Research – Brent Simonds

I am an award-winning filmmaker who regularly produces documentaries and educational films. Many of my educational films have been grant-funded or commissioned by textbook publishers and have often resulted in academic journal articles and conference presentations. My feature-length documentary “Sweet Dreams Do Come True” played at several festivals and streamed for five years on Amazon Prime and Vimeo On-Demand (until my music licensing expired). I recently completed a documentary about a large group of Peace Corp volunteers who became life-long friends after having served together in India in the 1960s. “India 42: A Peace Corps Story” was exhibited at the Normal Theater in conjunction with the Stevenson Center and the Center for Civic Engagement. Click here for my latest curriculum vita (CV).

Brent Simonds and Verlon Thompson at 2018 Red Dirt International Film Festival. Best Documentary Feature.

Here are some of the creative awards I have received for my work:

2021 Broadcast Education Association’s Festival of Media Arts “Award of Excellence” in the Faculty Instructional/Educational Competition for Speech Evaluation Training (with Cheri Simonds).
2020 Broadcast Education Association’s Festival of Media Arts “Best of Competition” in the Faculty Instructional/Educational Competition for Leading Instructional Discussions (with Cheri Simonds).
2018 Recipient of the “University Outstanding Creative Activity Award” at Illinois State University.
2018 Winner of “Best Music Film” at the Franklin International Independent Film Festival for Sweet Dreams Do Come True.
2018 Broadcast Education Association’s Festival of Media Arts “Award of Excellence” in the Faculty Feature Documentary Nationwide Competition for Sweet Dreams Do Come True.
2018 Winner of “Best Feature Documentary” at the Red Dirt International Film Festival for Sweet Dreams Do Come True.
2013 Winner of the National Broadcasting Society’s professional video competition in the Instructional, Corporate, or Training Category for PiCS Theoretical Rationale.
2012 Winner of the National Broadcasting Society’s professional video competition in the Music/Experimental category for Jack Secord’s 7th Annual Acoustic Jam.
2010 Gold EMPixx Award Winner (National Video Competition) for Urban Teacher Preparation at Illinois State University (with Maria Moore).
2010 Winner of the National Broadcasting Society’s professional video competition in the Instructional, Corporate, or Training category for Urban Teacher Preparation at Illinois State University (with Maria Moore).
2010 Second Place in the National Broadcasting Society’s professional video competition in the Instructional, Corporate, or Training category for Using Presentation Aids.
2009 Winner of the National Broadcasting Society’s professional video competition in the Instructional, Corporate, or Training category for Collaborative classroom management: You’re not in this alone.
2005 “Gold Aurora Award” Winner (International Video Competition) for Balancing Learning Standards with Students’ Diverse Learning Needs.
2005 Broadcast Education Association’s “Award of Excellence” in the Faculty Video Nationwide Competition for Balancing Learning Standards with Students’ Diverse Learning Needs.
2005 “Bronze Telly Award” Winner (International Video Competition) for Leading Instructional Discussions.

Grants, Contracts, & Fundraising

$5000 Shaw Fellowship to spend a week at Company3 in Santa Monica, CA to observe and interview visual effects experts including ISU alumnus Doug Spilatro. Awarded July 2020.
$5000 CAS Interdisciplinary Grant with Andrew Ventimiglia (Com), Liv Stone (Anthro), and Nathania Rubin (Art) to develop a Film Festival and new course. Awarded July 2020.
$3700 Sage Fund Grant to host a performance from Nashville songwriter Verlon Thompson after the screening of my documentary Sweet Dreams Do Come True at the Normal Theater on September 6, 2018.
Successful $20,000 Kickstarter Campaign to raise funds to pay for the music licensing for my documentary Sweet Dreams Do Come True. (2017)
$1000 stipend from provost’s office to re-write AFEGC Handbook (2017).
$5000 grant from the Urban Teacher Preparation (UTP) Steering Committee at Illinois State University to produce a Video/DVD highlighting student teaching experiences in the Chicago Metro area (2008 with M. Moore and L. Soliman).
$3000 grant/stipend from Provost & Assessment offices to produce the Video/DVD “General Education at Illinois State University” (2007 with R. Ricioppo).
$450 grant from the Center for Teaching, Learning, & Technology at Illinois State University (2006). Podcasting Initiative.
Video distribution contract from the Films Media Group (2006) to distribute
- Balancing Learning Standards with Students’ Diverse Learning Needs
- Teaching Diverse Learners: Communicating Social Support
$30,000 contract from Allyn & Bacon to produce educational videos to accompany public speaking textbook. (2004-2009) with C. Simonds & S. Hunt.
$2500 NFIG Grant from Illinois State University for “Pilot testing of an interactive media tutorial to teach presentation authoring: An iterative design/development study for Com 110” (Summer 2004).
Competitive $1000 grant from Faculty Technology Support Services at ISU to purchase video editing software to complete an educational video for the College of Education (Spring 2003). 32 applications, 10 awards.
$25,000 contract to produce an educational video for Houghton Mifflin Co. to be nationally distributed with three textbooks. “Using Presentation Aids” (2002) with C. Simonds & S. Hunt.
$3000 grant/stipend from the Office of the Associate Vice President for Technology at ISU to explore options for implementing technology requirements for all students (2001).