Black Media Legacy: Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future
BlackStar Film Festival 2025
Friday, August 1, 2025, 5:30pm ET
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Daily Jawn Stage
300 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102

Co-presented by Firelight Media’s Beyond Resilience Series
With Louis Massiah and Marcia Smith; moderated by Maori Karmael Holmes

Legacy is more than just remembrance — it’s a living, evolving force that continues to shape the future. This panel explores the lasting impact of pioneering Black filmmakers, storytellers and cultural workers, including William Greaves and Toni Cade Bambara, whose works and ideas continue to inspire new generations. Firelight’s cofounder Marcia Smith reflects on 25 years of championing BIPOC filmmakers and the role institutions play in shaping artistic legacies. Meanwhile, filmmaker Louis Massiah, founder of Scribe Video Center, discusses his latest work on Toni Cade Bambara and how her powerful storytelling remains vital today. Together, these changemakers will examine what it means to build, protect and carry forward a Black artistic legacy.