About Me
Tony Collins EdD MFA
Documentary Filmmaker | Educator | Musician
Welcome! I’m Tony Collins, a documentary filmmaker, teacher, and student of music, based in Los Angeles, California.
My work spans over 40 years, blending creative storytelling, academic research, and musical expression.
About My Work
- Documentary Filmmaking – With over 20 internationally recognized films, videos, and multimedia productions, my work explores diverse cultural narratives and critical global issues.
- Education & Research – I have 30+ years of teaching experience in higher education, K-12, and interdisciplinary settings, with a focus on film, media, and creative scholarship.
- Music – A lifelong musician, I play viola, violin, guitar, mandolin, and other instruments, integrating music into my creative and academic endeavors.
Global Experience
My work has taken me across the world, including the USA, United Arab Emirates, Tahiti, Philippines, Thailand, Oman, India, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico, East Africa, and Pakistan.
Please see my
I have produced over 20 internationally recognized films, videos, and multimedia works, exhibited, broadcast, and distributed in more than 10 countries.
My filmmaking achievements include grants from the Ford Foundation (1998, 1999) Fulbright Commission 1998, 2013, 2017, 2022), National Endowment for the Humanities (1986), UCLA (1980s), Al Larvick Community Fund (2021), Missouri State University Library (2021, 2022), and the Library of Congress (2022), among others.
I have also worked directly with community-based organizations (NGOs) in the Philippines, Thailand, India, Oman, Afghanistan, Guatemala, Mexico, the UAE, Egypt, and Puerto Rico, focusing on higher education, environmental and social justice, and poverty alleviation.
I have over 30 years of experience teaching and researching in higher education, K-12, and other settings. My expertise includes educational media production, writing, and editing. I have served as a mentor, researcher, program leader, and curriculum developer in film and video studies, with international experience in designing and establishing digital media programs.
My research interests include alternative educational methodologies, such as Grounded Theory and Grounded Action (Glaser). I have published work in higher education, filmmaking, film studies, U.S. legal history, and ethnic studies.
In 2022, I worked on Fulbright teaching and educational consultancy projects in Pakistan
I have played acoustic instruments (viola, violin, guitar, mandolin, and others) for over 50 years and continue to explore electronic, ancient, and global music traditions.
My lifelong interest is expressed now in my project, "Around the Universe: A Podcast Channel.
Educational Background
I have earned a Doctor of Education (EdD) degree in Leadership and Change from the Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California. I also have a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Film and Television Production from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).