Alumni Spotlight: Documentary Filmmaker Ronald Levy
Since graduating from the University of Tennessee in 2019, filmmaker Ronald Levy has been busy: he’s started his own production company and completed two full-length documentary films, traveling all over the United States for projects. He’s told stories about subjects ranging from long-distance cyclists on different ends of the political spectrum to food insecurity in East Knoxville. And he has no plans to slow down.
“I love spontaneity,” said Levy from his home in Knoxville. “If a project allows me to enhance my skills, or tell someone’s story, I say yes. It’s been quite the journey.”
Levy, who is from Memphis, initially studied Graphic Design at Christian Brothers University before transferring to UT; he was already working nights at FedEx and selling graphic caricatures. Because he also had a love for movies and an interest in sound and music, he wanted to choose a major that would allow him to combine different forms of art. UT’s Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Time-Based Art – a program which encompasses sound, filmmaking, animation, and other four-dimensional arts – ended up being a perfect fit.
“The program gave me the confidence to say I am a filmmaker in my own right, versus being what IMDB or something says a filmmaker or videographer should be,” said Levy. “I think that’s important, to give an artist the ability to see themselves as somebody who can create their own vision without a lot of barriers.”
Professors such as Paul Harrill, John Kelley, Emily Bivens and David Wilson encouraged students to work with sound and create experimental videos, said Levy, helping them to develop as artists while also gaining experience using complex software like Premiere Pro.
“It was super important for refining my creative voice and my creative style,” he continued. “The professors gave us a lot of leeway and creative control over our projects.”
Graduating from UT with both technical skills and a strong creative voice helped Levy get hired quickly, first interning for the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center and then working on a feature film based out of Los Angeles. Those experiences led him to work as a freelancer and then to start his own company, Levron’s Art, through which he has created two full-length documentary films.
“The program gave me the confidence to say I am a filmmaker in my own right, versus being what IMDB or something says a filmmaker or videographer should be,” said Levy. “I think that’s important, to give an artist the ability to see themselves as somebody who can create their own vision without a lot of barriers.”
One of Levy’s most recent documentary projects, Roots of Resilience: East Knoxville’s Black Food Renaissance, has received significant local attention. The film premiered at Central Cinema in February 2025, with ticket sales supporting food justice collective Rooted East. It delves into the legacy of apartheid and its enduring impact on food security and urban spaces within historically Black communities, highlighting the voices of East Knoxville elders as a way to learn how to restore access to fresh produce from their stories.
“Helping to tell those stories and preserve that information is important to me,” Levy said. “I feel like I need to be I need to use my skills in a way that helps people, even if it’s by setting up a mic and a camera.”
“Interviewing elders is amazing,” he continued. “People allow me to come into their homes, into these intimate spaces, and it opens up a dialogue – every time I set up a camera and they start to speak, I get a little bit more educated about the world.”
Creating Roots of Resilience wasn’t without its challenges: Levy had a hard drive containing a year and half’s worth of interviews and footage stolen during production. But the moving, well-attended screening at Central Cinema, covered by WATE media, made those difficulties worth it.
“You had some people crying,” he said. “As a filmmaker, I hadn’t known the scale of what I was a part of when I first took on the project.”
“That’s what I’m drawn to as an artist, people telling the raw and uncut version of why things have happened,” he continued. “It creates a much better connection between the audience member and that person.”
While being based in Knoxville has offered many interesting professional opportunities, Levy currently has plans to relocate to Washington, DC to continue his career.
“As far as projects that I would like to work on, I’m a sucker for jazz and jazz artists,” he admits. “But there’s no limit to what I’m looking to do. I’m excited about connecting with people, because everybody has a story they want to tell.”
As for advice for students interested in studying filmmaking at UT? Levy encourages them to find a strong community to provide support and help them choose the right path, as he did through UT’s Cinema Studies and Time-Based Art programs.
“There’s always sort of a struggle between wanting to be an artist and being true to yourself and also paying the bills,” he said. “Building a community of great friends and people who encourage and support you, that helps a lot. And be sure to encourage and support people in in return.”
Learn more about Levy’s work at his website: https://levronsart.com.