The Ride
The Ride follows two unlikely heroes on a journey to bring homelessness to the forefront of national consciousness. Their mission is clear: to prove that homelessness is not an unsolvable problem but a crisis demanding urgent attention and scalable solutions.
Funds will be used to finish post-production, a national screening tour, and impact activations to reach filmgoers.
TRAILER:
Overview
The Ride
Hope the Mission is in post-production on THE RIDE a powerful documentary that captures an unprecedented journey—two unlikely leaders, one urgent mission: to end homelessness or die trying.
Ken is a conservative pastor, Rowan a progressive technocrat—they don’t agree on everything, but they stand united on one truth: housing is a human right, and solving homelessness requires action, not politics. Their journey is proof that faith and service can unite us in a divided world, and that real change happens when we work together.
A National Call to Action
This isn’t just a film—it’s a movement. We’re launching a nationwide impact campaign to bring people of all backgrounds together under one shared belief: that dignity, love, and respect must guide our response to homelessness.
With your support, we can:
✅ Mobilize faith communities, leaders, and advocates to be the moral voice in their cities
✅ Screen the film in 30+ cities to ignite local action and inspire legislative change
✅ Train local ambassadors to push for housing-first policies
✅ Secure housing-first legislation in at least 10 cities across the country
✅ Elevate a faith-driven, solutions-based approach to homelessness
How You Can Help
We need finishing funds to complete the film and launch this campaign at full force. Your sponsorship will directly fund:
🔹 Post-production – The final cut of a documentary that will change hearts and minds
🔹 National screening tour – Bringing communities together for action
🔹 Impact activations – Turning filmgoers into local advocates and policy changemakers
This is a movement of faith and action—and we invite you to be part of it. Let’s connect this week to discuss how your support can help bring this mission to life.
CAST
Albert Finney
The son of a Lancashire bookmaker, Albert Finney came to motion pictures via the theatre. In 1956, he won a scholarship to RADA where his fellow alumni included Peter O'Toole and Alan Bates. He joined the Birmingham Repertory where he excelled in plays by William Shakespeare. A member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Finney understudied Laurence Olivier at Stratford-upon-Avon, eventually acquiring a reputation as 'the new Olivier'. He first came to critical attention by creating the title role in Keith Waterhouse's "Billy Liar" on the London stage. His film debut soon followed with The Entertainer (1960) by Tony Richardson with whom had earlier worked in the theatre. With the changing emphasis in 60s British cinema towards gritty realism and working-class milieus, Finney's typical screen personae became good-looking, often brooding proletarian types and rebellious anti-heroes as personified by his Arthur Seaton in Karel Reisz's Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960). His exuberant defining role, however, was in the bawdy period romp Tom Jones (1963) in which Finney revealed a substantial talent for comedy. In the same vein, he scored another hit opposite Audrey Hepburn in the charming marital comedy Two for the Road (1967).
Our Team
ERIC LIEBMAN
Erick Liebman, Director, Producer, and founder of Footprint Entertainment, has been directing and producing for over 30 years. His critically acclaimed documentary, Sex Magic, not only won multiple awards but also enjoyed a record-breaking run on the Sundance Channel and IFC VOD. Eric’s impressive portfolio includes award-winning commercial campaigns for top brands and agencies, as well as groundbreaking sports TV and web series. While his expertise lies primarily in nonfiction, Eric has also made his mark in fiction, having sold several screenplays and a comedy pilot. Storytelling runs in his veins, and he finds real-life stories the most captivating. As a creative producer, Eric is always on the lookout for fresh perspectives and innovative angles for every project he tackles.
MARISA POLVINO
Marisa Polvino, Producer, is an award winning filmmaking with over 30 years of experience creating high-quality, star-driven content across diverse genres and budgets. Passionate about using entertainment as a tool for advocacy, she pioneered the Power Onseries for Google/YouTube to promote gender and racial inclusion in STEM and produced I AM, a documentary on social justice in partnership with the Kapor Institute and SMASH.org. Currently, she’s in production on Inside the Machine, an award-winning docu-series investigating the mental health crisis among young adults, and The Ride, a cross-country exploration of homelessness and groundbreaking solutions to bring everyone inside.
The Impact & PR Team
JOHN FITZGERALD
John Fitzgerald, Impact Producer has 25 years of experience in independent film, festivals, and impact-driven storytelling. He has produced award-winning documentaries (The Highest Pass, The Back Nine, The Milky Way) and guided numerous films through festivals and hybrid distribution. As a former director of top-tier festivals (Slamdance, AFI, Santa Barbara) and consultant to many others, he has also led acquisitions for streaming platforms. Jon is the author of Filmmaking for Change: How to Make Movies that Transform the World and teaches Film Festival Mastery and Film Distribution Mastery.
JULIE DAVITZ
Julie Davitz, Founder/CEO of Plus Media Solutions, Inc is an internationally recognized social impact leader who leverages her knowledge of development, grantmaking, media and impact investing with global executive experience. +Media bridges the gap between inspired audiences and action by curating, vetting and delivering positive impact solutions seamlessly into content. +M reports back to creatives and solutions providers on concrete viewer behavior. Julie’s work embodies collaboration, communication and consistency. Today, she recognizes the urgency of interest, the rise in viable solutions and the variety of technological delivery mechanisms.
ELEVATE PUBLIC AFFAIRS Hope The Mission’s PR firm
At the core of our public affairs work is our commitment to that lasting truth. We use our experience working in the government and advocacy arenas to develop, test, and deploy messages and tactics that are proven to move policymakers and shape public opinion with senior leaders who are veterans of a governor’s administration and state and local legislative offices, we understand how to use public advocacy to help influence elected officials and elevate grassroots support from diverse communities.
Ioan Gruffudd
Ioan Gruffudd was born on October 6, 1973 in Cardiff, Wales, UK to educators Gillian (James) and Peter Gruffudd. He has a brother, Alun, who is two years younger and a sister, Siwan, who is seven years younger. He got his start at age 13 in the Welsh soap opera Pobol y Cwm (1974). He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art from 1992 to 1995, and was then cast as the title role of the television remake Poldark (1996). After playing Oscar Wilde's lover John Gray in Wilde (1997) and Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in Titanic (1997), Gruffudd became a leading man in the Hornblower series of television movies between 1998 and 2003. He then played Pip in the big budget BBC production of Great Expectations (1999). Other film roles include 102 Dalmatians (2000), Black Hawk Down (2001), King Arthur (2004), Amazing Grace (2006), Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007).
Michael Gambon
Sir Michael Gambon was born in Cabra, Dublin, Ireland, to Mary (Hoare), a seamstress, and Edward Gambon, an engineer. After joining the National Theatre, under the Artistic Directorship of Sir Laurence Olivier, Gambon went on to appear in a number of leading roles in plays written by Alan Ayckbourn. His career was catapulted in 1980 when he took the lead role in John Dexter's production of "Galileo". Since then, Gambon has regularly appeared at the Royal National Theatre and the RSC. Roles include, King Lear, Othello, Mark Anthony and Volpone. He was described by the late Sir Ralph Richardson as being "The Great Gambon" and he is now considered to be one of the British theatre's leading lights. He was made a CBE in 1992.
WAYS TO BE PART OF THE I CAN TEAM
MAKE YOUR DONATION
FOR-PROFIT FUNDING PARTNER
- Marketing & Distribution funders 40% (prorated)
- Filmmaker/Film funders 35%
- Kappa Distribution 25%
- Marketing & Distribution funders 10% (prorated)
- Filmmaker/Film funders 70%
- Kappa Distribution 20%
Are you a fund? If so, the profits from the finances you provide can go back into your fund.
Funding Progress
$927,296
2,173 People*
Current and Previous Projects
PAST KAPPA COLLABORATIONS
FAQ
What is Kappa Studios?
Kappa Studios is a Burbank, California based post-production service provider for film and television for over 25 years. In 2016, the company shifted its focus exclusively to faith and family-friendly content.
What is Kappa's role in film and television production?
What is Kappa Distribution?
What challenges do Kappa Studios help solve?
What is the mission of Kappa Studios in conjunction with The Christian Film Finishing Fund (CFFF)?
What happens with the profits from gospel-advancing film and TV projects?
Financial profits received from CFFF film or TV projects are placed back into the donor's non-profit donor advised fund or back into the CFFF. No financial profits can be legally returned directly to the donor.
What is the Kappa Studios impact investment model?
Kappa Studios has an innovative financial model where, after distribution income is received, this income is divided between the content creator (40%), the impact investor (40%), and Kappa Distribution (20%). Once the investor has received a 100% return, the split changes to 75% for the content creator, 10% for the investor, and 15% for Kappa Distribution.
How can I donate to The Christian Film Finishing Fund?
You can make a tax-deductible donation to The Christian Film Finishing Fund through their donation platform.
Who do I contact for more information about Kappa Studios?
For more information, you can contact Brad Silverman at [email protected].
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