We. Exist. Inside. A. Powerful. Lineage. Of. Black symbols that remake Black realities.

David Weathersby

David Weathersby is a filmmaker/videographer and the founder of City Vanguard, an arts organization that helps independent filmmakers create community-based documentaries for educational and cultural institutions. As a director, he has produced films, documentaries, and music videos. His past projects include the documentaries Got the Love, Jazz Occurrence, Thee Debauchery Ball, and The Color of Art. His work has been featured on The Africa Channel, WTTW, and various film festivals including Pan African Film Festival, Black Harvest Film Festival, and the Image Union Film Festival. In 2018, he was awarded a Black Excellence award for best director by the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago and Thee Debauchery Ball won Best Feature Film at Black Harvest Film Festival, Chicago Southside Film Festival, and the Cinekink Film Festival in 2019/2020.

Ebony Payne-English

Ebony Payne-English is a poet, author, playwright, and educator from Duval County. She is the first woman to establish her own chapter of the international poetry organization, Black on Black Rhyme. Ebony is the 2017 Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville’s Emerging Artist and recipient of the Spoken Word Gala’s 2017 William Bell Humanitarian Award. Ebony currently serves as Executive Director of The Performers Academy, a 501c3 arts education organization in Jacksonville, FL and is a founding member of the Board of Directors of Southern Fried Poetry, Inc. which produces the largest adult regional poetry slam in the nation.

Her discography includes 6 albums: Old Soul (2006), Struggle’s Embrace (2010), EbEnFlo (2012), School Beats (2013), Know Love (2015), Kuongoza (2021)..

Pamela Peregrino

Pâmela Peregrino works with Animation Cinema and Art Direction. She directed the short film Partir (2012), first place in the Berlin Symphony Orchestra's short film competition; the short Òpárá de Òsùn: when everything is born (2018), nominated for the Grand Prix of Brazilian Cinema; the short film Oríkì (2020) and the short film Porto e Raiz (2021).

Pamela is the only Black Creative to have 3 films included in Bijou Film Festival 2021. The festival team was delighted to represent the African Diaspora with these delightful, spiritual, Afro-Brazilian films.

Kamun

Born in 1978 in the Paris region and originally from Gwadloup (Karukéra - Guadeloupe FWI),  the arEst Kamun [pronounced ka-moun] likes to define himself as an African from the  Caribbean, an uprooted person in search of himself, of his History. Passionate about the  Image as he likes to say, it will be in the social that he will evolve professionally based on his  personal pracEce, to understand the public he accompanies.  

He defines himself as a digital arEst and works mainly with new media. His approach is  social, to be close to the public and to those who are far from the cultural universe by quesEoning them on their environments.  

Abel Mekasha

Ethiopian Filmmaker, Born December 25 1999.
Had worked on Television, cameraman, producer assistant. In 2020 he presents Omnipresent, a film screened at the Marche Du Film de Festival de Cannes, and other film events in Europe and United States.
He recently finished his first feature Superno, and is preparing a second feature.

“I always try to make something different and immersive. The philosophy behind this movie is actually based on the quantum theory of entanglement. But this movie is not science fiction. The effect of a particle on other particles is opposite. Anything that happens to a particle a long mile away affects another particle. I changed that into beings. Supernatural beings and Naturals beings, How does they effect each other? Are we supernatural to beings we don’t know exist? Are we writing there stories? How powerful is our imagination. In my country, There isn’t much of movies that are as experimental as this movie. No one makes something in the fantasy or Psychological Thriller Genre. So that inspired me to make something new. From building a set for the movie with a very tight budget.”

Ricardo Souza

RICARDO SOUZA has a degree in visual communication but first of all a self-taught: he made a career in the audiovisual world starting as a production assistant and making his way through the biggest and best producers in the country as a finisher and post production coordinator until leading, for more than 8 years, after the Conspiracy Films. He worked at Mixer, Sentimental Filmes, and others, working with the country's top executives and directors of advertising and cinema. Now he leads the collective BTFLY as an executive producer and recently directed authorial projects like 2020 Negro in partnership with Leo Burnett agency, advertising films and the video clip Voz Ativa.

Ricardo’s film 20/20 Black explores Black lives through a collection of images, sounds, and poetry that the festival jury found compelling because of the fluidity of his approach.

Athule Mbekeni

Athule Mbekeni grew up in a small village in South Africa where she first learned how to tell stories. Traveling the world exposed her to a new world where she realized the importance of being part of the generation that takes ownership of telling African stories. Her pursuit of telling African stories led her to study Film Technology at Miami Dade College where she graduated in 2020

"Love and Culture" is a short film that highlights the South African tradition of Lobola (bride price).
Nolu, and Ben are a modern couple whose love gets challenged by their cultural difference, Ben is a modern Cuban man who does not believe in the cultural beliefs of his lover, Nolu has to find ways to win Ben's love over by making him see the importance of keeping cultural traditions.

Anderson Bardot

Anderson Bardot (Brazil, 1988) is a poet and film director who has a Bachelor in Cinema and Audio Visual from the Federal University of Espirito Santo. He debuted "The Uninhabitable Ones" at 49th International Film Festival Rotterdam in January 2020, his first short film in his professional career.

“The Uninhabitable Ones is the kind of movie I'd like to see on a movie screen. A movie that talks about In Pares Dance Company. About a show that inaugurates the theme of black sexuality on the theater stages in the state of Espirito Santo (Brazil), but more than that, a movie that overflowed the stage and made of it its own true space of emancipation - art as a tool to promote life.

The Uninhabitable Ones as a desire to make a poetic film of transgressive queers, of impressionist colors, of bodies that celebrate their existence.”

Black Lavender

“I am a Nigerian-American recording artist and indie experimental short film director. My work, informed by my studies in the Black Atlantic, explores the preservation and documentation of black intellectual thought and traditions. My first project "Queen Bee," self-written, directed and produced, is available on streaming platforms and the visual on my YouTube channel.”

Black Lavender is already establishing themself as a force to be reckoned with while only being a rookie to the game. Their self-described sound is “genre-bending”. The implementation of various musical influences including Nicki Minaj, Asian Doll, Bbymutha, Paramore and Phoenix, have elevated the artist’s music, keeping you on your toes with its refreshing sound and intricate lyrics.

Demetrius Dukes

Demetrius is a multi-media artist and CG generalist. His interest in digital art evolved from a desire to explore the lineage between traditional and digital art forms. His academic research is centered around exploring 20th century art forms and their influence on contemporary games.

His personal interests include mixed media painting, developing content for 3D animation, and developing interactive games. After earning his MFA in Media Technology and Entertainment, Demetrius has taught graduate and undergraduate courses at Florida Atlantic University in 3D animation, 3D character modeling, game design and digital compositing. Currently, Demetrius teaches courses in digital animation at Columbus State University.

Demetrius created the film with his project partner

Brad Lewter

Brad Lewter is an artist and filmmaker working primarily in mixed media painting, interactive installation, and animated film. His work has been exhibited at international venues including SIGGRAPH, FDG Bordeaux, and the Savannah and Melbourne (AU) Intl. Animation Festivals.

Halo

HALO is a multidisciplinary curator with her roots in Montgomery, AL.

Her themes often ventures into that of duality and balance, ecofeminism, and take a deeper gaze into the mysticism of the universe.
Her art is driven by the world, the origin of her inspiration.

The purpose of the film Strange Fruit: Lest we forget the blood shed atop the very soil we were birthed from! Filmed at The National Lynching Memorial in Montgomery,Alabama. Each hanging pillar at this memorial lists the death date of names known and unknown of 4,000 plus Black Americans from different cities and states whose live were stolen due to racial terror in The United States.

James Bowman

“Becoming an animator has always been my dream since childhood. It was when I saw the film,  Watership Down, that I knew animating was what I wanted to do. This, along with the artistic endeavors  of my older brothers, kept me wanting to create or build whatever was within my imagination.  Eventually, my journey led to the MFA Computer Art program at the School of Visual Arts, where I  studied 3D animation. 

I started out my animation career as an intern with a small animation company called C-Traze Studios.  This led to working as a production assistant on a sci-fi TV pilot with 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. But  ultimately, it was when my graduate thesis film, “Life's Journey” was accepted to the Urbanworld Film  Festival, that I slowly began to see myself as a filmmaker. Along with Urbanworld, Life's Journey was  screened through the likes of the Pan-African, Ohio Independent, ImageNation film festivals and more. 

I’ve gone on to create numerous other animated short films, which have been seen at various festivals  and screening events. And I am very proud to have my latest animated music video, Ethereal, featured  at Bijou. What I tried to do with Ethereal, both musically and visually, was to take the audience away  from everyday life for a few moments. This could very well be a vision of a house head becoming lost in  the music. It has always been my hope that my creative works allow the audience to visualize and think  about the many aspects of life and living.”

Steven Montinar

Steven Montinar is a black centric and hip hop based visual artist. Steven’s work consists of the elements of poetry, gesture, and fashion encased in interactive/wearable sculptures or a series of video vignettes. Montinar's concepts touch upon the gestures within black culture, the language of hip hop, and the reparation in the action of appropriation. His pieces explore ownership and the unification of thought processes by simultaneously highlighting systematic oppression and paying homage to the contributions of black society. An investigation into how the dominant white gaze plays a role in black existence has led to an evolution of works that synthesize black experiences for a wider audience. The vessel in which a concept lies can always make a topic, no matter how niche, approachable to all audiences. However, this approach also develops a layer within a work that can only be uncovered by an audience who has experienced life as a black body. Montinar’s work has been featured at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, Printed Matter Inc., Hyperallergic, Garage Magazine, and has been acquired for permanent collection at the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Museum of Modern Art.

Victor Mota

Victor Mota is a visual artist born in Salvador, Bahia with works in performance, videography and photography. His work bases on research that revolves around the representations of Afro-Brazilian identities and experiments with the poetic construction of memories, images, and embodied encounters.

Inspired by the work "Critique of Black Reason" by Achile Mbembe, in which the Cameroonian philosopher focuses on the creation of the race as a ghost in the 21st century, reflecting from the concepts attributed to the term "black" as his own "personified shadow".

In the video, the artist moves in the space between the rocks and the sea of ​​Salvador, Brazil some of his doubles; impressions of his body previously made in the performance Dermogravuras de Um Corpo Presente.

"Dermogravura" is the term used by the artist as an approximation of the engraving technique using any and all extensions of the body's skin. The body prints.

Malique Lee Moore

Malique Lee Moore is the Director of this colorful, rich, piece of work called Keepin’ It Real. In the heart of a black subconscious, three sisters sing. They tell us the stories of an angry boy, an unhappy girl and a ballroom surrounded by marble statues. What is their connection? They are all B.L.A.C.K .

In 2019, Malique’s work was screened internationally at two of the most sought after showcases in the world:

Festival de Cannes

Cannes
France
May 26, 2019
French Premiere
African Quarter

Afropunk Festival

Paris
France
October 1, 2019

Eden Strachan

Eden Strachan is a national award-winning journalist and filmmaker whose work has been published by CNN and NPR alike. As a social-justice oriented filmmaker, Strachan’s goal is to create relevant content that informs the public, exposes injustice, and inspires action. Because giving back is an important principle in her life, Strachan also teaches film through her organization, Filmmakers for the Future, a no-cost program designed to provide systematically disadvantaged communities access to film education.

Eden’s film, Remember Their Roots, studies the impactful influence Black musicians have on the American music industry.

Raphael Gustavo da Silva

Graduated in Advertising at PUC Goiás and postgraduated in Cinema and Audiovisual at Universidade Estadual de Goiás. Screenwriter and director of the short films "Mademoiselle do Rap", nominated for the 2017 Brazilian Cinema Grand Prix and "A Piscina de Caique" , with more than 200 selections in exhibitions and festivals around the world, and that select 31 awards. Director and Screenwriter of the short film "Lily's Hair" with more than 80 selections in national and international exhibitions and festivals and 4 awards. Scriptwriter and Director of the TV series "Meu skate não é enfeite", shown by TV Cultura and TV Brasil. Coordinator of FAVERA - Vera Cruz Audiovisual Festival, Vera Cult Ponto de Cultura and É Nóis Ki Tá Produções. In 2016, the Diploma for Cultural Highlight of the Year in Audiovisual was erected, awarded by the Goiás State Government.

With Lily’s Hair, Raphael Gustavo da Silva explores themes of friendship, self-acceptance, fantasy, and the power of being young, gifted and Black.

Cynthia Okeke

Bad Africa explores the negative stereotypes of Africa in the Western world and examines the root cause of such widely accepted narratives and how these narratives are slowly changing for the better.

In this film, we visit Ghana, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. With a primary focus on the music and entertainment scene. We also had the chance to interview influencers who are helping to change the narrative one story at a time.

Byron Burkes

Lest we forget the blood shed atop the very soil we were birthed from! My clothing brand ''SOUFSEAS'' Filmed this short at The National Lynching Memorial in our hometown of Montgomery,Alabama. Each hanging pillar at this memorial lists the death date of names known and unknown of 4,000 plus Black Americans from different cities and states whose live were stolen due to racial terror in The United States.

Denise Khumalo

Denise Ntombikayise Khumalo is an independent filmmaker born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe. Watching her mother become a successful television personality and radio host ignited her passion for filmmaking.

She moved to America in 2008 in order to pursue her film career, where she received her Bachelors in Science at SUNY Fredonia in Communications: Television and Digital Film. Denise went on to acquire her Masters in Filmmaking in Los Angeles, California at the New York Film Academy in 2014.

Denise has spent years honing her directorial skills and as a result has achieved great success with her narratives and documentaries. "Khayalami" (My Home) received numerous awards and recognition for its unique insight on Zimbabwe. She is currently in production on a feature documentary titled "Unconventional" and is the host of the debate talk show "Cultural Exchange".

Caroline Veiga

O SOPRO translates to The Breath. This team of four creatives produced beautiful imagery that tackles the concept of world building after a loss, being a creator of worlds despite the devastation of the past, and reclaiming a sense of hope and wonder. All of this expressed in a lovely animation that exudes a lightness & even playful approach to rebuilding and starting over.

ByAnanse

ByAnanse is a filmmaker based in Toronto, Ontario. He's best known for my award-winning Acting, Writing and Directing role in my short film Unhinged Schizophrenia. The film addressed the mental health inmates face when in solitary confinement. ByAnanse's goal is to provide his community with the voice it's lacking through Visual storytelling.

Joseph Ewatuya

An animated video for my original song, "Runnin'" (off of my upcoming EP, "TRANSIT 2"). This visual is an exploration of the many paths that we take when we're on the journey to meeting ourselves. Featuring my own soultronic-house production, with lyrics and vocals by me, TEGA.

Gerard Walsh

Gerard Walsh directed Dublin-based singer-songwriter and producer Chris Kabs concept music video challenging police brutality. His music is punctuated by two Black men struggling throughout to get away from police, who seem determined to keep their hold.

Júlia Deps

O SOPRO translates to The Breath. This team of four creatives produced beautiful imagery that tackles the concept of world building after a loss, being a creator of worlds despite the devastation of the past, and reclaiming a sense of hope and wonder. All of this expressed in a lovely animation that exudes a lightness & even playful approach to rebuilding and starting over.

Jonathan de Abreu

O SOPRO translates to The Breath. This team of four creatives produced beautiful imagery that tackles the concept of world building after a loss, being a creator of worlds despite the devastation of the past, and reclaiming a sense of hope and wonder. All of this expressed in a lovely animation that exudes a lightness & even playful approach to rebuilding and starting over.

Vivian Barbosa

O SOPRO translates to The Breath. This team of four creatives produced beautiful imagery that tackles the concept of world building after a loss, being a creator of worlds despite the devastation of the past, and reclaiming a sense of hope and wonder. All of this expressed in a lovely animation that exudes a lightness & even playful approach to rebuilding and starting over.

Chrisine Sloan Stoddard

Christine Sloan Stoddard is a Salvadoran-American writer and artist creating books, films, murals, and more. She founded Quail Bell Magazine, the Badass Lady-Folk, and Quail Bell Press & Productions. She recently completed her first feature film, Sirena's Gallery, after directing several shorts, such as Bottled and Brooklyn Burial. Her books include Heaven is a Photograph, Naomi & The Reckoning, Desert Fox by the Sea, Belladonna Magic, and Water for the Cactus Woman, among other titles.

Hermman Kayode

Hermann is a 2d Artist, Illustrator and 2d Award-Winning Animator born back in 1984 in Ivory Coast, West Africa
During childhood he discovered big animes movies that changed his mind and later his life. Big animes movies like Akira, Porco Rosso, Mononoke Hime, Spirited away, Ninja scroll or End of Evangelion He decided to travel in France in order to study animation and the art in general to improve his skills After that created several animated indies movies like Malaika princess : the champions or the Red like Hell animation. His latest works include the indie short film Love and Core (2012 ), Lightfall short animation and Bloons TD6 the animation released online in 2020. My brother alias "skenael" when he was a dj ( a Black Dj in Asia by the way ) also did a music for Red like hell.

Red Like Hell is a sci-fi heist and thriller animated show set in an near futuristic USA.

A female thief, the infamous Red Arrow is trying to steal a certain Painting from San Francisco Museum of Modern Art aka SFMOMA !

Janelle Brosnan

Janelle Brosnan is a photographer, editor, and director from Los Angeles. Two years ago, Janelle found one of Tega's songs spontaneously on apple music and she reached out to him on Instagram. Tega and Janelle have maintained a creative friendship since then, and started conceptualizing the video for Runnin' at the beginning of quarantine, this time, last year. "I am not an animator in the slightest, but I know how to draw and use photoshop and premiere. This video was made using only those two programs and Tega's creative vision(s). Runnin' is meant to express the evolution our souls go through. Some parts of us may not even be from this lifetime, but everything we are has it's divine place. The animals in this video could either be seen as running from something or running to something. It is all in your perspective."