Ted Mills
+64 027 307 6906
tedmills@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/ted-mills/
vimeo.com/user749601
Profile
Filmmaker, performer, artist, writer
Film Production lecturer with 15+ years experience
Education
2024- present PhD
Massey University, Wellington, Aotearoa NZ
2023 MFA in Video Art
Massey University, Wellington, Aotearoa NZ
Graduated First Class Honours
1993 BA in English, Emphasis in Creative Writing
University of Southern California, Santa Barbara
Graduated summa cum laude
Professional Appointments
August 2005 – Present Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Film Production, Santa Barbara City College, CA
Grants, Awards, and Scholarships
2024 Massey University Doctoral Scholarship
2017 Santa Barbara County Creative Commision Grant for the FunkZone Podcast
2014 Audience Choice Award, PSSST Silent Film Festival, Zagreb, Croatia, for What a Pool Believes
2014 Winner UCSB’s Arts & Lectures Silent Film Competition, Santa Barbara, CA for What a Pool Believes
2010 Best Comedy Short, Eugene International Film Festival, OR for Wallace Carothers
2000 Best Experimental, Zoie Online Film Fest, for nowhereland
2000 Best Drama, Thunderbird Film Festival, UT, for nowhereland
2000 Best Short, Dreamcatcher, Ukraine, for nowhereland
Filmography (selected)
2024 Bartender (directed). Comedy film short.
2023 Glocca Morra (How Are Things In?) Experimental short, MFA thesis.
2022 Cat Melt (directed). Sci-fi film short.
2019 Copa de Oro (directed). Dance on film short.
2014 What a Pool Believes (written, directed). Comedy silent film short.
2013 Heat (directed). Dance on film short
2011 Nymphaea (directed, edited, composted). Central dance film for installation.
2010 Wallace Carothers (written, directed, edited, produced). Comedy short.
2007 Revenge of the Falcon (written and directed). Comedy short.
2005 The Night of the Falcon (written and directed). Comedy short.
2000 nowhereland (written, directed, edited). Sci-fi short film.
2000 Walk Cycle (written, directed, edited). Comedy short.
Selected Exhibitions
2023 Solo Exhibition. nowhereland (outskirts), Massey University, Wellington, Aotearoa NZ
2019 Group Show. Ready to Hang, Community Arts Workshop, Santa Barbara, CA
2019 Commission. 20 People Watching James Benning’s 20 Cigarettes, with Marco Pinter, interactive live video work for James Benning: Quilts, Cigarettes & Dirt (Portraits of America), Museum of Contemporary Art, Santa Barbara, CA
2013 Solo Exhibition, Dream Advice, Elsie’s, Santa Barbara, CA
2011 Group Show. Nymphaea, Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, CA
Performance
2023 – present Tales from Nowhereland, solo performance. Premiered at City Gallery, Wellington, Aotearoa NZ
2019 SPLIFF: The San Pesci Legends International Film Festival, group performance with Fishbon Artist Collaborative, The Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science and Technology and Fishbôn Art Studio, Santa Barbara, CA
2017 Mr. Van Press Conference: In Defense of Democracy, with Maiza Hixson, The Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science and Technology and Fishbôn Art Studio, Santa Barbara, CA
2016 Mr. Van Campaign Announcement, The Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science and Technology and Fishbôn Art Studio, Santa Barbara, CA
Lectures and Workshops
2019 “Mini-Movies: Third Thursday Studio”, June 20, 2019, Museum of Contemporary Art, Santa Barbara, CA
2017 “FunkZone Podcast 100th Episode Live Show”, November 18, 2016. The Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science and Technology and Fishbôn Art Studio, Santa Barbara, CA
2016 “Video Essay Workshop for Teens,” October/November, 2016, Arts Fund of Santa Barbara, CA
2015 “Screenplay Structure for Beginners,” May 30, 2015, 48 Hour Film Festival, Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Programmed Shows
2018 Psychedelic Shake – The Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science and Technology and Fishbôn Art Studio, Santa Barbara, CA
2013 Specimen – Arts Fund of Santa Barbara Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2012 Standard Deviation – Co-curated with Marco Pinter, abandoned retail business space, downtown Santa Barbara, CA
2009 Music Video Jukebox 2 – Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, CA
2008 Super 8 Is Great – Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, CA
2004 Music Video Jukebox 1 – Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, CA
2002 Michel Gondry Music Video Retrospective – Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, CA
Bibliography
Elizabeth Stewart, Interview (with members of Arts Fund of Santa Barbara), KZSB Radio,Santa Barbara, CA, July 12, 2020
Ted Coe, Interview (with D.J. Palladino), KCSB Radio, Santa Barbara, CA, May 27, 2019
Elizabeth Stewart, Interview “Bon Vivant of the FunkZone”, KZSB Radio, Santa Barbara, CA, June 16, 2017
Charles Donelan, “Funk Zone Podcast: Ted Mills Talks with Artists,” The Independent, Feb 11, 2016
Ted Coe, Interview (with Casey McGarry), KCSB Radio, Santa Barbara, CA, February 2, 2015
Mitchell Kriegman, “Specimen at the Arts Fund Gallery: Odd Objects Curated by Ted Mills,” The Independent, July 10, 2013
Josef Woodard, “Things are the Thing – Group Exhibition ‘Specimen’ Fills the Arts Fund Gallery with ‘Cabinets of Curios,’ Found Object Art, and Other Strange, Hermetic Sideshow Delights,” Santa Barbara News-Press, July 11, 2013
Ted Coe, Interview, KCSB Radio, Santa Barbara, CA, February 3, 2009
Teri Aronson, interview, KCSB Radio, Santa Barbara, CA, May 28, 2001
Collections
UCSB AD+A Collection, Santa Barbara, CA
Professional Service
Board of Directors, Arts Fund of Santa Barbara, CA