Black Music as Resistance
BlackStar Film Festival 2025
Saturday, August 2, 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 Stanley Nelson, Christine Turner, Elegance Bratton, and Joseph Patel, moderated by DJ Lynnée Denise
Black music has always been a tool of resistance — pushing against societal norms, reshaping cultural expectations and amplifying the voices of those demanding change. This panel explores the deep connection between Black musical innovation and acts of defiance, from funk’s rejection of rigid structures in the 1960s and 1970s to Sun Ra’s refusal to be confined by genre. Along the way, we’ll examine films that capture funk’s political power and cultural legacy, revealing how cinema has helped preserve and amplify its revolutionary spirit. Join us for a powerful conversation on how Black artists have challenged limitations and, in doing so, created timeless movements of sonic and social revolution.
Firelight Media hosted a Beyond Resilience Masterclass with filmmakers behind some of the most lauded Black music documentaries of the decade.
Firelight Media's Beyond Resilience series co-presented a panel at CAAMFest Filmmaker Summit in San Francisco.
Firelight Media and Distribution Advocates hosted a conversation about navigating the festival to awards pipeline for documentary filmmakers.
A conversation with filmmakers and scholars about Muslim and MENASA representation.
How can we band together to (re)build a system that will ensure independent filmmakers can thrive?
Beyond Resilience, with support from Field of Vision, is proud to be a community partner for the Arab Film & Media Institute's 'Palestinian Voices' program.
A conversation about the evolution of artificial intelligence and its impact on documentary filmmaking, presented with DOC NYC PRO.
Join Firelight Media for a conversation about creating work, profiting from that work, and creating a sustainable career in nonfiction film.