Our Resident Oscar Nominated Filmmaker Visits Georgia Regents University

In addition to our daily work in schools and forums nationwide, Great Books staff members share their boundless creativity and talents in many ways. Take Bill Siegel—when not engaged in his full-time duties as a professional learning consultant and video producer, Bill pursues his love of documentary filmmaking. He’s a strong advocate for using the power of film to engage students, and last month he visited Georgia Regents University where he and students spent a day watching and discussing his documentaries—“The Weather Underground” and “The Trials of Muhammad Ali.” Student journalist Jessica Sager captured the experience in her article “Films reflect on past.”

“The Weather Underground” was nominated for a 2003 Academy Award for best documentary. “The Trials of Muhammad Ali,” won awards for best use of archival footage from The International Documentary Association and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. It has screened in theaters around the world, was broadcast on PBS Independent Lens and is currently available on DVD, itunes, and Netflix.  You can watch the trailer and learn more about the film here.