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?
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
Fall 2025
- Out Soon
Featuring
André Holland, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Bedatri Datta Choudhury, Darol Olu Kae, Eman Mohammed, Erin Christovale, janera solomon, Jenny Yang, JT Takagi, Kambole Campbell, Malick Welli, Maya S. Cade, Mehret Mandefro, Murtada Elfadl, Nicole G. Young, Raina Lampkins-Fielder, Rashida Bumbray, Sanford Biggers, Yance Ford.
Spring 2025
- Sky Hopinka Guest Editor
Featuring
Adebunmi Gbadebo, Aisha Harris, Akili Z. Davis, Annemarie Jacir, Beandrea July, Fox Maxy, Heidi Saman, Imran Siddiquee, Marianne Jean-Baptise, Mati Diop, Meghana Kandlur, Murtada Elfadl, Nadine Fattaleh, Najha Zigbi-Johnson, Sky Hopinka, Yasmine El Rashidi.
Fall/Winter 2024
- Ja'Tovia Gary Guest Editor
Featuring
Amarie Gipson, Anisia Uzeyman, Bridgett M. Davis, Charisse Weston, Hanna Phifer, Hugh Hayden, J Wortham, Ja’Tovia Gary, Jasmin Hernandez, Jomo Fray, Joy James, Kaitlyn Greenidge, Kelli Weston, LaMonda H. Stallings, Louis Massiah, Meghana Kandlur, Robert Pruitt, Shannon Baker Davis, Terilyn Shropshire, Yasmine El Rashidi, Zoë Greggs.
Fall/Winter 2023
- Out Now
Featuring
Aaron Hunt, Abigail Lucien, Camille Bacon, Charles Gaines, Clarkisha Kent, Colman Domingo, Danielle A. Jackson, Danielle Deadwyler, Dessane Lopez Cassell, Farrah Rahaman, Fatima Jamal, Ifeanyi Awachie, Isabelia Herrera, James Ijames, Jasmin Hernandez, Jenée Strand, Kambole Campbell, Kelli Weston, Lily Gladstone, Marielle Ingram, Simran Hans, Tre Johnson, Yasmina Price, Yume Murphy
The Dreams Issue
- The Dreams Issue
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
Guest Staff
- Darol Olu Kae Guest Editor
- Caroline Washington Art Director
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
Guest Editor
- 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.
Guest Editor
- Dessane Lopez Cassell
Featuring
Astria Suparak, Beandrea July, Claire Tancons, D’Lo, Dessane Lopez Cassell, 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
Guest Editors
- Maori Karmael Holmes Editor-in-Chief
- Nehad Khader Managing Editor & Essays Section Editor
- Imran Siddiquee Reviews Section Editor
- Kavita Rajanna Interviews Section Editor
- Jelsen Lee Innocent Designer
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
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.