Maori Karmael Holmes

Multi-hyphenate Maori Karmael Holmes is a creative force working to uplift the fullness of Black, Brown, and Indigenous expression. As founder of the BlackStar Film Festival and Chief Executive & Artistic Officer of BlackStar Projects, she has organized film programs at Anthology Film Archives, MOCA, and Whitney Museum. She has directed and produced film projects that have been screened internationally, as well as music videos for a wide range of musical voices, and hosts the culture podcast Many Lumens. All of these artistic happenings have led to her inclusion in Essence Magazine‘s Woke 100 List and named one of the Kennedy Center’s #Next50.

The filmmaker, writer, and curator hosts a talented mix of artists with whom she has worked throughout her career in two unique evenings of screenings, performances, and talkbacks presented in the style of a variety show. With DJ lil’dave spinning beats throughout each night, Holmes is joined by special guests including GRAMMY-nominated singer, writer, and actress Wayna; MacArthur Fellow, founder of Scribe Video Center, and documentary filmmaker Louis Massiah; Guggenheim Fellow, bass player, composer, and music producer Anthony Tidd; filmmaker and artist Rashid Zakat; and hip-hop artist and a motivational speaker Mike Africa, Jr.