Month: November 2010

For 30 years, Taggart Siegel has produced and directed Emmy-nominated, award-winning documentaries that present vital perspectives rarely seen on mainstream media. His latest film, QUEEN OF THE SUN: What Are the Bees Telling Us? received critical-acclaim during it’s theatrical release and garnered over 10 international awards. His previous film, the 2006 grass-roots hit THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN, about a maverick visionary farmer, won 31 international film festivals awards and was broadcast and theatrically released worldwide.

Siegel is also known for his award-winning films THE SPLIT HORN: Life of a Hmong Shaman in America, BETWEEN TWO WORLDS and BLUE COLLAR AND BUDDHA which capture the struggle of refugees in America. He is the co-founder and Executive Director of Collective Eye, Inc., a non-profit media production and distribution organization based in Portland, Oregon and San Francisco.

Jon Betz is an award-winning independent documentary filmmaker. His first feature film, Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? garnered 10 international awards and was critically-acclaimed during it’s U.S. theatrical release by Roger Ebert, The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter and Box Office Magazine. His previous film, MEMORIZE YOU SAW IT, is an intimate autobiographical documentary journaling his time as an aid worker living with former-child soldiers in Eastern Uganda.

Betz is the Director of Collective Eye Films, a non-profit media production and distribution organization dedicated to unearthing stories that make a difference. He is an advisory board member on a number of documentaries currently in production including BARGE (Ben Powell), THE INDEPENDENTS (Phil Busse) & OMELAS (Jelani Memory).

A proud graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design, Betz has worked as a director, editor and producer of commercial and independent documentary projects in locations ranging from Uganda to Jordan. He currently lives in Portland with his wife and 1-year old daughter.