Judith Montell

e-mail: jmontell@worldnet.att.net


SELECTED FILM AND VIDEOGRAPHY

1st AMENDMENT ON TRIAL: The Case of the Detroit Six
2005 Co-producer, Director
A 27-minute documentary, commissioned by the Historical Society for the U.S. District Court For The Eastern District Of Michigan, about the Detroit’s anti-Communist Smith Act Trial, 1952-58.

PROFESSIONAL REVOLUTIONARY: The Life of Saul Wellman
2004 Co-producer, Director
A 65 minute documentary of the life of a remarkable and inspiring man.

A HOME ON THE RANGE: The Jewish Chicken Ranchers of Petaluma
2002 Co-producer, co-director, co-editor
A one-hour documentary detailing the history of this unique community in California.
 
TIMBRELS AND TORAHS: Celebrating Women’s Wisdom
2000 Co-producer, co-director and editor
A 36 minute documentary on a new ritual celebrating older women.
 
FOREVER ACTIVISTS: Stories from the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
1986-90 Producer, Director & Co-writer
A one-hour study of on-going activism and commitment (over 50 years) to issues of social justice through the lives of the men and women who went to the aid of the Spanish people during the Spanish Civil War.


AWARDS & PRIZES
Academy Award Nomination for Outstanding Achievement, Documentary Feature
Special Jury Award:  San Francisco International Film Festival
Special Jury Award:  National Educational Film & Video Festival
Blue Ribbon:  American Film & Video Festival
CINE Golden Eagle Award
 
YOU ARE HISTORY, YOU ARE LEGEND: The Legacy of the International Brigadistas
1997 Producer/Director
A 21-minute documentary commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War and the return to Spain of the surviving brigadistas to receive the thanks of the Spanish people and the honorary Spanish citizenship unanimously granted by the Cortes (Spanish Parliament).
 
ESPERANTO:
La Pasporto a la Tuta Mondo

1997-2002 Line Producer, Director, Editor
15 30-minute dramatic videos in Esperanto, the universal second language, designed  for teaching the language in the ‘direct method’.
 
THE KEY FROM SPAIN: Bosnian Sephardim
2001 Associate producer
40-minute documentary about the Sephardic Jews of Bosnia and their culture told through the story and music of folk singer Flory Jagoda.
 
Cuba Va: The Challenge of the Next Generation

1993 Associate producer
A one-hour documentary on the youth of Cuba today.   Festivals: Sundance Film Festival; Human Rights Film Festival; Amsterdam Documentary Festival; National Educational Film & Video Festival- Silver Apple Award; Vienna International Film Festival

Mother Wove the Morning
1992 Video producer, director, co-editor
A two-hour video production of a one-woman play written and performed by Carol Lynn Pearson portraying sixteen women throughout history.