Many Lumens — A Podcast by BlackStar | BlackStar Film Festival

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BlackStar founder Maori Karmael Holmes chats with the most groundbreaking artists, change makers, and cultural workers in the game — finding meaning in the intersections of art, social change, and popular culture.

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INTRODUCTION

Maori Karmael Holmes

Learn more about Maori, the host of Many Lumens, and the inspiration behind the podcast, in this short conversation with journalist Dyana Williams.

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EPISODE 1

dream hampton

Writer and filmmaker dream hampton, on the intimate dimensions, costs and rewards of being committed to a Black radical politics.

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EPISODE 2

Janicza Bravo

Zola director Janicza Bravo, on friendship, her creative process, and the importance of choosing your battles.

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Episode 3

Jason Reynolds

Writer and poet Jason Reynolds posits literature as a form of radical worldmaking.

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EPISODE 4

Arthur Jafa

Filmmaker and artist Arthur Jafa orients us towards the notion of “trouble consciousness.”

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EPISODE 5

Blitz Bazawule

Blitz Bazawule, the musician, filmmaker, writer and painter, on the multi-dimensional power of film as a tool for Afro diasporic storytelling.

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By Indie Means Necessary

BlackStar Projects, home of the annual BlackStar Film Festival, celebrates and provides platforms for visionary Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists.

Twitter

@BlackStarFest - 14 hours

We just posted some more photos from last month's 10th annual BlackStar Film Festival: https://t.co/Y0Ap511Zvv 📸… https://t.co/8mv7vk4xJa

@BlackStarFest - 4 days

Now on @Watch_Argo, a curated playlist of short films that have screened at BlackStar Film Festival over the years.… https://t.co/zIKMqyynLk

Instagram

More photos from the 10th annual BlackStar Film Fe

More photos from the 10th annual BlackStar Film Festival! Check out the full album on our Facebook page, at the link in bio.⁠⁠
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And for even more 10th festival content, subscribe to our YouTube channel — youtube.com/blackstarprojects — where we're posting all panels and conversations from@the August event (plus a special festival video next week).⁠⁠
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Sending you all good vibes for the weekend!⁠⁠
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#BlackStar10 #byindiemeansnecessary #BSFF21 ⁠⁠
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All photos taken by Daniel Jackson (@embassy730) and Terrell Halsey (@terrellhalseyart). Image descriptions available in the alt text.

We collaborated with @watch.argo to curate a playl

We collaborated with @watch.argo to curate a playlist of short films which have previously screened at BlackStar Film Festival! You can watch all these shorts today by signing up for a free trial of Argo (link in bio), a social streaming platform that focuses on shorts and seeks to support filmmakers. ⁠⁠
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The BlackStar Film Festival playlist includes:⁠⁠
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We Can't Cop Cars Without ⁠⁠Seeing Cop Cars ⁠⁠
dir. by Fahamu Pecou ⁠⁠
@fahamupecou⁠⁠
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Braiding and Singing (a point) ⁠⁠
dir. by Rashida Bumbray⁠⁠
@sunrara⁠⁠
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DVD & Chill ⁠⁠
dir. by Johnny Ray Gill⁠⁠
@johnnyraygill⁠⁠
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Midnight Oil ⁠⁠
dir. by Bilal Motley⁠⁠
@bilalmotley⁠⁠
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A Song About Love ⁠⁠
dir. by Rikkí Wright⁠⁠
@rikkwright⁠⁠
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By Way of Canarsie⁠⁠
dir. by Emily Packer & Lesley Steele⁠⁠
@marginalgapgirl @quiet.conqueror⁠⁠
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In Hot Time ⁠⁠
dir. by Leah Solomon & Jesus Hilario-Reyes⁠⁠
@kahsai_ @morenxx_x⁠⁠
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Learn more at watchargo.com.

#BlackStar10 #byindiemeansnecessary

"For [Felicia D.] Henderson, working on Family Mat

"For [Felicia D.] Henderson, working on Family Matters offered an introduction to a defining feature of her long career in Hollywood. Negotiated authenticity is the phrase she uses to describe what many Black screenwriters are tasked with producing—Blackness, sure, but only of a kind that is acceptable to white showrunners, studio executives, and viewers." Hannah Giorgis (@hannahgiorgis) in a recent article for @theatlantic on the history of Blackness in television production.⁠⁠
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You can read/listen to the full article at the link in our bio.⁠⁠
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[Image Description: The first image is an illustration from Danielle Del Plato which features a towering stack of vintage televisions. On the screens, stills from popular Black television shows can be seen, creating a collage. The second image is a graphic displaying the title of Giorgis' article "Most Hollywood Writer's Rooms Look Nothing Like America: Could that finally be changing?" The last graphic shows a quote from Hannah Giorgis, as written above.]

Our 10th Anniversary Print Sale Continues with a n

Our 10th Anniversary Print Sale Continues with a new limited edition print from interdisciplinary artist and scholar Dr. Fahamu Pecou! @fahamupecou’s work (#BSFF13, #BSFF17, #BSFF20) combines observations on hip-hop, fine art, and popular culture, while addressing concerns around contemporary representations of Black masculinity. He was most recently at BlackStar Film Festival in 2020 with the short film "We Can't Cop Cars Without Seeing Cop Cars."⁠⁠
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His contribution to the print sale is titled "While Seed." There are only 30 prints available.⁠⁠
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Check out the link in our bio to learn more!
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Fahamu Pecou⁠⁠
While Seed⁠⁠
2020⁠⁠
8.5 x 11 in.⁠⁠
Pigment print⁠⁠
Edition of 30⁠⁠

#BlackStar10
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[Image Descriptions: The first image is of the piece "While Seed" by Dr. Fahamu Pecou. It depicts two Black people dressed in loose clothing. One sits on the ground and wraps an arm around their leg. The second figure, who seems shirtless, leans on the back of the first whilst turning their head to look at something in the distance. The next image features the same art with the title and artist's name included. The third is a graphic advertising BlackStar's 10th Anniversary Print Sale.]

"Seeing this archive and working on this and still

"Seeing this archive and working on this and still, you know, discovering films, I just know that there are just so many radical ideas and expressions of Blackness in Black cinema's past that can really help shape Black cinema's future." - Maya Cade (@sooulamazing) in an @npr interview on the creation and importance of the recently launched Black Film Archive. ⁠⁠
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@theblackfilmarchive showcases Black films made from 1915 to 1979 that are currently streaming.⁠⁠
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Read/listen to the full interview at the link in our bio and visit the archive itself at blackfilmarchive.com.
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[First image is a still from Dry Wood, a 1973 documentary short directed by Les Blank with Maureen Gosling. It shows a Black person in a teal shirt and thick-framed glasses playing a violin. The BFA noted that it is currently available to watch via Criterion Channel.]

Such a heartbreaking and tremendous loss... ⁠
⁠Here is Michael K. Williams speaking on stage at the 2014 BlackStar Film Festival in Philadelphia, with @rashidzakat. ⁠
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Rest in peace. 🙏🏾 🖤 ⁠
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Photo by @primarilydave⁠

If you're still reflecting on last month's festiva

If you're still reflecting on last month's festival (we definitely are!) check out Issue 002 of @seen_journal, where a number of films and panelists from #BSFF21 are also featured! Here are just a few examples: ⁠⁠
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"The importance of who sits behind the camera—who gets to edit, frame, and share a piece of media— is a fact that the film itself reminds us of repeatedly." — @imransiddiquee reviews WRITING WITH FIRE from directors @rintuthomas and @mentalsyrup⁠. @writingwithfire.film won Best Feature Documentary at this year's festival.⁠⁠
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"Indeed, perpetual alienation from land has defined Blackness in the Americas." - @cacata_fea in their review of @liboriofilm. In addition to screening LIBORIO at the festival, director @ninomartinezsosa appeared on the "Caribbean Film and Relational Poetics" panel (along with Issue 002 guest editor, @dahsawn).⁠⁠
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@jlin_p, who you may have seen on the Composer's Roundtable panel during the festival, contributed a one-of-a-kind annotated score to this issue. This is only available in the print edition!⁠⁠
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Read the above reviews and more on the #SeenJournal site, where you can also buy the physical copy. Link in our bio!⁠⁠
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All panels and conversations are available to re-watch via our Facebook page as well.⁠

#BlackStar10
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[Image Descriptions: The first image is a still from the film "Writing With Fire" and shows three people sitting and looking at something off-screen. One person holds up a video camera to record a video. The second image is a quote from Imran Siddiquee, as written above. The third image is a still from the film Liborio that shows a line of people walking in a mountainous region. They all wear hats or head coverings and gaze at something off-screen. The fourth image is a quote from Dixa Ramirez D’Oleo written out above. The fifth image is a photo by David Evan McDowell showing a spread from Seen, open to Jlin's annotated score for Tower.]

Are you thinking of applying to BlackStar's *new*

Are you thinking of applying to BlackStar's *new* Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab? Join us this Friday, September 3, for an info session to learn more about the application process and program!⁠⁠
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🕐 Info Session | Friday, Sept 3 | 1 PM ET
📝 Register via the link in bio or at blackstarfest.org/lab⁠⁠
🗓 Applications are due September 13⁠⁠
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BlackStar is proud to present the inaugural Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab, uplifting emerging and mid-career Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists in the Greater Philadelphia area. The Lab will support four filmmakers by making equipment, space, crew, mentorship, funding and critical feedback available over the course of a 12-month program. BlackStar will act as an executive producer on the short films created and premiere them at the 2022 BlackStar Film Festival. The Lab is a partnership with Comcast with additional support from All Ages Productions, Independence Public Media Foundation, Kickstarter, Vimeo, and Wyncote Foundation.⁠⁠
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#PhillyFilmmakerLab #byindiemeansnecessary ⁠⁠
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[Image Descriptions: Two-card carousel advertises BlackStar's Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab Info Session on Sept 3, and the subsequent deadline for lab applications, which is Sept 13. Both cards feature the headline text accompanied by a multi-colored gradient circle, all against light gray. The second card also highlights the Comcast and "Black Experience on Xfinity" logos.]

We're excited to continue our 10th Anniversary Pri

We're excited to continue our 10th Anniversary Print Sale with a new limited edition print from festival alumnus @andreapippins (BSFF13, BSFF14, BSFF15, BSFF16, BSFF17, BSFF18, BSFF19)! An incredibly skilled graphic designer, Andrea Pippins has worked on illustration and graphic design projects for ESPN, Instagram, Malala Fund, National Museum of African American History and Culture, and many more. Pippins' work centers on her mission of empowering women and girls through creative expression.⁠⁠
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Her contribution to our print sale is titled "Coiffuture: Shine," and is a limited edition; only 30 will be available for purchase. Head to the link in our bio to learn more and purchase your print!⁠⁠
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#BSFF21 #BlackStar10 #ByIndieMeansNecessary⁠⁠
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[Image Description: The first image shows the print "Coiffuture: Shine" by Andrea Pippins. It is an illustration of a person with several halo-like rings above their head. An antenna can be seen at the top of this multi-layered halo. The second image is an announcement for the BlackStar 10th Anniversary Print Sale.]

2020 Festival Re-cap

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