Lennon, Thomas F. 1951- (Thomas Lennon, Thomas Furneaux Lennon, Tom Lennon)

PERSONAL

Born November 3, 1951, in Washington, DC. Education: Yale University, graduate (magna cum laude), 1973.

Career:

Documentary filmmaker, producer, and writer. Association of Independent Video/Filmmakers, New York City, 1975-78; ABC News, New York City, associate producer and writer, 1979-83, then producer-director and writer, 1983-87; Lennon Documentary Group, founder and president, 1987—; Columbia School of Journalism, guest lecturer, 1990. The Fourth World Movement, New York City, volunteer, 1990.

Member:

Writers Guild of America, Directors Guild of America.

Awards, Honors:

Emmy Award (with others), outstanding individual achievement in writing, 1984, for "To Save Our Schools, to Save Our Children"; Emmy Award nomination (with others), outstanding individual achievement in writing, 1985, for "Growing Old in America"; Christopher Award, c. 1986, for At a Loss for Words … Illiterate in America; National Black Producers Award, c. 1988, for Racism 101; Blue Ribbon, American Film and Video Association, c. 1989, for "Demon Rum"; Television Award (with Shelby Steele), Writers Guild of America, Best Current Events Documentary, San Francisco Film Festival, 1991, both for "Seven Days in Bensonhurst"; Television Award (with others), documentary—current events, Writers Guild of America, 1994, for "The Choice of '92"; Television Award nomination (with Mark Zwonitzer), documentary—other than current events, Writers Guild of America, 1996, for "The Battle of the Bulge: World War II's Deadliest Battle"; Grand Jury Prize nomination— documentary, Sundance Film Festival, Emmy Award (with Michael Epstein), outstanding informational special, Academy Award nomination (with Epstein), best documentary feature, 1996, Film Award nomination, best documentary—other than current events, Writers Guild of America, and George Foster Peabody Broadcasting Award, University of Georgia, 1997, all for "The Battle Over Citizen Kane"; Television Award nomination (with Thomas N. Brown), documentary—other than current events, Writers Guild of America, 1999, for The Irish in America: Long Journey Home; Emmy Award nominations, outstanding directing for non-fiction programming (with Ed Bell) and outstanding non-fiction special-traditional (with others), 2003, for Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives; Television Award nomination (with others), documentary—other than current events, Writers Guild of America, 2004, for Becoming American: The Chinese Experience; Pare Lorentz Award nomination (with Ruby Yang), International Documentary Association, 2006, Academy Award (with Yang), best documentary—short subjects, 2007, both for The Blood of Yingzhou District.

CREDITS

Film Producer:

Racism 101, 1988.

The Blood of Yingzhou District (documentary short; also known as Yingzhou de haizi), 2006.

Television Work; Specials:

Producer and director, At a Loss for Words … Illiterate in America, PBS, 1986.

Senior producer, On Values: Talking with Peggy Noonan, PBS, 1995.

Producer and director, The Irish in America: Long Journey Home, PBS, 1998.

Producer and director, Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives (documentary), 2003.

Producer, Julia's Story, 2005.

Television Work; Episodic:

Director, "To Save Our Schools, to Save Our Children," ABC News Closeup, ABC, 1984.

Producer and director, "Growing Old in America," ABC News Closeup, ABC, 1985.

"The Favored Few," 20/20, ABC, 1986.

"Shoplifters," 20/20, ABC, 1988.

Producer, "Demon Run," The American Experience, PBS, 1989.

Producer and director, "Coming from Japan" (also known as "The Giant from Japan"), Frontline, PBS, 1992.

Producer, "The Choice '92," Frontline, PBS, 1992.

Producer, "Tabloid Truth: The Michael Jackson Scandal," Frontline, PBS, 1994.

Director, "The Battle of the Bulge: World War II's Deadliest Battle," The American Experience, PBS, 1994.

Director and producer, "The Battle over Citizen Kane," The American Experience, PBS, 1996.

Senior Producer, "The Pilgrimage of Jesse Jackson," Frontline, PBS, 1996.

Producer and director, "Jefferson's Blood," Frontline, PBS, 2000.

Producer, "The Hurricane of '38," The American Experience, PBS, 2001.

Director and series producer, "No Turning Back," Becoming American: The Chinese Experience, PBS, 2003.

Series producer, "Gold Mountain Dreams," Becoming American: The Chinese Experience, PBS, 2003.

Producer, "Between Two Worlds," Becoming American: The Chinese Experience, PBS, 2003.

Series producer, "Becoming American: Personal Journeys," Becoming American: The Chinese Experience, PBS, 2003.

Director, "One Nation Under Law," The Supreme Court, PBS, 2007.

Director, "A New Kind of Justice," The Supreme Court, PBS, 2007.

Director, "The Rehnquist Revolution," The Supreme Court, PBS, 2007.

Director, "A Nation of Liberties," The Supreme Court, PBS, 2007.

WRITINGS

Documentary Scripts:

Racism 101, 1988.

Television Specials:

(With Mark Zwonitzer) Battle of the Bulge, 1995.

The Irish in America: Long Journey Home, PBS, 1998.

Television Episodes:

(With others) "To Save Our Schools, to Save Our Children," ABC News Closeup, ABC, 1984.

"Growing Old in America," ABC News Closeup, ABC, 1985.

"The Favored Few," 20/20, ABC, 1986.

"Shoplifters," 20/20, ABC, 1988.

(With Shelby Steele) "Seven Days in Bensonhurst," Frontline, PBS, 1990.

"Coming from Japan" (also known as "The Giant from Japan"), Frontline, PBS, 1992.

"The Choice '92," Frontline, PBS, 1992.

(With Richard Ben Cramer) "Tabloid Truth: The Michael Jackson Scandal," Frontline, PBS, 1994.

"The Battle of the Bulge: World War II's Deadliest Battle," The American Experience, PBS, 1994.

"The Battle over Citizen Kane," The American Experience, PBS, 1996.

"Jefferson's Blood," Frontline, PBS, 2000.

"The Hurricane of '38," The American Experience, PBS, 2001.

"No Turning Back," Becoming American: The Chinese Experience, PBS, 2003.

"Gold Mountain Dreams," Becoming American: The Chinese Experience, PBS, 2003.

"Between Two Worlds," Becoming American: The Chinese Experience, PBS, 2003.