About

Kelly Wittenberg is a filmmaker and media artist based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She is currently an Associate Professor of Film, Video, & Media Studies at Western Michigan University. Kelly has taught a wide range of courses in film production, digital video, and interdisciplinary media, including screenwriting, cinematography, and nonlinear editing using Final Cut Pro, Premiere, and Avid systems. Collaborating with colleagues from Art, Journalism, and Music, Kelly has also taught graduate level courses in applied Digital Media.

Born in Las Vegas, Kelly grew up on the West Coast. At the age of three she moved north with her family to Reno, where her father pursued a career in politics at the Nevada State Assembly. As a child Kelly was encouraged to participate in political campaigns through volunteer service, and she credits her father with instilling respect for civic engagement and social justice.

Kelly began her academic career as a studio art major with an emphasis on photography and video, which fueled her lifelong passion for communication through the means of visual language. Next she was off to Syracuse, New York to pursue film production, with electives in computer graphics, video art, and sculpture. Never satisfied to stay put in one medium, Kelly’s work continues to cross disciplines ranging from short films, video art installations and traditional photographs, to small hand-illustrated book objects and zines.

When Kelly is not writing or making films she is likely to be found sewing, building something, or repurposing found furniture. Her work has been encouraged by such varied organizations as the Savannah College of Art and Design, the Seattle International Film Festival, the Anthology Film Archives, and the Black Maria Film Festival.

Kelly holds a Bachelor of Art degree in Art from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film from Syracuse University.