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Help BlackStar Shine

BlackStar creates the spaces and resources needed to uplift the work of Black, Brown and Indigenous artists working outside of the confines of genre. We do this by producing year-round programs including film screenings, exhibitions, an annual film festival, a filmmaker seminar, a film production lab, and a journal of visual culture. These programs provide artists opportunities for viable strategies for collaborations with other artists, audiences, funders, and distributors.

We prioritize visionary work that is experimental in its aesthetics, content, and form and builds on the work of elders and ancestors to imagine a new world. We elevate artists who are overlooked, invisibilized or misunderstood and celebrate the wide spectrum of aesthetics, storytelling and experiences that they bring. We bring that work to new audiences as well as place it in dialog with other past and contemporary work. And, we curate every aspect of our events to be intentional community building efforts, connecting diverse audiences in a Black-led space centered on joy and thriving.

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BlackStar is building a liberatory world in which a vast spectrum of Black, Brown and Indigenous experiences is irresistibly celebrated in arts and culture. We create fertile spaces for ongoing imagination, learning and community building for Black, Brown and Indigenous artists to have the resources, support and shine we need to create visionary work.

We are building solidarity amongst Black, Brown and Indigenous artists globally to create this world and thrive together.

BlackStar creates the spaces and resources needed to uplift the work of Black, Brown and Indigenous artists working outside of the confines of genre. We do this by producing year-round programs including film screenings, exhibitions, an annual film festival, a filmmaker seminar, a film production lab, and a journal of visual culture. These programs provide artists opportunities for viable strategies for collaborations with other artists, audiences, funders, and distributors.

We prioritize visionary work that is experimental in its aesthetics, content, and form and builds on the work of elders and ancestors to imagine a new world. We elevate artists who are overlooked, invisibilized or misunderstood and celebrate the wide spectrum of aesthetics, storytelling and experiences that they bring. We bring that work to new audiences as well as place it in dialog with other past and contemporary work. And, we curate every aspect of our events to be intentional community building efforts, connecting diverse audiences in a Black-led space centered on joy and thriving.

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Board of Directors

Denise C. Beek

Chief Communications Officer,

‘me too.’ International

Co-Chair

Amanda Branson Gill

Co-Founder, Kilo Films

Treasurer

Sekou Campbell

Partner, Culhane Meadows PLLC

Co-Chair

Michael Garden

Principal, Michael Garden Group

Sunanda Ghosh

Nonprofit Strategy

Consultant

Maori Karmael Holmes

Artistic Director & CEO, BlackStar

Ted Passon

President, All Ages Productions

Taj Reid

EVP, Executive Design Director, Edelman

Tayyib Smith

Principal, Little Giant, Smith&Roller, Pipeline Philly

Secretary

$1,000+ Luminary Circle

Amatus Ali
Anonymous
Charles and Annette Worthy
Dorian and Simone Missick
Evelyn Hsu
Jasmine & Sekou Campbell
Jonathan Kraus
Kimberly Brundidge
Maori Karmael Holmes
Tarana J Burke
Ursula Kay Gilmore

Members

A Matter of Xpression II
Aarati Kasturirangan
Adam Neuhaus
Adrien Gystere Peskine
Aisha Evelyna
Mr Alain Dennis Joinville
Alexander Alberro
Dr Alexandra E Leigh
Ms Alexia Chororos
Alice Conconi
Allison Erdneka Budschalow
Amanda J Hay
Amanda Branson Gill
Amira Smith
Amy Sadao
Andrea Ogundele Gosfield
Annabelle Jellinek
Anonymous
Dr. Aronte Bennett
Ashley Wabara
Ashley Ijoema Omoma
Barbara Attie
Bernadine Hawes
Bjorn Henriques
Braden Lepisto
bree gant
Brenda Coughlin
Brian Newman
Cindie Hurley
Clare Kobasa
The Cobb Family
Corbett vs Dempsey
Corinne Warnshuis
Courtney Dailey
Cristine Paull
Dan and Michelle Stoeckel
Debora Kodish
Deborah Thomas
Denise M Brown
Diversity in Cannes
Doris Berger
Early Bird Films
Edward Crawford
Elizabeth M. Webb
Elliott Feldman
Emily Cavanagh
Emily Letourneau
Eric Bai
Eunice Levis
Ezra Nepon
Feather O Houstoun
Felicia Pride
fern ramoutar
Firelight Films
Garland McLaurin
Geneva White
George Lawrence
George McNeely
Germaine Ingram
Heather Gibson Moqtaderi
Jason F Griesser
Mr Jason Fitzroy Jeffers
Jason Griesser
Jason Patience
Jeffrey C Kann
Jessica Lingel
Jessica Murray
John Corbett
John Morrison
Johnica Rivers
JP Paul Kalmeijer
Judilee Reed
Juliana Rowen Barton
Julie Rainbow
Kameel Hall
Karen Redrobe
Kathleen Ogilvie Greene
Ms. Kerri Park
Khari McClelland
Mr. Kirwyn F Sutherland Jr.

BlackStar Live!
Co-hosted by BlackStar’s founder, curator and filmmaker Maori Karmael Holmes and DJ and filmmaker-artist Rashid Zakat — this is a talk show unlike any other.

The Greenwood Collective presents the Drive-In, curated by BlackStar. Featuring films from the first decade of the BlackStar Film Festival.

BlackStar Live!
Co-hosted by BlackStar’s founder, curator and filmmaker Maori Karmael Holmes and DJ and filmmaker-artist Rashid Zakat — this is a talk show unlike any other.

Aziah “Zola” King

A’ziah “Zola” King

Artist and Film Producer

Headshot for Adesuwa Mccalla
She/her

Adesuwa McCalla

MetaMorphic Entertainment

Photo of photograpoher Aidan Un shows him sitting in a room with windows behind him. He wears a grey shirt and has a long black beard.

Aidan Un

Videographer & Editor

A black-and-white picture of a man named Aidan Un. He is standing in front of a blurred, textured background with light and dark areas. He has a short haircut and a neatly trimmed beard. He is wearing a dark hooded jacket with a strap across the chest. He is smiling towards the camera, with his eyes slightly squinted.
He/Him

Aidan Un

Director

Headshot for Amanda Jones
She/her

Amanda Jones

Composer

Headshot of Amber Hunnicutt standing in front of a brick wall. She wears a slightly see-through black top, and large pink fringe earrings that fall past her shoulders.
she/her

Amber Hunnicutt

Seminar Producer

A photo of Animah Danquah shows her posing in front of a white background. She wears a red flannel shirt that is slightly falling off her person. Her hair is cropped short to her head and dyed bright blue. She lifts a hand and presses it against her cheek while looking into the camera.
she/her

Animah Danquah

Social Media Coordinator

Photo of Antoinette Stewart shows her wearing an asymmetrical black top and long dangling earrings. Her short twisted hair is arranged in a half-up/half-down style.
she/her

Antoinette Stewart

Box Office Manager

she/her

Asha Haki-Tyler

Hospitality Coordinator

she/her

Autumn Faith Valdez

Business Director

Brandon Anaya

Summer Fellow

Headshot for Brandon Pankey
He/his

Brandon Pankey

Founder, APEX & VP, Live Nation Urban

A photograph shows a portrait of Cameron A. Granger sitting on a leather couch inside a home space.
He/Him

Cameron A. Granger

Director

He/Him

Daniel Jackson

Lead Photographer

Mike & Debbie Africa

Debbie Africa

Filmmaker

Deb Thomas photo

Deborah Thomas

R. Jean Brownlee Professor of Anthropology; Director, Center for Experimental Ethnography

Dennis Nelson, Jr.

Onsite Coordinator

He/Him

DJ lil’ dave

DJ

Headshot for Kameelah Rashad
She/her

Dr. Kameelah Mu’Min Rashad

Psychologist

Headshot for Dyana Williams
She/her

Dyana Williams

CEO, Influence Entertainment Broadcaster and Media Strategist

they/she

E. Jane

Artist

Ephraim Asili

Filmmaker

He/Him

Eugene Haynes

Industry Liaison

she/her

Farrah Rahaman

Curatorial & Research Fellow

Headshot by Fox Maxy
He/his

Fox Maxy

Civic Films

Gabi Madsen

Technical Production Coordinator

Gessica Généus headshot

Gessica Généus

Director and Actor

Imani Perry headshot

Imani Perry

Scholar

they/them

Imran Siddiquee

Chief Communications Officer

Headshot of Isabel Rieser shows her with long black curly hair. She wears gold hoop earrings and smiles as she looks into the camera.

Isabel Rieser

Festival Office Coordinator (Support)

Headshot for Jason Jeffers
He/his

Jason Fitzroy Jeffers

Co-Executive Director

Headshot for Jazmin Jones
She/her/they/them

Jazmin Jones

Filmmaker

Jeannine and Jasmaine A. Cook headshot
We

Jeannine & Jasmaine A. Cook

Harriett’s Bookshop

she/her or they/them

Jenné Afiya Matthews

Virtual Festival Coordinator

Headshot for Jlin
She/her

Jlin

Artist

A photo of Jo Brown (she/her/he/him) sitting on a park bench. She wears a black overcoat and dark blue dress. Behind her, green foliage can be seen.
she/her/he/him

Jo Brown

Accessibility Coordinator

An image shows a portrait of Katy Bagli.
She/Her

Katy Bagli

Parties Coordinator

Image of Kerrin Lyons shos her posing with a large floral bouquet filled with various plants and flowers. She wears a black embroidered top with a deep v-neck and tilts her head slightly up as she looks into the camera.

Kerrin Lyons

Volunteer Coordinator

Koyuki Yip

Merchandise Coordinator

Krystal Strong

Assistant Professor of Education, Literacy, Culture, and International Education

Laiya St. Clair headshot

Laiya St. Clair

Host

Headshot for Legacy Russell
she/her or they/them

Legacy Russell

Curator and Writer

She/Her

Leilah Weinraub

Director

he/him

Lendl Tellington

Technical Producer

Headshot of Leo Brooks
he/him

Leo Brooks

Creative Director

she/her

Lorina Viola Morton

Web Manager

He/Him

Louis Massiah

Filmmaker/ Director, Scribe Video Center

Headshot for Louis Massiah
He/Him

Louis Massiah

Feature Documentary

Lyric Cabral headshot

Lyric Cabral

Artist/Filmmaker

Mahasen_Nasser-Eldin

Mahasen Nasser-Eldin

Filmmaker

she/her

Maori Karmael Holmes

Chief Executive & Artistic Officer

A headshot of Mariam Dembele. She is a Black woman with shoulder length curly black hair. She is wearing a tan sweater and is looking at the camera with a soft expression.
she/her

Mariam Dembele

Marketing Manager

She/Her

Marla Campbell Harris

Festival Support Specialist

She/her

Maya Cozier

Director

they/she

Medha Ghosh

Pitch Coordinator

Meshell Ndegeocello

Meshell Ndegeocello

Singer, Songwriter, Musician

A photograph shows a portrait of Michèle Stephenson.
She/Her

Michèle Stephenson

Director

Mike & Debbie Africa

Mike Africa

Filmmaker

Mike Africa, Jr. headshot

Mike Africa, Jr.

Filmmaker

Mochi Robinson

Photographer

Photo of Michael Moody shows him standing outside on a balcony. He wears a green beanie on his head and a black button-down shirt. He leans forward on his forearm and laughs.
He/Him

Moody

House Manager, Suzanne Roberts Theatre

She/Her

Natalie Bullock Brown

Filmmaker/Professor

A headshot of Nehad Khader, she is a Palestinian woman. She is wearing a flowy yellow top. She has curly hair. She is smiling softly at the camera.
she/her

Nehad Khader

Festival Director

Headshot for Niño Sosa
He/his

Nino Martínez Sosa

Filmmaker

Headshot for Noel Mesfin
He/his

Noel Tedla Mesfin

Agent

Headshot for Nuotama Bodomo
She/her

Nuotama Bodomo

Filmmaker

He/Him

Oluwafemi

DJ

Head shot for Oluwafemi

Oluwafemi

DJ and Visual Artist

he/him/his

Pablo Alarcon Jr.

Design Manager

Headshot for Poh Si Teng
She/her

Poh Si Teng

Director of IDA Funds and Enterprise Program

Photo of Queen Jo
She/Her

Queen Jo

Headshot for Rachel Ferguson

Rachel Ferguson

Host

Raishad Hardnett headshot
All

Raishad Hardnett

Filmmaker

Rashaad Newsome headshot

Rashaad Newsome

Artist

He/Him

Rashid Zakat

Filmmaker and Artist

Headshot for Rukayat Giwa
She/her

Rukayat Giwa

Agent

Photo of Sabrina Steward shows her leaning against a brick wall. She wears her hair in long cascading braids and wears a colorful abstract blazer.
she/her

Sabrina Stewart

Merchandise Coordinator

Sacha Jenkins photo

Sacha Jenkins

Filmmaker and Artist

Samantha Noel headshot

Samantha Noël

Associate Professor, Art History, Hawkins Ferry Endowed Chair

Headshot for Savannah Wood
She/her

Savannah Wood

Archives Director

Shaquan Battle

Videographer

She/Her

Shauna Swartz

Program Guide Copy Editor

Solomon Chang

Videographer

She/Her

Sonya Childress

Image of Stephanie Malson shows her wearing large clear-rimmed glasses and an oversized pink scarf over a denim shirt.
she/her

Stephanie Malson

Festival Box Office & Merchandise Manager

Headshot of Sultana Isham shows a close-up image of the artist who smiles at the camera. She has voluminous two-toned hair that is brown and black.
She/her

Sultana Isham

Artist

they/them

Sydney Alicia Rodriguez

Program Manager

Headshot for Talitha Watkins
She/her

Talitha Watkins

President and Head of Management

Headshot for Tamar-Kali
She/her

Tamar-kali

Composer / Performing Artist

A black and white headshot of Tamira Moore shows her smiling and looking off screen. She wears dark lipstick and large hoop earrings as well as eyeglasses.
she/her

Tamira D. Moore

Lead Festival Office Coordinator

Image of Taylor lamb shows her smiling as she tilts her head to the side. She wears a pink halter top and large statement sunglasses in the shape of blue clouds. Small beads dangle from the glasses like raindrops.

Taylor Lamb

Press Coordinator

Headshot for Tina Campt
She/her

Tina Campt

Professor of Humanities and Modern Culture and Media

Headshot of Tshay Williams shows her sitting in a living room space. Various pieces of art can be seen in the background though they are blurry. The focus is on Williams, who is turning her head to look directly at the camera. She wears a white tank top with a deep V neckline and golden hoop earrings. Her hair is in long braids that fall down her back.
She/Her

Tshay Williams

Lab Producer

A photograph shows a portrait of Twiggy Pucci Garçon.
She/Her/They/Them

Twiggy Pucci Garçon

Director

A photograph shows a portrait of Twiggy Pucci Garçon.
She/Her/They/Them

Twiggy Pucci Garçon

Chief Program Officer | Co-Founder and Producer

Tzutzu Matzin headshot
She/her

Tzutzu Matzin

Cineteca Nacional de México

A photograph shows a portrait of Vashni Korin.
She/Her

Vashni Korin

Director

A photograph shows a black and white portrait of Wally Fall standing outside.
He/Him

Wally Fall

Director

A selfie of Yasmine Carruthers wearing a casual pink top, and gold jewelry. She has long black hair with curls that reach past her shoulders.
she/her

Yasmine Carruthers

Party Producer

Yolo Akili

Executive Director and Founder

FAQ

BlackStar is a leader in a global movement recognizing media arts and visual culture as a vital component in rectifying historical imbalances and creating a more equitable world.

William and Louise Greaves Filmmaker Seminar: A three-day seminar for Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists working in cinematic realms

  • Deadlines
  • January 21, 2021 – Application Opens
  • January 31, 2021 – Applications Close
  • February 10, 2021 – Notification Date
Applications openView the 2021 Seminar program

The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM) and BlackStar are proud to present Revival!, an audio-visual meditation celebrating the visual and sonic culture of shared Black spiritual experience.

  • Featuring an audio-visual mix by filmmaker and artist Rashid Zakat, this installation is an attempt to reimagine and practice what collective joy and resilience look like in times of crisis. Subtly drawing upon José Esteban Muñoz’s notion of ecstasy as “an invitation, a call to a then-and-there, a not-yet-here… a collective potentiality,”
  • Revival! treats ecstasy not only as a corrective balm to injury but a world-making claim to the right of life, imagination, and joyful expression, an especially critical response to our current moment.

Based on the success of the day-long filmmakers’ symposium at the annual BlackStar Film Festival (that has included 100 filmmakers of color annually), BlackStar is proud to present the William and Louise Greaves Filmmaker Seminar, a three-day gathering for Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists working in cinematic realms. Participants will explore the technical and creative aspects of media-making, while having honest conversations about the successes and pitfalls of their work.

  • The Seminar is named after visionary filmmakers William and Louise Greaves, who together co-produced landmark documentaries such as Symbiopsychotaxiplasm and Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey. Read more about the importance of William’s decades-long career, which included over 200 documentary films, here.Symbiopsychotaxiplasm and Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey. Read more about the importance of William’s decades-long career, which included over 200 documentary films, here.

The Seminar is free to attend, thanks to support from Cinereach, but interested attendees must fill out an application.

Netflix logo in redWarnerMedia logo in blackITVS logo in blackPhiladelphia Latino Film Festival logo in black

The BlackStar Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab is a partnership with Comcast with additional support from Wyncote Foundation, All Ages Productions, Kickstarter, and Vimeo.

BlackStar Live! Co-hosted by BlackStar’s founder, curator and filmmaker Maori Karmael Holmes and DJ and filmmaker-artist Rashid Zakat — this is a talk show unlike any other.

Seen is a journal of film and visual culture focused on Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities globally, published by BlackStar Projects twice each calendar year.

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