HUMMINGBIRD
PRODUCTIONS

Untold Tale, Epic Entertainment

Bob Farnsworth was born on New Year's Day, 1952, in Greenville, South Carolina and graduated from Furman University in 1974 with a BA in English. In 1976, Bob founded Hummingbird Productions. Shortly thereafter, Hummingbird had an opportunity to do an orchestral commercial for McDonald’s which led to 23 more within a few months, which exploded Hummingbird onto the music scene. Soon it grew to become the leading commercial music production company in Nashville. It is presently one of the longest standing music and film advertising production companies in America, having won numerous national and international awards, including four Clio awards.

Throughout his career, Farnsworth and his Hummingbird team have been directly responsible for creating literally thousands of commercials. Hummingbird's client roster features major corporations as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Chick-Fil-A, Ford, Chevrolet, Kellogg's, Budweiser, and hundreds of others. Bob was featured as an icon of the advertising industry on NBC’s Today Show, showcasing some of Hummingbird's most well-known work.

Alongside his advertising industry success, Farnsworth has been commissioned to compose for the Philadelphia Orchestra, has scored multiple films, and has scored five IMAX films, one garnering a first place Paris Film Festival Award. He and Hummingbird have also produced numerous thematic albums. Farnsworth's credits as a producer/writer include working with Dolly Parton, Charlie Pride, Pat Boone, John Denver, Loretta Lynn, Tommy Cash, Debbie Boone, Take 6, Restless Heart, Mel Tillis, Dobie Gray, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and dozens more.

Bob is a two-time Dove Award nominee, has served on the NARAS (Grammys) board, has been a judge for various talent competitions, including the London International Awards (LIA), and has given a TEDx Talk in Colorado, "Hearing is Believing.”

Bob’s pre-production work on It’s a Wonderful Life: The Rest of the Story, a sequel film project, was the catalyst that led Hummingbird into film production, and they presently have four films in various stages of development.

THE
PILATE
VERDICT

John R. Cherry III: A Legacy of Laughter and Faith

More than a decade ago, John Cherry was passing through the halls of his church when excited children's voices stopped him. A class of twelve-year-olds was putting Pontius Pilate on trial. In that moment, a seed was planted that would become his final calling.
John R. Cherry III built an eire on laughter. As the creative genius behind the Ernest franchise starring Jim Varney, he transformed a quirky advertising character into a cultural phenomenon. The Ernest films generated over $565 million worldwide (equivalent to $1.6 billion today), distributed by Disney's Touchstone Pictures. Films like Ernest Goes to Camp, Ernest Saves Christmas, and Ernest Scared Stupid proved wholesome family entertainment could compete with Hollywood's biggest productions.

But beneath the comedy beat the heart of a storyteller with something deeper to say.
The concept of Pilate on trial haunted Cherry. With his friend and collaborator John York, a historian, he crafted The Pilate Verdict—a courtroom drama exploring one of history's most consequential decisions. A major Hollywood network showed interest and commissioned rewrites for a miniseries. Then Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ changed everything. The project went on the shelf.
Cherry couldn't let it die. He told the story a thousand times. Every audience wept. Every audience said, "I'd love to see that." So he sold his business and devoted himself to bringing The Pilate Verdict to life. This wasn't about box office numbers anymore—it was about redemption, about a story that had transformed the early church.

Then came his Parkinson's diagnosis. Facing declining health, Cherry made one final, selfless decision: he entrusted the project to Bob Farnsworth and Hummingbird Productions, asking them to carry the vision forward.

John Robert Cherry III (October 11, 1948 – May 8, 2022) was a Nashville native who studied at the Ringling School of Art and Design. He was the executive vice president of Carden and Cherry advertising agency, a devoted husband to Ruthie, and father to Josh, Emilie, and Chapman.
His legacy endures—not just in the laughter he gave the world, but in the faith-driven story he refused to abandon, now carried forward by those he trusted to honor his vision.

Pilate Verdict Writers: John Cherry and John York