BlackStar Projects

Passes are officially on sale for our 15th annual BlackStar Film Festival! We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate this major milestone. Get yours (at our early bird rate) at the link in our bio. 🎉⁠ ⁠ We’ll be back on Broad Street in Philadelphia and online around the world from August 6-9.

Issue 010 of @seen_journal is now available for pre-order. This 10th edition celebrates the cinema that has changed us, the craft of timeless and genre-defying movies, and BlackStar’s evolution as an organization. It brings together thoughts from @anamibia , Beverly Wood, @fahamupecou , @cheryldunye , @meriembennani , and more. Pre-order a copy today at the link in our bio or visit seenjournal.org

Join us on Thursday, May 28 @barnesfoundation for our #Seen010 launch event! Get your tickets at the link in our bio. 🎟️ ⁠ ⁠ This special evening will feature a conversation about how the 10th issue of Seen came together from the editorial and design process with section editor @cam_acker and art director @l.brks , moderated by editor-in-chief @heidi_saman . ⁠ ⁠ Tickets include a copy of issue 010 for pick-up at the event, plus access to the Freedom Dreams exhibition co-curated by @maorikarmael (founder of BlackStar and Seen)! On view at the Barnes through August 9. ⁠ ⁠ This event is presented with support from @opensocietyfoundations . Subscribers and those have already pre-ordered #Seen010 receive free entry, you will receive a code via email.

Volunteer with us at the 15th annual BlackStar Film Festival! Get a behind-the-scenes look into festival operations, network with like-minded individuals, and have fun while supporting our work to champion filmmakers of color.✨⁠ ⁠ Apply by June 15 at the link in our bio or visit blackstarprojects.org/festival/volunteer. ⁠ ⁠ Volunteers will have the opportunity to meet and greet festival goers during guest check-in, assist in merchandising, partake in pre-festival prep, help with screening set up and break down, and/or provide special event support. Volunteers must be available to assist in-person. #BSFF26

We’re looking for someone to lead a new project that we have in the works!💥⁠ ⁠ This dedicated and organized individual will be responsible for managing our new cinema club, hosted in partnership with @cinespeak , @phillyaaff , and @phlatinfilmfest ! This role will manage scheduling, liaising between organizations, promoting events on social media, and more. ⁠ ⁠ Think you or someone you know fits the bill? Learn more and apply by May 12 at the link in the bio or visit blackstarfest.org/opportunities. Preference for Philadelphia-based applicants. ⁠ ⁠ Stay-tuned for more information about this exciting new project, a collaboration between BlackStar and our new home @villageofindustryandart (VIA)! ⁠

“We’re constantly reflecting upon and building the tools… to make cinema, to make art, to tell the truth beyond the systems that oppress us.” – Sahar Driver Take a look back at 2026 William and Louise Greaves Filmmaker Seminar hosted in partnership with @idastanford . Thank you to everyone who joined us from across the country. This gathering truly feels like solace in the midst of the crises around us. You can support work like this by becoming a BlackStar member. As part of our membership program, you will receive priority registration for the Greaves Seminar and BlackStar Film Festival, discounts on in-person and virtual events, and more. Learn more at blackstarfest.org/support Video by Xenia Matthews (@glassdick ).

Our team is buzzing awaiting the opening of Freedom Dreams on Sunday! This exhibition, co-curated by BlackStar Chief Executive & Artistic Officer @maorikarmael and Barnes VP for Engagement @jimmycreates , is a meditation on the memories, dreams, and histories of Black Americans. Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the United States, Freedom Dreams highlights the fluid boundary between past, present, and future. It brings together works by moving-image artists @anamibia , @david_hartt , Garrett Bradley, @j_______g_______ , and @tourmaliiine . Don’t miss the opening day curators’ conversation on April 12 at 1pm. The exhibition will be on view @barnesfoundation from April 12 – August 9. Learn more at the link in our bio.

As part of Confluence, a month-long environmental film festival, we will host a screening of Brittany Shyne’s SEEDS! Join us Thursday, April 16 at 5:30pm @acadnatsci , tickets at the link in our bio. 🌿⁠ ⁠ SEEDS is a portrait of centennial farmers in the American South. Using lyrical black-and-white imagery, this meditative film examines the decline of generational Black farmers and the significance of owning land. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with BlackStar Program Manager @syd.alicia .⁠ ⁠ The festival, hosted by the @acadnatsci in partnership with BlackStar Projects, @cinespeak , @phillyaaff and @phlatinfilmfest , is both a call to action and a loving reminder that we don’t have to simply react to the climate crisis; we can actively shape a more just and sustainable future. Check out the full festival program at the link in our bio.

As publisher of Seen (@seen_journal ), Maori Karmael Holmes (@maorikarmael ) spends less time writing about the arts than she does creating “thematic and sometimes spiritual pairings” for curatorial programs. Sitting with Paper Monday for an interview during the 2025 Art Papers Symposium, Maori shares that her approach to arts writing does not put critique at its center – she is more attuned toward listening to what artists have to say and connecting these conversations. This ethos is embedded in her work at BlackStar and its various programs across film, education and literature. With the film festival’s 15th anniversary on the horizon, Maori’s curatorial impact goes beyond the representational, investing in artists working against formal expectations and uplifting those bringing a level of rigor to their practice. Don’t miss her latest show, Freedom Dreams, opening at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia on April 12. Critical Minded is proud to be in community with trailblazing arts writers and cultural workers. We are honored to include Maori’s perspective in our visual arts writers portrait series, Not For Sale. Listen to the full interview and explore the rest of the series at the #linkinbio 👉🏾 @‌criticalminded_community #criticalminded #artswriter #atlanta #blackstar BSFF Women’sHistoryMonth

Meet a few of the folks behind team BlackStar! 🙇🏽‍♀️💗

A look back at our 6th William and Louise Greaves Filmmaker Seminar earlier this month! Thank you to everyone who joined us for this special three-day gathering. The weekend included workshops on topics ranging from sound poetics to impact producing to cinematic resistance in Iran. Plus, we were joined by film greats @michele_0608 for the keynote address, @chinakahodge for an artist talk, @kaosnetworkz for a special screening, and @anyanwu for a producer’s commentary. We appreciate everyone who participated and brought their energy into the space, as well as all of those behind-the-scenes who made this event possible. A special thank you to our incredible partners @idastanford . We hope you left feeling as inspired and renewed as we do. 💛 📸 Photos by @pablo.a and @maridembe . #ByIndieMeansNecessary

Heads up, film submissions for the 15th annual BlackStar Film Festival are closing in less than two weeks on April 1! ⁠ ⁠ This is your final chance to submit your short or feature-length films of any genre for consideration. Selected works will screen at our annual celebration of the visual and storytelling traditions of the global majority. This year’s events will take place August 6-9 in person in Philadelphia and online around the world. ⁠ ⁠ Filmmakers must identify as Black, Brown, or Indigenous and films must tell a story of Black, Brown, and Indigenous experiences. Learn more about the requirements and submit at the link in bio or visit blackstarfest.org/submit.⁠ ⁠ #CinemaForLiberation #BSFF26