Deb Ellis, Assistant Professor Deborah.Ellis@uvm.edu 409 Old Mill 802-656-4002

Award-winning filmmaker and educator, Deb Ellis teaches courses in film and video production, documentary production and history, and film studies.  Ellis is active in the independent film community in Vermont, currently serving as President of the Vermont International Film Festival.  Ellis also continues her work with local organizations, including work on "Voices of Vermonters"

Ellis's documentary, "Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train," was short-listed with twelve films from which the 2005 Academy Award nominees were chosen. The film was released theatrically, and is now widely available on DVD. Earlier work includes "Skin Deep," an examination of the development and promotion of the sub-dermal contraceptive, Norplant; "The FBI's War on Black America," an examination of targets of COINTELPRO, an FBI program instituted in the 1960's with a mandate to "prevent the rise of a Black Messiah"; "Unbidden Voices," about the immigrant experience of an Indian woman working in Chicago, and "Doris Eddy," an intimate portrait of a Vermont woman who lived alone on her farm with 50 horses. Ellis is currently developing new projects.  Links to selected works are below.

Education:

    * M.F.A., Northwestern University
    * B.A.,  Lawrence University

Selected Work:

	Current Work in Progress: Peace Has No Borders (working title) Peace Has No Borders (working title) follows the Hart family as they rebuild their lives in exile in Toronto, Canada.  After serving nine years in the Army, Patrick Hart’s discomfort with the Iraq war, and a gnawing concern about how to provide for his family’s health care needs, grew to the point where he went AWOL in the summer of 2005, leaving family and country behind.  He did not tell his wife about his plans because he knew she would turn him in, a suspicion she confirms.   Having exhausted legal avenues to stay in Canada Patrick and Jill face imminent deportation back to the United States where Patrick's legal status is unknown.  In response to growing public pressures, in December 2007 the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration adopted a motion that is a step forward for U.S. War Resisters seeking asylum in Canada.  In a vote of 7 to 4, committee members passed a motion recommending that the government immediately implement a program to allow war resisters and their families to stay in Canada. It also calls for an immediate halt to deportation proceedings in these cases.  Patrick and Jill represent the human face of an emerging social movement in Canada.
	Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train Distributor's Site imdb site reviews "It's a far more effective leftist argument than the bombastic Fahrenheit 9/11.", Lou Lumenick, New York Post In these turbulent times, Howard Zinn is inspiring a new generation. This acclaimed film looks at the amazing life of the renowned historian, activist and author. Following his early days as a shipyard labor organizer and bombardier in World War II, Zinn became an academic rebel and leader of civil disobedience in a time of institutionalized racism and war. His influential writings shine light on and bring voice to factory workers, immigrant laborers, African Americans, Native Americans and the working poor. Featuring rare archival materials and interviews with Zinn and colleagues such as Noam Chomsky, You Can’t Be Neutral captures the essence of this extraordinary man who has been a catalyst for progressive change for more than 60 years. Narrated by Matt Damon • Featuring music by Pearl Jam, Woody Guthrie & Billy Bragg!
	Skin Deep SKIN DEEP combines views from Norplant users, community health advocates, and experts in a social and political analysis of the use of this new contraceptive technology. As diverse women share their experiences with Norplant, community leaders and public policy activists discuss the issues of informed consent and race and class discrimination raised by the current uses of this powerful drug. "An extremely useful tool for understanding the dangers of coercive birth control policies that reveals the underlying issues of race and poverty propelling debates about reproduction." Dorothy Roberts, Rutgers School of Law
	FBI's War on Black America The FBI's War on Black America offers a thought provoking look at a government...-sanctioned conspiracy, the FBI's counter intelligence program known as Cointelpro. This documentary establishes historical perspective on the measures initiated by J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI which aimed to discredit black political figures and forces of the late 1960's and early 1970's. Combining declassified documents, interviews, rare footage and exhaustive research, it investigates the government's role in the assignations of Malcom X, Fred Hampton and Martin Luther King Jr. The film reflects the rigorous research which went into its making, and portrays the nation's unrest during the period it recounts. ~ Sally Barber, All Movie Guide

All Courses Taught