer of ’67 Official Movie Trailer

The Blogger Voices Network is open to all Christian faith bloggers. If you’re not yet a member, we’d love for you to join for additional opportunities!

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