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William and Louise Greaves Filmmaker Seminar

Two people speak in front of a large audience, a film screen behind them showing a still image of a number of Black people in white dress.

A seminar for Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists working in cinematic realms, hosted by BlackStar.

Event Dates March 16-18, 2023 

 

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 (that has included 100 filmmakers of color annually), 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 first and second Seminar were held virtually in 2021 and 2022. BlackStar will be hosting the 2023 Seminar in-person in Philadelphia.

 


2023 Seminar

Registration is CLOSED for the 2023 Filmmaker Seminar, taking place in-person in Philadelphia and featuring a keynote from Cauleen Smith. Individual event tickets may be available (TBA).

March 16-18, 2023

A photo of Cauleen Smith, who is a Black person wearing black-framed glasses, arms-crossed over a disco ball, in front of a colorful print.


Archive

Explore last year’s speakers, workshops, and other programming for a glimpse into what to expect.

View the 2022 Program

A group of people gather at a lecture. They sit in chairs and face a man, sitting and speaking at the front of the room.