Deborah Ellis

Professor Deborah Ellis is a renowned documentary filmmaker and educator at the University of Vermont’s Department of English. Her work focuses on social justice, activism, and human rights through films like Howard Zinn: You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train (2004), short-listed for an Academy Award, and Peace Has No Borders (2017), exploring war resistance. She has produced over a dozen impactful films addressing civil rights (e.g., The FBI’s War on Black America), gender roles (Unbidden Voices), and immigration. Her films have screened globally, including Sundance Channel and PBS, and received accolades such as the Provincetown Festival Audience Award and Montreal Human Rights Festival participation.

Ellis teaches courses in documentary film production, theory, and avant-garde cinema. She co-created the Storytelling Booth, a portable installation collecting community narratives on racism and discrimination. Current projects include Willie James Blues, a personal exploration of family and migration, and End of Love, examining adolescent men and digital pornography. Her work bridges academic rigor with grassroots activism, emphasizing ethical storytelling and social impact.