Tag: Luminary Gala

BlackStar Projects is pleased to announce its 2025 Luminary Gala Awards, honoring Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Meshell Ndegeocello, Robert Townsend and Third World Newsreel. The gala will take place on November 21, 2025 at Switch House in Philadelphia from 6PM-10:30PM. Ticketing and sponsorship information is available here.

Established in 2012, the Luminary Awards have been given to a wide range of artists, cultural leaders and collectives whose contributions align with BlackStar’s mission of creating a more just and liberatory world. Past recipients have included Mira Nair, Menelik Shabazz, Ava DuVernay, Julie Dash, dream hampton and RZA. First held in 2023, the Luminary Gala is an unforgettable evening in celebration of the luminaries shaping and shifting the arts, culture and media landscape. Bringing together artists, philanthropists and BlackStar’s community of friends, the event shines a light on the organization’s work to garner further support for its suite of year-round cultural programming that provides Black, Brown and Indigenous artists with the resources and support they need to thrive. This year’s Gala will be hosted by journalist and music industry trailblazer Dyana Williams.

This year’s Luminary Award recipients display a commitment to social justice, embracing collaboration and celebrating a wide spectrum of aesthetics and storytelling practices. The 2025 honorees are: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, a cinematographer whose trailblazing work has opened up new pathways for visual storytelling; Meshell Ndegeocello, a genre-defying musician whose boundless sonic innovations spark renewed interest in Soul music; Robert Townsend, a towering figure in the world of Independent Film, where he has directed and produced blockbuster films and critically incisive series and Third World Newsreel, a news organization that has championed cultural and social justice in media for almost sixty years.

Autumn Durald Arkapaw, ASC, is a visionary cinematographer known for bold, atmospheric visuals. Her recent work includes Sinners (2025), the first film shot by a female cinematographer on IMAX 65mm and The Last Showgirl (2024). Autumn also lensed Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), earning major box office success and an Oscar nod for Rihanna’s ‘Lift Me Up.’ An Emmy nominee for Loki, she has also collaborated with Spike Jonze, Gia Coppola, and Aziz Ansari. A graduate of AFI, she was the first woman of color on American Cinematographer’s cover and is represented by Iconic and LUX Artists.

Meshell Ndegeocello has survived the best and worst of what a career in music has to offer. She eschewed genre for originality, celebrity for longevity and musical trends for musical truths. Fans have come to expect the unexpected and follow her on sojourns into soul, R&B, jazz, hip-hop and rock, all bound by the search for love, justice, respect and resolution. Those sonic investigations have defied and redefined the expectations for women, queer artists and for Black music for over 30 years. She remains one of few women who write the music, sing the songs and lead the band.

Robert Townsend transcends any medium he touches, whether performing stand-up, acting, writing, directing or producing. With over 30 years in the business, Townsend is often called the ‘Godfather’ of the Independent Film World. An out-of-the-box thinker, he has made an indelible mark in Hollywood with an extensive list of credits. Robert’s recent directing credits include multiple episodes of Poppa’s House and Power Book IV: Force. He directed multiple episodes of the NAACP Image Award-winning The Best Man: The Final Chapters. Additional directing work can be seen on Netflix’s Kaleidoscope and Colin in Black & White.

Third World Newsreel (TWN) has advanced movement storytelling and media arts for cultural and social justice since 1968. They champion the self-representation of historically marginalized communities—including Black, Latine, Indigenous, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, North African, Mixed/Multiracial, People with Disabilities and LGBTQIA+ individuals—through diverse genres and forms of media, such as documentary, experimental and fiction. Their aim is to create, engage and amplify stories while creatively activating audiences. Their comprehensive support includes hands-on training, fiscal sponsorship, educational distribution and preservation, all designed to advance cultural justice and societal change. From documentary and experimental to narratives, TWN is committed to shaping a media landscape where diversity and intersectionality are not merely represented but are central to social transformation.

The Luminary Gala is a microcosm of BlackStar’s multiplicity, an intentional community building moment, connecting its profound, diverse audience in a Black-led space centered on joy and thriving. Sponsors and contributors will be directly investing in the sustainability of BlackStar’s efforts to rectify systemic imbalances in the media arts and beyond and support the mission of amplifying the moving image as a transformative tool for social change.

The Luminary Gala host committee includes Adjoa Jones de Almeida, Allison Acevedo, Brandon Pankey, Deesha Philyaw, Donna Frisby-Greenwood, Ernest Owens, Irit Reinheimer. James Claiborne, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, Jermaine Jenkins, Joe Hill, Korin Williams, Kurt Evans, Loira Limbal, Louis Massiah, Nikil Saval, Omar Woodard, Omar Tate, Raymond Perkins, Senator Vincent Hughes, Senator Nikil Saval, Val Gay.

BlackStar Projects and its year-round programming is generously supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, City of Philadelphia, Critical Minded, Color Congress, Department of Community and Economic Development, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Ford Foundation, Independence Public Media Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Mellon Foundation, NEO Philanthropy, The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, Pop Culture Collaborative, Ruth Foundation for the Arts, Surdna Foundation, Wallace Foundation, William Penn Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, in addition to its board of directors, community partners and a host of generous individual donors and organizations.

About BlackStar Projects
BlackStar Projects, founded in 2012 by Maori Karmael Holmes as BlackStar Film Festival, creates the spaces and resources needed to uplift the work of Black, Brown and Indigenous artists working outside the confines of genre. Beyond the annual film festival the organization produces year-round programs, including film screenings, exhibitions, a filmmaker seminar, a film production lab and a journal of film, art and visual culture.

These programs provide artists opportunities for viable strategies for collaborations with other artists, audiences, funders and distributors. BlackStar is working towards a liberatory world in which a vast spectrum of Black, Brown and Indigenous experiences is irresistibly celebrated in arts and culture.

BlackStar Projects is pleased to announce its 2024 Luminary Gala, honoring New Negress Film Society and multifaceted artists and filmmakers Tourmaline, Annemarie Jacir and Louis Massiah. The gala will take place
on December 3, 2024 at Switch House in Philadelphia from 6-11PM. Ticketing and sponsorship information is available here. 

First held in 2023, the Luminary Gala is an unforgettable evening in celebration of the luminaries shaping and shifting the arts, culture and media landscape; bringing together artists, philanthropists and BlackStar’s community of friends to shine a light on the organization’s work and garner support for BlackStar’s suite of year-round cultural programming that provides Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists with the resources, support, and shine they need to thrive.

The Luminary Awards honor individuals and collectives for their contributions as artists and cultural workers. This year’s awardees display a commitment to social justice, embracing collaboration and celebrating a wide spectrum of aesthetics and storytelling practices. The 2024 honorees also reflect BlackStar’s mission – New Negress Film Society, as a collective of Black women and non-binary filmmakers focusing on making and showcasing work that breaks boundaries in film politically and artistically; Tourmaline as an artist, filmmaker, writer and activist whose practice highlights the experiences of Black, queer and trans communities and their capacity to impact the world; Annemarie Jacir as a writer, director and producer who’s laid the groundwork for Palestinian artists to have greater platforms for their cinema globally; and Louis Massiah as a documentary filmmaker and community activist working with Philadelphians to develop filmmaking skills and get access to resources to author their own stories. 

TICKETS ON SALE

The evening will feature performances by Melanie Charles, a genre-bending musical artist who experiments with dynamic engagements with jazz, soul and R&B, along with an after-party that will include desserts and dancing. 

The Luminary Gala is a microcosm of BlackStar’s multiplicity, an intentional community building moment, connecting its profound, diverse audience in a Black-led space centered on joy and thriving. Sponsors and contributors will be directly investing in the sustainability of BlackStar’s efforts to rectify systemic imbalances in the media arts and beyond and support the mission of amplifying the moving image as a transformative tool for social change.

The Luminary Gala Host Committee includes Adjoa Jones de Almeida, Andre Carroll, Andre Robert Lee, Bill Adair, Dana Gills, Deesha Philyaw, Dyana Williams, Ernest Owens, Irit Reinheimer, James Claiborne, Jenny Raskin, Kyle Easley, Lauren Holland, Marcel Pratt, Nikil Saval, Nuala Cabral, Rachel Branson, Rakia Reynolds, Raymond Perkins, Reggie Brown and Tina Farris.

BlackStar Projects and its year-round programs are generously supported by Critical Minded, Ford Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, Independence Public Media Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, McLean Contributionship, Mellon Foundation, Nathan Cummings Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Perspective Fund, The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, Philadelphia’s Cultural Treasures, Pop Culture Collaborative, Ruth Foundation for the Arts, Samuel S. Fels Fund, Surdna Foundation, Wallace Foundation, William Penn Foundation, and Wyncote Foundation, in addition to its board of directors, community partners, and a host of generous individual donors and organizations.

ABOUT THE HONOREES

New Negress Film Society was founded in 2013 by Kumi James (formerly Wendy James) in response to her observation that the films and critical interventions made by Black women filmmakers were seldom highlighted or discussed in public and private institutions. In May 2013, James organized a screening called I Am A Negress of Noteworthy Talent showcasing the works of Nevline Nnaji, Nikyatu Jusu, Nuotama Bodomo, Ja’Tovia Gary and herself and then convened the screening’s participants to form New Negress Film Society in June 2013 with Nevline Nnaji, Nuotama Bodomo and Ja’Tovia Gary and herself as its founding members. BlackStar remains inspired by New Negress Film Society’s focus on political thought and recognition of the importance of collective strength. Stefani Saintonge and Yvonne Michelle Shirley will accept the award on behalf of New Negress Film Society.  

Stefani Saintonge is a filmmaker and editor who won the juried and audience awards at BlackStar Film Festival for her short film, Fucked Like a Star. Her work has screened internationally at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Ann Arbor Film Festival and Hammer Museum among others. As an editor, Saintonge has collaborated with renowned artists such as Simone Leigh, Bradford Young and Julie Dash and her edited works have screened at Sundance, Berlinale, Tribeca, Guggenheim and PBS. As a member of New Negress Film Society, she co-created the Black Women’s Film Conference and has received support from Ford Foundation, SFFILM and Jerome Foundation.

Yvonne Michelle Shirley is a filmmaker and the executive director of the Community Media Center at Express Newark, a socially engaged art center at Rutgers University, Newark. Her work as a director and producer has screened at festivals including BlackStar Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Slamdance and Tribeca Film Festival and she has directed projects for T Magazine, Nike, AFROPUNK and TOPIC. 

 

Tourmaline is an artist, filmmaker, writer, and activist whose practice highlights the experiences of Black, queer, and trans communities in her films and photographs. Tourmaline has had solo exhibitions at MUDAM and Chapter NY and her work has also been presented within significant group exhibitions such as the 2024 Whitney Biennial, Acts of Resilience at South London Gallery, Artist and Society at Tate Modern; the 2022 Venice Biennale; Mountain/Time at Aspen Art Museum; Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room at The Metropolitan Museum of Art; The Slipstream: Reflection, Resilience, and Resistance in the Art of Our Time at the Bronx Museum and Critical Fabulations at MoMA. Tourmaline’s work is included in the permanent collections of MUDAM, Brooklyn Museum, J. Paul Getty Museum, LACMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, The Studio Museum in Harlem, Tate Modern and the Whitney Museum of American Art. BlackStar honors Tourmaline’s work rewriting mainstream narratives and cultural histories to imagine a more liberatory future and reconsider what’s possible. 

 

Annemarie Jacir has written, directed and produced over sixteen films with premieres in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno and Toronto. All three of Jacir’s feature films have been selected as Palestine’s Oscar Entry for Foreign Language Film. In 2007, she shot the first feature film by a Palestinian woman director, the acclaimed Salt of this Sea, Jacir’s second film to debut in Cannes Film Festival, which went on to win the FIPRESCI Critics Award and garnered fourteen other international awards. Jacir is the Founder of Philistine Films, an independent production company focusing on productions related to the Arab world and has paved the way for Arab filmmakers to pursue careers in film, co-founder of Dreams of a Nation, a Columbia University based film project committed to the preservation and promotion of Palestinian cinema and the co-founder of the artist run Dar Jacir for Art & Research, a multi-faceted project devoted to educational, cultural and agricultural activities in her hometown of Bethlehem. BlackStar honors Jacir as a pioneer whose work inspires us to ask questions, exchange ideas, to dream and invites discourse around urgent human rights issues. 

 

Louis Massiah is a documentary filmmaker and community activist committed to sharing his passion for film to make the medium more accessible for aspiring local filmmakers. In 1982, Massiah founded the Scribe Video Center, a Philadelphia non-profit organization which explores, develops and advances the use of electronic media as a tool for social change and to document contemporary concerns and events. Massiah’s documentaries include The Bombing of Osage Avenue and W.E.B. Du Bois: A Biography in Four Voices. He’s been a visiting professor/artist at Swarthmore, Princeton, UPenn and Howard, named a MacArthur “genius award” fellow and is currently AD White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University. BlackStar honors Massiah as a visionary filmmaker invested in community and for building a participatory platform for those interested in making work towards a higher, more civilized humanity.