Frank Schaeffer In Conversation with Nick Canfield and Rev. Vince Anderson, exploring their lives, craft, and their new film, The Reverend.
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The Reverend follows gospel-rock icon and activist Reverend Vince Anderson. After coming to New York in the 90’s to enter seminary, Vince dropped out to follow his second calling - music. With his band The Love Choir, he has played a now-legendary weekly show for over twenty years. Reconnecting with his faith and using his intense soulful music, he began to preach a type of spirituality that is open to all, meets people where they are, and moves everyone that sees him play.
Reverend Vince is also deeply involved in social justice, working with other progressive faith leaders at home and around the country to build inclusive communities. Featuring Questlove, members of TV On The Radio, and an ensemble of eccentric musicians, The Reverend is a rocking concert film as well as an intimate portrait of Reverend Vince’s inspiring personal and spiritual life.
NICK CANFIELD - Director/ Producer / Cinematographer - is an award-winning Director and Cinematographer from New York City. He got his start working closely alongside legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles, developing an intimate vérité style. His first film, the feature music documentary The Reverend, premiered at DOC NYC where it won the 2021 Audience Award. Distributed theatrically by Factory 25, it is available to stream on The Criterion Channel. Working on the camera teams for a range of projects, Nick has enjoyed the opportunity to learn from a diverse group of subjects and filmmakers. His camera work can be seen in documentaries such as Iris (NYFF premiere, distributed by Magnolia Pictures), The Fifty Year Argument (HBO, directed by Martin Scorsese), Born to Fly (SxSW premiere), In Transit (Tribeca Special Jury Mention), and Making a Murderer (Netflix). Nick is a member of the Documentary Cinematographer’s Alliance, and still serves as the archivist for Maysles Films. His films have been covered in publications including The New York Times and Rolling Stone. He was named one of DOC NYC’s 40 Filmmakers Under 40 in 2022, and was a member of their Short Films Jury in 2023.
REVEREND VINCE ANDERSON - Born in Fresno, California, Vince moved to New York City in 1994 to study at Union Theological Seminary with the intention of becoming a Methodist minister. The Reverend lasted three months in seminary, before sensing a new direction to take his music and message to where the people were – into the bars and clubs. He promptly started holding weekly “services” in New York’s Lower East Side and in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; which have now been an NYC institution for over 20 years. In addition, he serves as a musician at two churches, Bushwick Abbey and Citylights Community. The Reverend calls his music, “Dirty Gospel”, a term reflecting both his musical influences and his theological perspective.