Toni Bell

Toni Bell is an Adjunct Professor in the Transformative Social Change department at Saybrook University. With over 10 years of experience in documentary filmmaking and visual anthropology, she brings a unique interdisciplinary perspective to her academic work, focusing on how media can be leveraged for social transformation.

Her research interests include:

• Transformative Social Change
• Social Change and the Arts
• Social Impact Media
• Documentary Film
• Visual Anthropology
• Media Impact Strategy
• Liberatory Pedagogy

Dr. Bell's teaching philosophy centers on radical inclusion and the belief that education should be both transformational and actionable. She approaches students as whole people, integrating their lived experiences and cultural contexts into the learning process. Her classrooms emphasize curiosity over compliance, dialogue over dogma, and collaboration over competition, while incorporating trauma-informed and anti-colonial frameworks.

Her professional background spans multiple sectors:

• Creator and host of the 'What's Up with Docs Podcast'
• Former Filmmaker Services Manager at the International Documentary Association
• Impact Strategist for Looky Looky Pictures on films including 'Building the American Dream' and 'Councilwoman'
• Archival researcher for PBS and other media productions
• Active participant in documentary film festivals including Sundance, Tribeca, and HotDocs

Dr. Bell is affiliated with several professional organizations:

• Art Equity BIPOC Leadership Circle (Fellow)
• Black Association of Documentary Filmmakers West
• Brown Girls Doc Mafia
• Archival Producers Alliance
• Global Impact Producers Alliance

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. (Candidate) in Anthropology & Social Change, California Institute of Integral Studies (2029)
• MA in Visual Anthropology, University of Southern California (2017)
• MAT-TESOL, University of Southern California (2016)
• MFA in Creative Writing, Naropa University (2009)
• BA in Sociology/Anthropology, Carleton College (1993)