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Seen is a journal of film, art, and visual culture, dedicated to platforming nuanced and rigorous writing by and about Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities globally.

 

We are published in print twice per year by BlackStar Projects, home of the annual BlackStar Film Festival.



Staff

  • Heidi Saman Editor-in-Chief

  • Raquel Hazell Art Director

  • Akili Z. Davis Associate Editor

  • Camille Acker Reviews & Features Editor

  • Kavita Rajanna Essays Editor

  • Yasmine Espert Interviews & Profiles Editor

  • Shauna Swartz Copyeditor

  • Maori Karmael Holmes Founding Editor

  • Maori Karmael Holmes Publisher


BlackStar Projects Staff

  • Akili Z. Davis Operations Manager

  • Akua Maat Operations Manager

  • Autumn Faith Valdez Business Director

  • Catherine Lee Chief Operations Officer

  • Heidi Saman Program Director

  • Imran Siddiquee Chief Communications Officer

  • Jess Garz Development Consultant

  • Lendl Tellington Technical Producer

  • Leo Brooks Creative Director

  • Maori Karmael Holmes Chief Executive & Artistic Officer

  • Mariam Dembele Marketing Manager

  • Nehad Khader Festival Director

  • Nyla Daniel Program Manager

  • Pablo Alarcon Jr. Design Manager

  • Ritikaa Sudheer Seen Fellow

  • Sydney Alicia Rodriguez Program Manager

  • Terri Hall Engagement & Partnerships Director

  • Xenia Matthews Communications Coordinator

  • Zendra Shareef Administrative Coordinator

Advisory Board

  • Adam Piron Sundance Institute, COUSIN

  • Akiba Solomon

  • Gina Duncan

  • Greg Tate In Memoriam

  • Jeff Chang Race Forward

  • Louis Massiah Scribe Video Center

  • Negar Azimi Bidoun

  • Roya Rastegar American Cinematheque

  • Sally Singer


Interested in Writing for Us?

Pitch Guidelines

Contact: [email protected]

We’re always looking for new opportunities to work with Black, Brown, and Indigenous writers who are thinking critically about film, art, and visual culture. Please reach out to [email protected] with “Pitch” in the subject line and allow up to two weeks for our response.

 


Contributors & Guest Editors

Issue 009

Fall 2025

  • Out Soon

Featuring

Featuring Akili Z. Davis, André Holland, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Bedatri Datta Choudhury, Clifford Prince King, Darol Olu Kae, Day Brièrre, Eman Mohammed, Erin Christovale, janera solomon, Jenny Yang, Kambole Campbell, Malick Welli, Martika Avalon, Maya S. Cade, Mehret Mandefro, Murtada Elfadl, Nicole G. Young, Raina Lampkins-Fielder, Raquel Hazell, Rashida Bumbray, Sanford Biggers, Sophie Douala, Yance Ford.

Issue 008

Spring 2025

  • Out Now

Featuring

Guest Edited by Sky Hopinka. Featuring Adebunmi Gbadebo, Aisha Harris, Akili Z. Davis, Beandrea July, David McDowell, Fox Maxy, Majid Bita, Imran Siddiquee, Meghana Kandlur, Murtada Elfadl, Nadine Fattaleh, Najha Zigbi-Johnson, Pola Maneli, Yasmine El Rashidi

Issue 007

Fall/Winter 2024

  • Out Now

Featuring

Guest Edited by Ja’Tovia Gary. Featuring Amanda Whitehurst, Amarie Gipson, Andy Jackson, Anisia Uzeyman, Bridgett M. Davis, Charisse Weston, Hanna Phifer, Heidi Saman, Hugh Hayden, J Wortham, Ja’Tovia Gary, Jasmin Hernandez, Jomo Fray, Joy James, Kaitlyn Greenidge, Kelli Weston, LaMonda H. Stallings, Louis Massiah, Meghana Kandlur, Naima Green, Pearl Bowser, Raquel Hazell, Robert Pruitt, Roche Cruchon, Shannon Baker Davis, Terilyn Shropshire, Yasmine El Rashidi, Zoë Greggs.

Issue 006

Fall/Winter 2023

  • Out Now

Featuring

Featuring A. E. Hunt, Abigail Lucien, Brandon Thomas Brown, Camille Bacon, Charles Gaines, Clarkisha Kent, Colman Domingo, Danielle Deadwyler, Danielle A. Jackson, Dessane Lopez Cassell, Farrah Rahaman, Fatima Jamal, Flordalis Espinal, Ifeanyi Awachie, Isabelia Herrera, Ja’Tovia Gary, James Ijames, Jasmin Hernandez, Jenée-Daria Strand, Jesús Hilario-Reyes, José Ibarra Rizo, June Givanni, Kambole Campbell, Kelli Weston, Lily Gladstone, Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich, Raquel Hazell, Simran Hans, Tre Johnson, Yasmina Price, Yume Murphy.

Issue 005

Winter 2023

  • The Dreams Issue Sold Out

Featuring

Featuring Anaïs Duplan, Aurella Yussuf, Beandrea July, Cauleen Smith, Clarkisha Kent, Deborah Anzinger, Dessane Lopez Cassell, Flordalis Espinal, Ifeanyi Awachie, Iris Torres-Gatherer, Isabel Ling, Jasmin Hernandez, Kambole Campbell, Kareem Reid, Kenny Rivero, Lakshmi Padmanabhan, Lizania Cruz, Lou Cornum, Rashida Bumbray, Rianna Jade Parker, Rohini Kejriwal, Widline Cadet, Xia Gordon.

Issue 004

Summer 2022

  • Out Now

Featuring

Guest Edited by Darol Olu Kae. Featuring Alia Swastika, Beandrea July, Bedatri Choudhury, bell hooks, Camae Ayewa, Darol Olu Kae, Deborah Thomas, Elizabeth Mendez-Berry, Jasmine Weber, Jeff Chang, Jenzia Burgos, Mahasen Nasser-Eldin, Poulomi Das, Sky Hopinka, Yume Murphy, Zeba Blay, Zoé Samudzi.

Issue 003

Fall 2021

  • Out Now

Featuring

Guest Edited by Darol Olu Kae. Featuring Abby Sun, Akinola Davies Jr, Amir George, Cassie da Costa, Jeff Chang, Jessica Lynne, Jonathan Ali, Kojo Abudu, Leila Weefur, Lynnée Denise, Nuotama Bodomo, Omar Berrada, Philana Payton, ruth gebreyesus, Samia Labidi, and Suzi Analogue.

Issue 002

Spring 2021

  • Out Now

Featuring

Guest Edited by Dessane Lopez Cassell. Featuring Astria Suparak, Beandrea July, Claire Tancons, D’Lo, Dixa Ramírez D’Oleo, Erin Christovale, Farrah Rahaman, Heitor Augusto, Imran Siddiquee, Janaína Oliveira, Jemma Desai, Jlin, Karas Lamb, Keisha Rae Witherspoon, Lakshmi Padmanabhan, Lendl Tellington, Luce Capco Lincoln, Maori Karmael Holmes, Meg Onli, Rachell Morillo, Razan Al-Salah, Terri Francis, Tzutzumatzin Soto.

Issue 001

Fall 2020

  • Out Now

Featuring

Edited by Maori Karmael Holmes. Featuring Amy Sherald, Bing Liu, Darol Olu Kae, Elizabeth Méndez Berry, Emir Lewis, Erin Christovale, Heidi Saman, Heitor Augusto, Imran Siddiquee, Jemma Desai, Jheanelle Brown, Jon-Sesrie Goff, Juliana Feliciano Reyes, Maori Karmael Holmes, Nam Lee, Nehad Khader, Niela Orr, Racquel Gates, Roni Nicole Henderson, Sonya Childress, Susy Zepeda, Suzanne Kite, Xavier Palisades.


Advertising

Ad Guidelines

Connect with our audience.

Seen‘s core audience includes filmmakers, artists, critics, scholars, and tastemakers. To advertise with us, please email [email protected] with “advertising” in the subject line. All ads are subject to approval by our Art Director.