Our Team
PRODUCER, DIRECTOR & SCREENWRITER
James E. Moriarty
James is a creative professional with over 30 years of experience producing and directing projects such as independent documentaries, industrial/short films, commercials, and music videos. He is co-owner of Moriarty Media LLC, a full-service media production company. His clients include Airstream, DaimlerChrysler, RCA-Thomson, Kellogg Foundation, Marco Pinball, Roberts Camera, ExactTarget, Indianapolis Fire Department, IU Health, Indiana Young Farmers Association, Indy Arts Council, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, WFYI (PBS), Indy Film Fest and the Indiana Arts Commission. Since 2017, James has received a grant from the City of Carmel to produce the Carmel Film Forum, a platform for film enthusiasts to discuss their experiences and learn from professionals in the field. In 2023, he received a grant from Indiana Humanities to produce a documentary film called "Finding Our Sense Of Place In Madison County." James has been happily married to his wife, Ingrid, since 1996. She is his redheaded muse, business partner, and best friend who supports him in all his creative endeavors.
Director's Statement
GHOST FROM THE RIVER is a story about a real place. It's about historical tragedy and personal redemption. And it's a story that my wife Ingrid and I have wanted to tell since we first visited Camp Chesterfield years ago and learned about the death - and the living spirit - of Donald Keeler. And yes, GHOST FROM THE RIVER has a ghost, but it's not a scary ghost story. It's a coming-of-age story about a young woman forced by tragedy to move far from home and live with a relative she barely knows, adapting to a new life among the Spiritualists of Camp Chesterfield. It's a story about family and young love and some mysterious happenings too. It delivers a message about personal growth in a story filled with humor and intrigue. I'm excited about how our feature screenplay turned out. With proper funding, we have the local talent, technology, and expertise to make GHOST FROM THE RIVER a reality.
CO-PRODUCER & CO-WRITER
Jim Mitchell
Jim has been a creative collaborator with Director James Moriarty since the early 1980s, including a wide range of audio, video, and stage projects. He is extremely pleased to be working again with James in a creative capacity, as well as employing his project management, business, and legal skills for a new major project. Jim worked for 26 years as an environmental attorney, skilled in understanding and balancing the diverse motivations and interests of multiple parties, maintaining focus, and getting to a cooperative meeting of the minds. Jim's skill set complements and supports the rest of the creative team in the successful production and distribution of GHOST FROM THE RIVER.
CO-PRODUCER & CO-WRITER
Dr. Rachael Smith
Rachael is a board member of Historic Camp Chesterfield, and she teaches history and women and gender studies at Ball State University. Since its inception, she has strongly supported the GHOST FROM THE RIVER film project. She has worked closely with the filmmakers throughout the writing process to ensure that the Spiritualist content is accurately portrayed in the film.
CO-PRODUCER & SCRIPT CONSULTANT
Rev. Prof. Dr. Todd Jay Leonard
Todd is a resident of historic Camp Chesterfield where he is a medium and minister, serving the church and the Indiana Association of Spiritualists in many capacities, most notably as the Camp Historian and Archivist since 2008.
Todd was ordained by sanction through the Indiana Association of Spiritualists (IAOS) in 2006 and has been a minister in Spiritualism since 2003. He also holds certifications of Missionary in Spiritualism, Cleric in Spiritualism, and Diaconate in Spiritualism through the Universal Spiritualist Association since 2001.
In addition to his collaboration with the Producers of GHOST FROM THE RIVER, Todd has assisted in producing and narrating several DVDs on Camp Chesterfield’s history as well as writing a number of published booklets to assist students in their spiritual studies.
Since 2010, Todd has been a tenured, full-professor at the University of Teacher Education Fukuoka (UTEF), Japan, in the undergraduate and graduate faculties.
ORIGINAL MUSICAL SCORE
Brian K. Birge aka “bkbirge”
Brian is a multi-instrumentalist with over 30 years of experience behind and in front of the glass. He has written hundreds of songs, produced for dozens of artists, and performed as a solo artist on several records. Brian brings an encyclopedic knowledge of musical style to every project while adhering to the "if it sounds good it is good" philosophy of production.
GHOST FROM THE RIVER POSTER DESIGNER
Chris Ludden
Chris is an Indianapolis-based artist and freelance creative. He is a multi-disciplined creator working in design, illustration, comics, animation, writing, and UI/UX. He co-authored and illustrated the movie-satire book “Pitched” and is currently working on the sci-fi comic “Presidents of the United Space.”