NORTH STAR FELLOWSHIP
Supporting innovative Black, Brown and Indigenous media artists or filmmakers developing projects that span the latitudes of creative nonfiction.
Presented in collaboration with BlackStar, the North Star Fellowship supports four innovative Black, Brown and Indigenous media artists and filmmakers who are exploring experimental modes or genres which might include film, video installation, audio and photo-based work, immersive experiences, performance, and more. The North Star Fellowship convenes on two occasions; The Camden International Film Festival and The William & Louise Greaves Filmmaker Seminar.
Leading up to the 20th edition of the Camden International Film Festival, fellows gathered for one week on the coast of Maine. A series of workshops, screenings, meals, and excursions created time and space for an ongoing critical dialogue about expanded documentary aesthetics, multidisciplinary creative processes, collaborative practices and more.
Fellows are joined by curators, critics, filmmakers, multidisciplinary artists, and industry professionals, each of whom provide new perspectives on the Fellows’ creative process and the evolving universe of nonfiction.
The first part of the fellowship culminates during 4 days of CIFF, where North Star Fellows plug into a global community of storytellers and artists, attending screenings, artist talks, panel discussions, industry meetings, and special events.
The fellowship recommences in the spring during the William & Louise Greaves Filmmaker Seminar, a gathering for Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists working in cinematic realms, proudly presented by BlackStar Projects. Fellows will explore the technical and creative aspects of media-making, while having honest conversations about the successes and pitfalls of their work. The environment considers the intersection of cinema and visual arts, and is exclusively designed for people of color to focus and not manage the added burden of representation.
The Seminar is named after visionary filmmakers William and Louise Greaves, who together co-produced landmark documentaries such as Symbiopsychotaxiplasm and Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey.
2024 Mentors:
Jessica Beshir – Filmmaker
Nicolás Pereda – Filmmaker
Alex Hannibal – Senior Creative Executive, A24
About BLACKSTAR PROJECTS
BlackStar creates the spaces and resources needed to uplift the work of Black, Brown and Indigenous artists working outside of the confines of genre. We do this by producing year-round programs including film screenings, exhibitions, an annual film festival, a filmmaker seminar, a film production lab, and a journal of visual culture. These programs provide artists opportunities for viable strategies for collaborations with other artists, audiences, funders, and distributors.
We prioritize visionary work that is experimental in its aesthetics, content, and form and builds on the work of elders and ancestors to imagine a new world. We elevate artists who are overlooked, invisibilized or misunderstood and celebrate the wide spectrum of aesthetics, storytelling and experiences that they bring. We bring that work to new audiences as well as place it in dialog with other past and contemporary work. And, we curate every aspect of our events to be intentional community building efforts, connecting diverse audiences in a Black-led space centered on joy and thriving.
Presenting Partner
2024 FELLOWS