Timothy A. Chey is an American film producer, writer and director. Among his films are '' Fakin' da Funk'', ''Gone'', ''Impact: The Passion of the Christ'', ''

Suing the Devil ''Suing the Devil'' is a 2010 Christian thriller film which was released in 2011. It was written and directed by Tim Chey and stars Malcolm McDowell and Tom Sizemore. Plot Luke O'Brien (Bart Bronson), a washed-up salesman turned night law st ...

'', ''

The Genius Club ''The Genius Club'' is an American 2006 Christian-themed dramatic thriller film written and directed by Tim Chey. It was released on 27 October 2006 via Cinemark Theatres. The film tells the story of seven geniuses who try to solve the world' ...

'', ''Live Fast, Die Young'', ''Final the Rapture'', ''Epic Journey'', ''Freedom'', ''David and Goliath'', and ''

Slamma Jamma ''Slamma Jamma'' is a 2017 American faith-based-themed sports drama film written and directed by Timothy A. Chey. Premise Once promising college basketball player Michael Diggs (Chris Staples) is released from prison after serving six years in pr ...

''.

Biography

Chey was educated at

Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA ...

and

Boston University School of Law Boston University School of Law (Boston Law or BU Law) is the law school of Boston University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the United States and considered an el ...

doing a joint

J.D. JD or jd may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''JD'' (film), a 2016 Bollywood film * J.D. (''Scrubs''), nickname of Dr. John Dorian, fictional protagonist of the comedy-drama ''Scrubs'' * JD Fenix, a character from the ''Gears of War'' vi ...

M.B.A. A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accoun ...

He earlier attended the

American Academy of Dramatic Arts The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a private performing arts conservatory with two locations, one in Manhattan and one in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related ar ...

, and then got accepted to

USC Film School The University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) houses seven academic divisions: Film & Television Production; Cinema & Media Studies; John C. Hench Division of Animation + Digital Arts; John Wells Division of Writing for Sc ...

as an

undergrad Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...

. Chey has been interviewed on Fox Morning News,

NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's ...

, TBN, ''

Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American first-run syndicated news broadcasting newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Paramount Streaming. ET also airs in Aust ...

'',

Lamb and Lions Lamb or The Lamb may refer to: * A young sheep * Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep Arts and media Film, television, and theatre * ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut * ''The Lamb'' (191 ...

, Good News TV. His work has been reviewed in ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'', the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'', VIBE TV,

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

, ''

Daily Variety ''Variety'' is an American media company owned by Penske Media Corporation. The company was founded by Sime Silverman in New York City in 1905 as a weekly newspaper reporting on theater and vaudeville. In 1933 it added ''Daily Variety'', based ...

'', ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...

'',

TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reage ...

USA Networks The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...

, the

Dove Awards A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Awards ...

, ''

MovieGuide Millard Robert E. Theodore Baehr (born 1946) is an American media critic and chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission, a division of Good News Communications, Inc. He is publisher and editor-in-chief of ''Movieguide'', a website ...

'' Awards, ''

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of proper ...

'', and ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''.

Personal life

Chey is a devout

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

. When not making films, Chey is active in helping with the prison ministries,

nursing home A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to i ...

ministries, and speaking at colleges, churches, and film festivals. Chey worked as a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solici ...

before pursuing film full-time and still does pro bono law for

charities A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a cha ...

like the

Union Rescue Mission Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

. He and his wife have two children and divide their time between

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

and

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the islan ...

Films

In 1997, he wrote and directed ''Fakin' da Funk'' about a

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of v ...

boy growing up in an

African-American neighborhood African-American neighborhoods or black neighborhoods are types of ethnic enclaves found in many cities in the United States. Generally, an African American neighborhood is one where the majority of the people who live there are African America ...

,. starring among others

Pam Grier Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress and singer. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star (although, there are some who dispute that claim and believe Cheng Pei-pei actually holds that distinc ...

Bo Jackson Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962) is an American former professional baseball and American football player. He is the only professional athlete in history to be named an All-Star in both baseball and football. Jackson's el ...

, and

Nell Carter Nell Carter (born Nell Ruth Hardy; September 13, 1948 – January 23, 2003) was an American singer and actress. Carter began her career in 1970, singing in the theater, and later crossed over to television. She was best known for her role as Ne ...

for USA Networks. The film was nominated for the Golden Starfish Award at the 1997

Hamptons International Film Festival The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) is an international film festival founded in 1992, by Joyce Robinson. The festival has since taken place every year in East Hampton, New York. It is usually an annual five-day event in mid-October ...

and won the Audience Award at the 1997 Urbanworld Film Festival. The film was the highest-rated movie on

in 2000. In 2002, Chey finished the feature film ''Gone'', a movie about three lawyers who deal with the

Rapture The rapture is an eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an end-time event when all Christian believers who are alive, along with resurrected believers, will rise "in the c ...

. While working with films at USC, Chey was the recipient of the prestigious "Spirit of the Independent" award for Best Director. In 2004, Chey flew around the world to make the feature documentary ''Impact: The Passion of the Christ'' that looked at the impact of the movie ''

The Passion of the Christ ''The Passion of the Christ'' is a 2004 American epic biblical drama film produced, directed and co-written by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, Maia Morgenstern as Mary, mother of Jesus, and Monica Bellucci as Mar ...

'' around the world. "Impact" had its debut in

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

at the

American Film Renaissance American Film Renaissance (AFR) was a non-profit film institute best known for its conservative/libertarian film festivals, held annually in different locations. Mission AFR's mission was to celebrate "timeless American values by producing, showca ...

festival. In 2006, he finished writing and directing ''

''. starring

Stephen Baldwin Stephen Andrew Baldwin (born May 12, 1966) is an American actor, producer and director. He has appeared in the films '' Born on the Fourth of July'' (1989), '' Posse'' (1993), '' 8 Seconds'' (1994), '' Threesome'' (1994), '' The Usual Suspects' ...

Tom Sizemore Thomas Edward Sizemore Jr. (; born November 29, 1961) is an American actor and producer. He is known for his supporting roles in films such as '' Born on the Fourth of July'' (1989), '' Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man'' (1991), '' Passenge ...

Jack Scalia Jack Scalia (born November 10, 1950) is an American actor. He has had many roles in television series (both as a regular and as a guest-star), television movies, and feature films. He is perhaps best known for his role as Chris Stamp on ''All My ...

, and

Paula Jai Parker Paula Jai Parker is an American actress. She is best known for her supporting roles in the films ''Friday'' (1995), '' Sprung'' (1997), '' Why Do Fools Fall in Love'' (1998), '' Phone Booth'' (2002), ''Hustle & Flow'' (2005), and '' Idlewild'' (20 ...

. In 2008, he finished his fifth film, ''Live Fast, Die Young'', about an A-list star who dies at a Hollywood party and a group of 10 Hollywood insiders seeking redemption in the aftermath. In 2010, he wrote and directed ''Suing the Devil'' (starring

Malcolm McDowell Malcolm McDowell (born Malcolm John Taylor; 13 June 1943) is a British actor, producer, and television presenter. He is best known for portraying Alex DeLarge in '' A Clockwork Orange.'' He was born in the Horsforth suburb of Leeds and raised i ...

Rebecca St. James Rebecca Jean Fink (; born 26 July 1977), known professionally as Rebecca Jean or Rebecca St. James, is an Australian Christian pop rock singer, songwriter and actress. She began performing in Australia in the late 1980s and released her first ...

) about a guy who sues the devil for $8 trillion. The film was awarded the 5 Star Dove Award.Dove.org
/ref> The film was one of the most illegally downloaded indie movies in history. In 2012, Chey wrote and directed ''Final the Rapture'' in four countries. In 2012, Chey embarked on a 31-country (including Japan, Brazil, Argentina, China, United Kingdom, Egypt, Dubai, Peru, Hong Kong, et al.) journey for ''The Epic Journey'', a film that shows people whose lives were changed by

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

. The film premiered on prime-time television on Daystar TV reaching over 80 million households. The film was submitted to Guinness World Records for most countries filmed in a movie. In 2013, Chey also wrote and produced ''Freedom'', based on the early life of

John Newton John Newton (; – 21 December 1807) was an English evangelical Anglican cleric and slavery abolitionist. He had previously been a captain of slave ships and an investor in the slave trade. He served as a sailor in the Royal Navy (after forc ...

. The film stars

Cuba Gooding Jr. Cuba Mark Gooding Jr. (born January 2, 1968) is an American actor. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Emmy nomination. After his breakthrough role as Tre Styles in '' Boyz n the Hood'' (1991), he appear ...

, William Sadler, and

Sharon Leal Sharon Ann Leal is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles in movies such as ''Dreamgirls'', '' This Christmas'', ''Why Did I Get Married?'', '' Why Did I Get Married Too?'' and her roles on the television shows ''Legacy'', ''G ...

. The film premiered on Showtime Network to 55 million homes on prime-time. In 2014, Chey wrote, produced and directed ''David and Goliath'' that was shot in North Africa and finished in studios in London. In 2016, Chey produced and directed "Slamma Jamma" that was released nationwide in theaters in 281 cities on March 24, 2017. The film was the third-widest release in the nation. The film stars 5-time slam-dunk champion

Chris Staples Chris Staples is an American indie rock musician originally from Pensacola, Florida, long based in Seattle, Washington. He released ''Panama, Burned and Blistered'', ''Blackest Hair, Bluest Eyes'', ''Badlands'', and ''American Soft'' independen ...

Michael Irvin Michael Jerome Irvin (born March 5, 1966) is an American sports commentator and former professional football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). In 2007, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fam ...

Jose Canseco José Canseco Capas Jr. (born July 2, 1964), nicknamed Parkway Jose, Mr. 40-40 and El Cañonero Cubano (The Cuban Cannon), is a Cuban-American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder and designated hitter. During his time with the Oaklan ...

, et al. The film is about a man who finds God in prison and wins the national slam dunk competition against all odds. In 2017, Chey is producing and directing "The Islands" which is the biggest movie on Hawaii history and is based on the incredible true stories of Hawaii's beginnings from Captain Cook's arrival to King Kamehameha's unification wars through the chaotic last months of the monarchy of Queen Liliʻuokalani. The film was scheduled to release on 3,000 theaters in November 2018, but that release date has been repeatedly pushed back and is now slotted for September 2019.

Awards

*5 Star Dove Award for ''

'' (starring Trica Helfer, Stephen Baldwin, Tom Sizemore). *5 Star Dove Award for ''

'' (starring Malcolm McDowell, Tom Sizemore, Corbin Bernsen). *4 Star Dove Award for ''Freedom'' (starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., William Sadler, Sharon Leal).Dove.org
/ref>

Filmography

References

External links

*
Tim Chey Official Website

10 Questions for Tim Chey

Tim Chey filmography at Spout.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chey, Timothy A Living people American screenwriters American film directors American film producers Boston University School of Law alumni Harvard Law School alumni USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni Year of birth missing (living people)