William and Louise Greaves Filmmaker Seminar
A seminar for Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists working in cinematic realms, hosted by BlackStar.
March 6-8, 2026 Palo Alto, CA
Curators, film programmers, filmmakers, and film scholars are invited to submit a proposal to present at the sixth William & Louise Greaves Filmmaker Seminar.
Selected proposals will become seminar sessions presented at Stanford University during the 2026 Greaves Seminar, scheduled for March 6-8. Travel, accommodation, and a small stipend will be provided, as well as additional program funding as approved for your session.
Submissions close September 29.
Proposal Info
BlackStar welcomes proposals from filmmakers, scholars, critics, and cultural workers interested in holding a workshop, presentation, or panel discussion that explores the technical and creative aspects of media-making. Our preference is to spotlight artists working in a variety of disciplines related to filmmaking including, but not limited to directing, writing, composing, production design, editing, accessibility, and more. We also welcome proposals offering a theoretical analysis of film as it relates to craft. Proposals with interactive and/or multimedia components are encouraged.
Examples of past programming can be found here.
Selection Process
The BlackStar Programs team will contact shortlisted applicants for an interview and may follow up with additional questions to better understand the scope of the proposal.
BlackStar Projects is committed to the principles of equal opportunity at every level without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital or familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity characteristics or expression, age, disability, or political affiliation.
For any questions, please contact [email protected].
The work of Bill Greaves has an undeniable out-flowering of the human spirit and an attempt to reflect the truth of a people.
– Jon-Sesrie Goff, “Speaking of Rivers,” Seen
Based on the success of the day-long filmmakers’ symposium at the annual BlackStar Film Festival, BlackStar is proud to present the William and Louise Greaves Filmmaker Seminar, a gathering for Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists working in cinematic realms. Participants will explore the technical and creative aspects of media-making, while having honest conversations about the successes and pitfalls of their work. Our environment considers the intersection of cinema and visual arts, and is exclusively designed for people of color to focus and not manage the added burden of representation.
The Seminar is named after visionary filmmakers William and Louise Greaves, who together co-produced landmark documentaries such as Symbiopsychotaxiplasm and Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey. Read more about the importance of William’s decades-long career, which included over 200 documentary films, here.
The sixth annual William and Louise Greaves Seminar, hosted in partnership with the Institute for Diversity in the Arts at Stanford University, will take place March 6-8 in Palo Alto, CA.
Further explore last year’s speakers, workshops, and other programming for a glimpse into what to expect.
