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blackstarfest

@blackstarfest

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Home of @seen_journal and @manylumens. Passes + tickets now on sale to the 15th annual BlackStar Film Festival🎉
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Excited to have contributed to issue 11 of Seen which you can pre-order now. I wrote about two films that negotiate the contours of the post ww2 nation...guess which in comments? This issue features many wonderful essays, profiles & interviews & I encourage you to pre-order a copy today at blackstarprojects.org/seen 🌹
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Looking back on @blackstarfest 🌟 Photo credits: @embassy730 <3
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Issue 011 of @seen_journal is now available for pre-order! The word that embodies this issue is “grit.” It features a profile of actor and producer @mahershalaali, a poignant essay from documentary filmmaker @michele_0608 on what it means to create dangerously, a feature on the Palestinian American brothers behind @watermelonpictures, and so much more. I’ve created an illustration in this issue & as ever enjoy working with the super star team at SEEN. I’m Honored to be part of it. 💙 Pre-order a copy today at blackstarprojects.org/seen. Seen is a journal of film and visual culture, published by @blackstarfest. It features nuanced and rigorous writing by and about Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities globally. #Seen011
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Black Star program. Confluence April 2025.
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Black Star Foundation program. Confluence April 2024.
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We are Making Movies Today at @blackstarfest! ✨ ft. @alilesharonlarkin, @marsverrone, @stellastellaraerae, @sabaahfolayan, @lani_b_supreme, @lovetthines, @chiemekaoffor 🤝 🎥: @videodvdman
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INSANE full circle moments incoming ! thrilled to share that in exactly two weeks i’ll be back in iowa city for a very special multimedia installation 📺 WEALTH OF [&&&] NATION: an ampersandic revue of william greaves’ cinematic legacy in conjunction with the nationwide release of ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM (@onceuponatimeinharlem2026) &&& its upcoming feature at the 2026 edition of @refocusfilmfest, iowa city’s very own indie darling FILMSCENE (@icfilmscene) has invited me to put together a very special media bending • time warping portal melding together the AMPERS&ND universe &&& the creative constellation that is william greaves !!! WEALTH OF [&&&] NATION goes live on 10.23.26 (opening reception @ 3PM CDT for those at / around festival festivities) for faraway friends, fret not ! stay tuned for incoming announcements about some *very* special sonic transmissions on airwaves near u sooner than soon (!!!) what a rich october. [&&&] special thx to @icfilmscene @ps1_mac @afrofuturist.center for making this installation possible. flowers &&& gratitude infinitely to @williamgreavesproductions & the greaves’ family (especially ancestor bill &&& his brilliant steward @lianigreaves) for their generous spirits, sonorous cinema, & immaculate illumination of the source of it all ☉
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NEXT AfroAsiaBar event "Harvest Jawn" on Oct 29! Debut-ing original drinks with film screenings featuring local SE Asian and Black diasporic community farmers. RSVP@ https://tinyurl.com/AfroAsiaJawn
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Thank you @CNNStyle for spotlighting A Life in Art: Through the Eye of Dr. Leslie King-Hammond, which premiered at this year's @BlackStarFest. Co-directed by Rassann Hammond and Ben Baker-Lee, the documentary traces the life of Dr. Leslie King-Hammond, the pioneering art historian, curator and mentor who has shaped generations of artists. Born in the South Bronx in 1944, she dates her fascination with creativity to a childhood moment watching an ocularist blow a replacement eye from a lump of glass. "I never saw anything like that in my life," she recalls. That curiosity carried her from Johns Hopkins, where she earned her M.A. and Ph.D in art history, to a long tenure as dean of graduate studies at the Maryland Institute College of Art. A Life in Art: Through the Eye of Dr. Leslie King-Hammond premiered at the BlackStar Film Festival in Philadelphia. #ALMA #BlackStarFest
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Dear Friends – as many of you may have heard, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University closed its museum doors on Sunday, September 27th, after 198 years. I’m deeply saddened to share that last week marked my final days as Executive Director of Civic Engagement at the Academy. Since the announcement of the closure last month, the outpouring of support for this important institution and its people, in ways both large and small, has been deeply heartening and offered us all a timely reminder of the significance of our civic and cultural institutions. I feel immense gratitude and appreciation for everyone who has reached out, showed up, bought a ticket, attended a final program, penned letters of support, and stood up for what they believe in. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside incredible and inspiring colleagues, collaborators, and friends on shared projects, programs, community initiatives – exhibitions, climate resilience hubs, symposiums, film festivals, publications, block parties, talking circles, panel discussions, microfoests, parades, workshops, murals, and so much more. In partnership, we created work that resonated across Philadelphia and beyond and demonstrated what a natural science museum is & what it can truly be and do. I feel deeply honored and proud of all that we accomplished together. The images that follow offer just a little glimpse into the magic that unfolded and the incredible people I had the privilege of working with during my time at this amazing place. With only 20 images to choose from, this selection only begins to capture the wonderful people and the incredible, joyful projects we developed together over the past four years. As I embark on this next chapter, I’d be grateful to hear about any new opportunities or connections that emerge to continue this work via a new role, collaboration, or partnership. With a full heart, Ryan
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On behalf of the @blackstarfest board and staff, I am beyond pleased to announce the 2026 Luminary Gala honorees: @firelight_media, @johnsimmonsasc, @mahershalaali, and @marabrockakil. The Luminary Gala is our annual benefit celebrating the people who move culture forward and raising funding for our year-round work to build spaces for and by Black, Brown and Indigenous artists. Join us for this special evening on Friday, November 20 at The Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia. Get your tickets at the link in my bio or visit blackstarprojects.org/gala. Thank you to our 2026 Host Committee: Allison Acevedo State Representative Andre D. Carroll (@andredcarroll) Brandon Pankey (@brandon_pankey) Deesha Philyaw (@deeshaphilyaw) Dyana Williams (@dyanawilliams) Ernest Owens (@mrernestowens) Dr. Garikai Campbell Councilmember Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas4philly) James Claiborne (@jimmycreates) Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (@jamiegauthier215) Joe Hill Joslyn G. Ewart Julia Millan Shaw (@jukeyshaw) Katie Adams (@katieadamsschaeffer) Marcel Pratt Senator Nikil Saval (@nikilsaval) Reginald M. Browne Skai Reynolds (@skai.reynolds) Val Gay (@valgaysings) Senator Vincent Hughes (@senvincenthughes) Thank you to our 2026 BlackStar Luminary Gala sponsors: Open Society Foundations, Katie Adams Schaeffer, Blues Babe Foundation, The Ogilvie Family Foundation, Pillars Fund, PECO–an Exelon Company, and in-kind sponsor All Ages Productions
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We are thrilled to introduce Seen 011. The word that embodies this issue is “grit.” It features a profile of the actor and producer @mahershalaali, a poignant essay from documentary filmmaker @michele_0608 on what it means to create dangerously, a feature on the Palestinian American brothers behind @watermelonpictures, and so much more. ⁠ Pre-order your copy today at the link in our bio or visit blackstarprojects.org/seen! This issue will hit stands on October 27.
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