Lauded as one of the “25 coolest film festivals in the world” (MovieMaker), Ensemble Arts Philly is honored to host events of the annual BlackStar Film Festival, happening August 2-6, 2023 in Philadelphia. The Oscar Award-qualifying festival showcases films celebrating the visual and storytelling traditions of the African diaspora and of global communities of color with films by Black, Brown, and Indigenous people from around the world.
The annual festival, now in its 12th year, will take place at venues along the Avenue of the Arts on Broad Street including the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center, Suzanne Roberts Theatre and Lightbox Film Center. Hailed by The New York Times as an “expansive and revelatory cinematic experience,” the festival will present over 90 films from around the globe, with 19 world and 47 Philadelphia premieres.
“We are excited to present another groundbreaking lineup and hope it allows filmmakers of the global majority to connect with new audiences through intimate and important storytelling,” said BlackStar Chief Executive and Artistic Officer Maori Karmael Holmes. “We consider every aspect of the festival to be an intentional community building effort, centered on joy, radical care, and thriving, and we are looking forward to presenting another festival that embodies this generous spirit.”
"Once again we went through the film programming process with a brilliant group of curators, makers, and thinkers. At this year’s festival we will explore wide- ranging and urgent themes, from queer futures in cinema to climate justice and resistance to land theft," added Festival Director Nehad Khader. “And we are thrilled to be able to continue to share this work with our community around the world both in-person in Philadelphia and virtually.”
A few highlights are an opening night screening of Adura Onashile’s feature narrative Girl. The world premiere of Ja’Tovia Gary’s experimental short film Quiet As It’s Kept, and the Philadelphia premiere of Michèle Stephenson & Joe Brewster’s Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project. Explore a list of all films being featured at: www.blackstarfest.org/festival/film-guide/
A still from Adura Onashile’s Girl.
BlackStar creates the spaces and resources needed to uplift the work of Black, Brown and Indigenous artists working outside of the confines of genre. Founded in 2012 by filmmaker and curator Maori Karmael Holmes as an annual film festival, BlackStar has expanded to producing year-round programs including film screenings, exhibitions, a filmmaker seminar, a film production lab, a podcast and a journal of visual culture.
BlackStar curates every aspect of the festival and additional events to be intentional community building efforts, connecting diverse audiences in a Black-led space centered on joy and thriving. They strive to build a liberatory world in which a vast spectrum of Black, Brown and Indigenous experiences is irresistibly celebrated in arts and culture.
Learn more about the festival events and purchase tickets at www.blackstarfest.org/festival.