Biography
Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and the first person in history to hold the PhD of African American Studies from Northwestern University.
An interdisciplinary scholar, his research interests lie in the fields of African American and Latino performance, sexuality studies, film studies, and visual culture.
Along with his Ph.D., Dr. Ziegler holds a M.A. in African American Studies; a M.A. in Ethnic Studies; and a B.A. in Film & Digital Media.
In addition to his academic background, Dr. Ziegler maintains an impressive artist portfolio with his films and videos having been exhibited to national and international audiences.
Dr. Ziegler's most important contribution to the documentary filmmaking circuit, the feature-length documentary titled, STILL BLACK: A Portrait of Black Transmen, is the first and only experimental documentary to explore the lives of black transgender men in the United States.
Upon its release in 2008, STILL BLACK became one of the most sought after and talked about films to represent the transgender male of color experience, showing to sold out crowds in places such as Los Angeles, New York, Montreal, Toronto, San Francisco, The Netherlands, London, Seattle, Chicago, and Tel-Aviv.
The film has received multiple awards, including the Isaac Julien Experimental Award from Queer Black Cinema International Music Festival and the Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary in the 2009 ReelOut Queer Film + Video Festival.
STILL BLACK has also made an important scholarly intervention within the field of trans studies and appears on syllabi at colleges/universities across the world.
Dr. Ziegler has been invited to speak about his research and art making at a number of prestigious institutions, including Princeton University, Duke university, UCLA, Glasgow School of Art, Smith College, and McGill University. He continues to participate in the academic lecture circuit while working on new film projects and art installations.
An interdisciplinary scholar, his research interests lie in the fields of African American and Latino performance, sexuality studies, film studies, and visual culture.
Along with his Ph.D., Dr. Ziegler holds a M.A. in African American Studies; a M.A. in Ethnic Studies; and a B.A. in Film & Digital Media.
In addition to his academic background, Dr. Ziegler maintains an impressive artist portfolio with his films and videos having been exhibited to national and international audiences.
Dr. Ziegler's most important contribution to the documentary filmmaking circuit, the feature-length documentary titled, STILL BLACK: A Portrait of Black Transmen, is the first and only experimental documentary to explore the lives of black transgender men in the United States.
Upon its release in 2008, STILL BLACK became one of the most sought after and talked about films to represent the transgender male of color experience, showing to sold out crowds in places such as Los Angeles, New York, Montreal, Toronto, San Francisco, The Netherlands, London, Seattle, Chicago, and Tel-Aviv.
The film has received multiple awards, including the Isaac Julien Experimental Award from Queer Black Cinema International Music Festival and the Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary in the 2009 ReelOut Queer Film + Video Festival.
STILL BLACK has also made an important scholarly intervention within the field of trans studies and appears on syllabi at colleges/universities across the world.
Dr. Ziegler has been invited to speak about his research and art making at a number of prestigious institutions, including Princeton University, Duke university, UCLA, Glasgow School of Art, Smith College, and McGill University. He continues to participate in the academic lecture circuit while working on new film projects and art installations.
