Press Room | BlackStar

For press inquiries, contact ALMA: hannah@almacommunications.co

For other questions, please contact our Chief Executive & Artistic Officer, Maori Karmael Holmes: maori @ blackstarprojects.org.

Press Room

(Press Release)

Jul 9, 2026

BlackStar Projects Releases Full Schedule of Programs for 2026 Film Festival

Beyond the screenings, the 2026 BlackStar Film Festival offers four days of conversations, live events, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, community gatherings and special programs that deepen engagement with the artists and ideas shaping contemporary cinema.

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(Press Release)

Jul 9, 2026

BlackStar Film Festival Announces 2026 Opening and Closing Night Selections

Two films rooted in histories of resistance, memory and collective identity will bookend this year's BlackStar Film Festival.

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A collage of film stills from the 2026 BlackStar Film Festival.

(Press Release)

Jun 2, 2026

BlackStar Projects Announces Lineup for 15th Annual BlackStar Film Festival

BlackStar Film Festival returns with 91 films from more than 30 countries, alongside conversations, performances and community gatherings throughout Philadelphia.

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(Press Release)

May 14, 2026

BlackStar Projects Announces Foundational Identity Rebrand

Developed in collaboration with creative agency Pacific, BlackStar’s new visual identity brings greater cohesion across the organization’s year-round programs while reflecting the experimentation, rigor and care that have defined its work over the past fifteen years.

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(Press Release)

Apr 29, 2026

Now On Sale: BlackStar Projects’ Seen Issue 010

Seen 010 marks a milestone moment for BlackStar, celebrating both the journal’s tenth issue and fifteen years of the BlackStar Film Festival.

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(Press Release)

Jan 23, 2026

BlackStar Film Festival Celebrates 15th Anniversary And Announces Upcoming Winter Events

BlackStar Projects celebrates 15 years of the BlackStar Film Festival with new programs, screenings, special events and expanded opportunities for Black, Brown and Indigenous filmmakers and artists.

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In The News

A year of art in Philadelphia: “BlackStar remains one of the most essential cultural touchstones in Philadelphia”

Document

BlackStar Head Maori Karmael Holmes On The Festival’s Record 2025 Edition & Upcoming 15th Anniversary: “It’s Been A Real Privilege And Blessing”

Deadline

BlackStar 2025: Hallowed Ground

International Documentary Association

New mural celebrating films set and shot in Philly features these 11 movies

Philly Voice

BlackStar Film Festival: MOVE YA BODY: THE BIRTH OF HOUSE celebrates Black Queer history

Moviejawn

Letitia Wright’s Directorial Debut Honors the Lives of Black Boys at BlackStar Film Festival

EBONY

50 Film Festival Worth the Entry Fee

MovieMaker

Art and Resilience Aligned at This Year’s BlackStar Film Festival

Hyperallergic

Love, Brooklyn’ is a Romance for a Borough in Flux

Brooklyn Mag

Out Of Africa: Three African Films Clinch Awards At 2025 Blackstar Film Festival

The British Blacklist

What Sun Ra’s Fashion And Music Tells Us About Black Radicalism

Essence

Here’s your guide to the 2025 BlackStar Film Festival in Philadelphia

NBC Philadelphia