Maori Karmael Holmes

“Film is the most modern of all artforms in that it builds upon the foundation of visual art, performing arts, fashion, journalism, music, and literature, to create something totally new! It impacts so many of one's senses at the same time and truly has a unique power to quite literally shift how we see the world.”

Maori Karmael Holmes grew up in Los Angeles and Atlanta, surrounded by art and at the movies every weekend. So it should be no surprise that since 2012, she has been the creative force, artistic director, and CEO behind BlackStar Film Festival. This international celebration based in West Philly showcases the work of people within the African diaspora and other global people of color. Last year, Maori was on Essence Magazine’s 2019 Woke 100 List and a 2019 Soros Equality Fellow, which recognized her as a long-term leader for racial justice. Maori has organized programs in film at prestigious institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art and The Underground Museum in LA, and the Whitney Museum in NYC.  Other projects include KinoWatt (2011-2012) and Black Lily Film & Music Festival (2006-2010). She directed the feature-length documentary “Scene Not Heard: Women in Philadelphia Hip-Hop” and produced works for Colorlines.com, Visit Philadelphia, and singer-songwriter India.Arie. Maori generously shares her knowledge serving as Mediamaker-in-Residence at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and Curator-at-Large at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. 

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 “Film is the most modern of all artforms in that in builds upon the foundation of visual art, performing arts, fashion, journalism, music, and literature, to create something totally new! It impacts so many of one's senses at the same time and truly has a unique power to quite literally shift how we see the world.”

Biography:

Maori founded BlackStar in 2012 and serves as its Artistic Director/CEO. Included in Essence Magazine’s 2019 Woke 100 List, she is also a 2019 Soros Equality Fellow. She has organized programs in film at a myriad of organizations including Museum of Contemporary Art LA, The Underground Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Other projects include KinoWatt (2011-2012) and Black Lily Film & Music Festival (2006-2010). As a director, her works have screened internationally including her feature documentary Scene Not Heard: Women in Philadelphia Hip-Hop (2006). She has also directed and produced works for Colorlines.com, Visit Philadelphia, and singer-songwriter India.Arie. Her writing has recently appeared in The Believer, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good, and How We Fight White Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance. Maori received her MFA in Film & Media Arts from Temple University and her BA in History from American University. She currently serves on the board of American Documentary (POV), the advisory boards of Ulises, Vidiots, and Lightbox Film Center. Maori also serves as Mediamaker-in-Residence at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, Curator-at-Large at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and a Creative Strategist with Blackbird.