Firelight Media 

Firelight Media is a nonprofit organization with a mission to support the creation, distribution and impact of documentary media by and about communities of color in all our vibrancy and complexity. By providing filmmakers mentorship, funding and creative development, they seek to advance the art of nonfiction storytelling to realize a more just and beautiful world.

John Simmons 

John Simmons, ASC, is an Emmy-winning cinematographer, director and photographer whose work spans film, television, music videos and fine art, exploring Black life, culture, and memory. A member of the American Society of Cinematographers and the Directors Guild of America, his work spans comedy and drama across formats. A graduate of Fisk University and USC School of Cinematic Arts, he is a longtime UCLA adjunct professor, and co-chair of the ASC Vision Committee, reflecting a career-long commitment to mentorship and advancing underrepresented filmmakers.

Mahershala Ali 

Mahershala Ali is a two-time Academy Award-winning actor, recognized for his performances in Moonlight and Green Book. He recently starred opposite Scarlett Johansson in Jurassic World Rebirth and will next be seen in Bassam Tariq’s Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother. His acclaimed credits also include True Detective, Leave the World Behind, Swan Song, Hidden Figures and House of Cards.

Mara Brock Akil 

Mara Brock Akil is a celebrated writer and producer of more than 400 episodes of television and is the only African American showrunner to have a major television series on the air every year throughout the 2000s. Her groundbreaking credits include Girlfriends (2000–2008), The Game (2006–2015) and Being Mary Jane (2013–2019). She also served as an executive producer on Netflix’s Stamped from the Beginning, which was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Most recently, Brock Akil created, wrote and executive produced the critically acclaimed Netflix adaptation of Judy Blume’s 1975 novel Forever. The series earned Brock Akil a 2026 Peabody Award and a Writers Guild of America Award nomination. Brock Akil is the recipient of numerous industry honors, including the Norman Lear Achievement Award at the 2026 Producers Guild Awards, ESSENCE magazine’s Visionary Award and the Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award from NATPE.

Nyla Daniel
BlackStar Program Manager 

Nyla Daniel is a Philadelphia-based arts and events producer, community builder, and lover of a good gathering. With over 10 years of experience bringing people together, she has produced festivals, concerts, public programs, galas, panels, and community events across Philadelphia, always with an eye toward creating experiences that feel thoughtful, welcoming, and rooted in culture. Her work has taken her from the Delaware River Waterfront, where she helped produce hundreds of events across six miles of the city, to Mural Arts Philadelphia, where she developed public programs that connected people to art throughout the city. She currently serves as Program Manager at BlackStar Projects, where she helps shape and produce programming centered on Black and Brown artists, filmmakers, and storytellers.

Amanda Branson Gill
BlackStar Board Member 

Amanda Branson Gill is a documentary film producer and founder of Broadview Films.  Her credits include Carolina Gonzalez Valencia’s How to Clean a House in 10 Easy Steps (2026), Penny Lane’s Mrs. America (2025), Caroline Suh’s Sorry/Not Sorry (2023), Jason Kohn’s Nothing Lasts Forever (2022) and Love Means Zero (2017), David Schisgall’s The Oil War (2020) and Theo Who Lived (2016), and Errol Morris’s The Unknown Known (2013) and Standard Operating Procedure (2008).  Her films screen at festivals around the world, including Venice, Berlin, Toronto, True/False and Telluride.  In addition to producing, Amanda serves on the board of BlackStar Projects.