BlackStarProjectsReleases

Full Scheduleof Programsfor 2024

Film Festival

The Festival’s 13th edition, taking place August 1- 4, will present  a mix of in-person and virtual screenings, panels and parties.

For press inquiries, please reach out to the team at ALMA.

BlackStar Projects, the premier organization celebrating
visionary Black, Brown and Indigenous film and media artists,
is thrilled to release the full schedule of programs, jury andaward nominees for the 2024 BlackStar Film Festival. 

This year’s festival will take place from August 1-4, 2024 atthe Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, with additional
screenings, parties and events at various venues in Center
City Philadelphia, marking the 13th annual celebration of thevisual and storytelling traditions of Black, Brown and Indigenous
people from around the world. The 2024 festival is presented
with major support from the Open Society Foundations andBlack Experience on Xfinity.

Beyond film, the festival is an annual celebration of BlackStar’scommunity of artists and a one-of-a-kind gathering of diverse
audiences centered on connection, discussion and learning.
Almost every film screened during the 2024 festival will befollowed by a Q&A, inviting the audience to participate in thedialogue. On The Daily Jawn Stage, presented by NEON,
panels featuring industry experts – including Black on The
Internet with Chica Andrade, Jazmin Jones, Kimberly Drewand Neema Githere Siphon as moderated by Sarah Jackson;
Laugh to Keep from Crying with Felicia Pride, ishkwaazhe
Shane McSauby and Rocheé Jeffrey as moderated by BashirSalahuddin; and A Litany for Survival: The Life and Work ofAudre Lorde Co-presented by Black Feminist Film School,with Ada Gay Griffin, JT Takagi and Michelle Parkerson, as
moderated by Alexis Pauline Gumbs – will be held throughout
the festival, challenging attendees to consider new
perspectives as they engage with the work. 

“With this year’s programming we not only create space formeaningful consideration of the festival’s remarkable films,
but highlight this work in conversation with broader culture,
our shared histories and the ongoing issues faced by ourcommunities globally,” said founder and Chief Executiveand Artistic Officer, Maori Karmael Holmes.

In addition to feature films, attendees will enjoy curated
programs of short films aligned across different themesincluding comedy, fantasy, climate change and resistance;
and the BlackStar Pitch, presented in partnership withBlackbird, in which six finalists will present their non-fiction
projects to a panel of judges in a live competition for an
opportunity to win $75,000 in production funds, with thewinner to be announced at festival’s close.

BlackStar’s jury, listed in full below, will consider nominees
for Best Experimental Film, Best Feature Documentary,
Best Feature Narrative, Best Short Documentary and Best
Short Narrative.

BlackStar will also host a mix of parties and community eventsthroughout the weekend including the opening night party at
World Cafe Live co-presented by Andscape; First Friday at
the Barnes Foundation, featuring an evening of cocktails andmusic by Wayna, co-presented by SoHo House; a Filmmaker
Mixer co-presented by American Documentary/POV, Black
Public Media, ITVS and WORLD; and this year’s closing night
party at STAR|Bolt.

“The films, panels and other programs we’ve curated this year
are urgent, thrilling and necessary,” said Festival Director
Nehad Khader. “I look forward to welcoming all of our brilliant
filmmakers, panelists and other guests from around the world
to Philadelphia for an enriching, expansive celebration.”

All individual program tickets and festival passes areavailable here.

FULL SCHEDULE 
OF PROGRAMS(ALL EST)

Left to Right: Dreams in Nightmares, dir. Shatara Michelle Ford, Life is Beautiful, dir. Mohamed Jabaly, JDallas, 2019, dir. Darius Clark Monroe, The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire, dir. Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich

MA OR
SPOTL GHTS
(Dreams in Nightmares w/ Q&A(

Life is Beautiful w/ Q&A(Dallas, 2019 w/ Q&AI)))(h)sOn Critics and Criticism Co-presented by  dBlack on the Internet Co-presented by'Firelight Media s Beyond Resilience series

Yoga

Duty of Carrs@ 4pm

Barnes Foundation

Thursday, August 1@ 2:30pm

The Daily Jawn Stage, Kimmel Centerrge

Media-Making in Time of GenocideSpotlight Conversation: A Litany for Survival:**Pass Required**Friday, August 2@ 2:30pm

The Daily Jawn Stage, Kimmel Center

Friday, August 2@ 5:30pm

The Daily Jawn Stage, Kimmel Center@ 9am

Sunday, August 4 @ 9am

Laugh to Keep from Cryin

Perelman Theater, Kimmel Cente

Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center

Saturday, August 3

Black Star Bazaar

nts & Panels
Wednesday, July 31

presented by Color Congres

Perelman Theater, Kimmel Cente

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art@ 8pm

Sunday, August 4

Engines for a New American Narrative Co-

Critical Minde@ 1:30pm

Saturday, August 3

The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire w/ Q&A

BlackStar Pitc

@ 5pm

Friday, August 2Eve

@ 7pm

Thursday, August 1

Kimmel Centerr

Saturday, August 3@ 11amKimmel Cente

Saturday, August 3@ 2:30pm

The Daily Jawn Stage, Kimmel Center

Saturday, August 3@ 5:30pmThe Daily Jawn Stage, Kimmel CenterrSunday, August 4@ 2:30pm

The Daily Jawn Stage, Kimmel CenteSunday, August 4@ 5:30pm

The Daily Jawn Stage, Kimmel Center

The Life and Work of Audre Lorde  
Co-Presented by Black Feminist Film SchoolIN IN

FEATURE F LM
SCREE
GS
O,Now

G (rMyThursday, August 1@ 11:30am

Suzanne Roberts Theatr

Thursday, August 1@ 12:30pm

Perelman Theater, Kimmel CenteThursday, August 1@ 2:30pm

Suzanne Roberts Theatr

Thursday, August 1@ 3:30pm

Perelman Theater, Kimmel CenteThursday, August 1@ 4:30pm

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Artirls w/ Q&AThursday, August 1@ 5:30pm

Suzanne Roberts Theatr

Tree w/ Q&A

Friday, August 2@ 10:30am

Perelman Theater, Kimmel Cente

Friday, August 2@ 11:30am

Suzanne Roberts Theatr

Friday, August 2@ 1:30pm

Perelman Theater, Kimmel Cente

Friday, August 2@ 3pm

Suzanne Roberts Theatr

Friday, August 2@ 5pm

Perelman Theater, Kimmel Cente

Friday, August 2@ 5pm

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art

Friday, August 2@ 8pm

Perelman Theater, Kimmel Cente

thelo Thereat w/ Q&A

here NeaQ-ETheueen ofDis

ase w/ Q&Ab)(Dreams w/ Q&A()() arrunto w/ Q&A

ck G ()F y ()

w c Ob v nk Mv c (Ab vsOO F(BlaamilTi e into)li io

See inga is Bea on w/ Q&AStanding)o e the Cloudur Landurreedom w/ Q&A(

Life is Beautiful w/ Q&A)

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Rpt

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fter the Long

ising uains w/ Q&A

at Nighou Don tam ara e tooome But w/ Q&A

ierettererererer

Saturday, August 3@ 10:30am

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art

Saturday, August 3@ 11amPerelman Theater, Kimmel Cente

Saturday, August 3@ 12pmSuzanne Roberts Theatre

Saturday, August 3@ 1:30pm

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art

Bring Themome w/ Q&A

Saturday, August 3@ 2pm

Perelman Theater, Kimmel Cente

Saturday, August 3@ 2:30pm

Suzanne Roberts Theatr

Saturday, August 3@ 5pm

Perelman Theater, Kimmel Centeothernart w/ Q&Ainon

theddscreening with the short

Do Not Come Toou B

neut

Saturday, August 3

Chan e w/ Q&A

Saturday, August 3@ 6pm

raSuzanne Roberts Theatr@ 9pm

Suzanne Roberts Theatreree

Sunday, August 4@ 10amPennsylvania Academy of Fine Art

The NeSunday, August 4@ 12:30pm

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art

Sunday, August 4@ 2pm

Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center

The Stri e w Q&ASunday, August 4@ 5pmPerelman Theater, Kimmel CentertSunday, August 4

Lost Letter

Litanfor Sur i al w/ Q&A

asll a Dream w Q&A@ 6pmsrB e B e Ti eria

an screening with the shortsr

w/ Q&Aole w/ Q&Asr

DallasSongs from thesss

Suzanne Roberts Theatre

ShortsPrograms(Statism w/ Q&A)

(Envisages w/ Q&A(Extant w/ Q&A@ 1:30pm

Thursday, August 1))(Extrasensory w/ Q&A)()s

Friday, August 2@ 11amPennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts

Friday, August 2@ 2pm

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts@ 6pm

Friday, August 2

Anthropogenic w/ Q&A

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art

Suzanne Roberts TheatreFriday, August 2@ 8:30pm

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art@ 9pm

Suzanne Roberts Theate()

Friday, August 2()

Saturday, August 3@ 5:30pm

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art

Discompose w/ Q&A

Indomitable w/ Q&Ar()

Saturday, August 3@ 8pm

Perelman Theater, Kimmel Cente()

Saturday, August 3@ 8:30pm

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art

Embodied w/ Q&A

Propitiate w/ Q&A(Anima w/ Q&A()

Spillikin w/ Q&A)

(Concatenate w/ Q&A(Bilocation w/ Q&A))

I@ 11am

Perelman Theater, Kimmel Cente

Sunday, August 4@ 3pm

Suzanne Roberts Theatr

Sunday, August 4@ 3:30pm

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art@ 6:30pm

yeFirst Friday w/ WaynaFilmmaker Mixer Happy Hour

Sunday, August 4

Barnes Foundatio@ 7pm

The Waywar@ 9:30pm

STAR|Bolt

Saturday August 3

Closing Night Party

World Cafe Live @ 6pm

Friday, August 2ndBlackStaruried A ards
Categoriesomi eesJ&NCategory:Best Feature DocumentarwnNomineesAMyotherJurors:

art  dir. Laurie TownshenSongsFHrom thew c I Ob v
i e ntoddir. Pierre Michel Jea

Best Short Documentar

Ar

Ursula Liangn,I RhAc v :Qe

P pFynW MtWI v?
e

W ’ M k I A yO W yynd Stillnemains  Nell Augusti

dir. Arwa Aburawa and Turab Sha

Reveca TorreThetd

Tracy Rectosli ion   Asad Muhammaole  dir. Contessa GayleT  :Apr hi eZaina Bseisoueer Nigerians  sdir. Simisolaoluwa AkandTheeo le Couldl   dir. Imani Denniso
So That Tonight

eight See  

dir. Bea Hesselbar

hat Channel s Lo e   

dir. Michael Dontouldn tAenZhou

dir. HaoBest Feature Narrativ

a e t

R

fter the Long

thera   eains  

dir. Damien Hause

Aseye Tamaklore

The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire  M b P
am arierrette  dir. Rosine Mbaka

Best Short Narrativ

eater

dir. Mohamed Echkoun
la altaAbm’

Stone s Throw dir. Razan AlSalaarrunto dir. Emilia Beatri
BisagrastDagmawi WoubshenGuetty FelieLynnée Denisaffe t

dir. Rochée JeffreBest Experimental FilhWP pw
E yF c E c  TheTayarisha Pom dir. Joanne Mony Park

Boat eo le dir. Al'Ikens Plancher

The Da n dir. Alicia Mendy

nmit Djinn 

Bloomed in thes 

Jason Reynold

dir. Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlic yé

Awa Konathe

Darol Olu Ka
David Harttz

í sT oefusals ( ouldeursel es Un ro en?) dir. Luis Arn aw RO v

W W Rcb ke ognize

dir. Suneil SanzgiriCenter for Cultural Power Climate Justice Awar

Additional Awards

Philadelphia Filmmaker Awardd(Shine Award for First-Time Filmmakers Voted by BlackStar Members)

Major support for the festival is provided by the Open Society
Foundations and Black Experience on Xfinity. Black Experienceon Xfinity is a first-of-its-kind destination that provides Blackentertainment, movies, TV shows, news and more. Available
at home on Xfinity X1 and Flex and on-the-go with the Xfinity
Stream app, Black Experience on Xfinity features originaland high-quality content from Comcast NBC

Universal andother major studios, in addition to content from many of
Xfinity’s existing network partners, at no additional cost toXfinity customers.

Additional support for the festival provided by:AmericanDocumentary/POV, American Friends ServiceCommittee, Andscape, Annenberg School for Communication
atUniversity of Pennsylvania, Black Public Media, The Centerfor Cultural Power, Color Congress, Creative Artists Agency,
Critical Minded, Documentary.org, Drexel

University Westphal

College of Media Arts & Design, Eventive, Firelight Media, The
Gotham Film & Media Institute, International Documentary
Association, Impact Partners, Indego, ITVS, Kashif, NEON,NeueHouse, Peace Is Loud, PECO, Pennsylvania Academyof Fine Arts, Pennsylvania Department of Community &Economic Development, Philadelphia Foundation, Philadelphia
Museum of Art, Points North Institute, PNC Arts Alive, Runway,Soho House, StoryCorps, Temple
Film and Media Arts,

University School of Theater,

University of Pennsylvania Departmentof Cinema & Media Studies, Visit Philadelphia, Win Win
Coffee, WH

YY, WORLD and WURD. 

BlackStar Projects and its year-round programs aregenerously supported by Critical Minded, Ford Foundation,
Hewlett Foundation, Independence Public Media Foundation,MacArthur Foundation, McLean Contributionship, MellonFoundation, Nathan Cummings Foundation, NationalEndowment for the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts,
Perspective Fund, The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage,'Philadelphia s Cultural Treasures, Pop Culture Collaborative,Ruth Foundation for the Arts, Samuel S. Fels Fund, Surdna
Foundation, Wallace Foundation, William Penn Foundationand Wyncote Foundation, in addition to its board of directors,community partners and a host of generous individual donors
and organizations.

For more information on the festival, visit  
https://www.blackstarfest.org/festival. 

ABOUTBLAC STAPRO ECTSJKRBlackStar Projects, founded in 2012 by Maori Karmael Holmes
as BlackStar Film Festival, creates the spaces and resources
needed to uplift the work of Black, Brown and Indigenous artists
working outside the confines of genre. Beyond the annual film
festival the organization produces year-round programs, including
film screenings, exhibitions, a filmmaker seminar, a film
production lab and a journal of film, art and visual culture. 

This August marks the 13th annual BlackStar Film Festival,  a four-day event, featuring selections of experimental films,
imaginative narrative works and groundbreaking documentaries
hosted across multiple venues in the center of Philadelphia.
From August 1-4, the festival will feature artist panels, parties
and numerous opportunities for filmmakers and film enthusiasts
to engage with a wide network of groundbreaking artists of the.

global majority

ALMACOMMUNII NS.COCAT O

W US @ALMACOMMUNICATIONSFOLLOsPennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts

@ 9:30pm

Thursday, August 1sr

PART ES
Opening Night Partsr

Sunday, August 4

Sunday, August 4s