ARTIST HIGHLIGHT of the Month: MAORI KARMAEL HOLMES
Maori Karmael Holmes is the founder and artistic director of BlackStar Film Festival, which was founded in 2012. Holmes is also a curator, filmmaker and writer who has organized programs in film and performance at a variety of organizations including Anthology Film Archives, Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia, Barnes Foundation, Asian Arts Initiative, Painted Bride Art Center, and Scribe Video Center just to name a few.
Her work as a director includes Scene Not Heard: Women in Philadelphia Hip-Hop (2006), Colorlines.com, Visit Philadelphia and her writing credits includes The Believer, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good, and How We Fight White Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance.
Photo Credit: Philadelphia Magazine
She received her MFA in Film & Media Arts from Temple University, her BA in History from American University, and did postgraduate studies in Costume Design at California Institute of the Arts. With a degree in history, it allowed Holmes to be flexible with whatever career path she decided to go down since she wanted to be able to experiment with as many other art forms as she could. Before her studies at American University, she briefly studied at Howard University where she studied film and art history. Maori was a 2019-2020 Soros Equality Fellow and 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 Executive with Blackbird. Holmes has an array of artistic talents in her background. From performance arts and dance to costume design and fashion, she is the definition of a multi disciplinary creative which may come from growing up with a multitude of creatives in her family.
Photo Credit: WHYY
As a filmmaker, she has been able to work on some amazing new projects in 2021 including a music video for Mike Africa and filming the trailer for Blackstar Film Festival 2021, which took place in August, with two amazing film artists and alumni to the Blackstar Film Festival.
Not only does Maori Karmael Holmes run a successful film festival but she also launched a literary magazine entitled ‘Seen’ which can be described as a “journal of film and visual culture focused on Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities globally”, according to the magazine’s website.
Maori Karmael Holmes should give everyone within the creative industries inspiration to not limit yourself or your creative endeavors. Holmes has managed to create an empire in her own right and is at the top of her game at everything she does. She has managed to give new life to the film industry and has given BIPOC filmmakers an opportunity to showcase their talents on the big screen, opportunities that may not have been available before her presence in the Philadelphia film scene.
As she continues to dominate in the art and film sectors, it will be exciting to see what other ways Holmes will contribute to the industry as she continues to build paths for other inspiring creatives to walk. We know this is only the beginning of Maori Karmael Holmes domination. Be sure to follow her work via her social media platforms and of course follow Blackstar Film Festival on all of their social media platforms as well as visit their website.
Follow Maori Karmael Holmes Instagram & Twitter .
Follow Blackstar Film Festival here and check out their website here.
