Leola Calzolai-Stewart

Leola Calzolai-Stewart, co-founder of the Maryland-based production company FLOWSTATE Films, directed the historical documentary, The American Diplomat, which aired nationally on PBS’ American Experience. The film explores the little-known story of three Black diplomats representing the United States overseas at the height of the civil rights movement and the early Cold War period. The project garnered support from Black Public Media, Firelight Media, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Leola is currently developing a Chicken and Egg-supported film that centers on Black romance writers, examining the history of their work and the profound hope and inspiration readers draw from it. Her editing credits include the feature documentaries The Last Song Before the War and Dear Walmart. She is a Chicken and Egg Research Grant recipient, a Black Public Media 360 Incubator+ alumna, and a Firelight Media Documentary Lab Fellow. Born and raised in San Francisco, CA, she now resides in Sugar Land, Texas with her family. Leola holds an MA from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and a BA from the University of California at Davis.