BlackStar Film Festival Founder Reflects on 15 Years and Growth

The 15th BlackStar Film Festival will take place in Philadelphia from August 6 to 9, 2026, coinciding with the United States semiquincentennial. This year’s festival showcased 91 films, emphasizing narratives from Haiti and Haile Gerima's five-part saga on Ethiopian resistance to Italian colonialism. Established in 2012 by Maori Karmael Holmes, BlackStar originally focused on storytelling from the Black and African diaspora. It has since transformed into BlackStar Projects, a nonprofit that aids Black, Brown, and Indigenous filmmakers through various programs, including exhibitions, a filmmaker seminar, a production lab, and the journal Seen. Holmes, who initially programmed the festival for nine years, now serves as chief executive and artistic officer, emphasizing institutional development. Her film, Scene Not Heard: Women in Philadelphia Hip Hop (2006), predates the festival. In a Hyperallergic interview, she reflected on the dedication involved in maintaining BlackStar's founding vision while fostering its growth.