BGDM at BlackStar 2026

From August 6–9, BlackStar Film Festival returns for its 15th anniversary, bringing together filmmakers, artists, and audiences for one of the most vibrant celebrations of Black, Brown, and Indigenous storytelling anywhere in the world.

This year, more than 24 projects worked on by BGDM members will screen across the festival, adding to BlackStar's incredible legacy of artists who are reimagining what's possible through documentary.

Held on the ancestral homeland of the Lenni-Lenape people, BlackStar is more than a film festival. It's a visionary Black-led space where stories too often overlooked, misunderstood, or pushed to the margins are celebrated, and where joy, care, and community are woven into every part of the experience.

Celebrating 15 Years of BlackStar

As BlackStar marks this milestone year, we're especially excited to celebrate founder Maori Karmael Holmes and Festival Director Nehad Khader.

Their leadership has built far more than an annual event. Together, they've created one of the documentary community's most beloved homes for artists—a place where filmmakers find belonging, creative freedom, and the confidence to imagine new futures. For 15 years, BlackStar has championed bold storytelling while fostering a community rooted in care, collaboration, and artistic possibility.

BGDM Member Films at BlackStar

With more than 24 member projects screening throughout the festival, there will be no shortage of opportunities to discover new work, support fellow Mafiosxs, and experience the incredible range of stories Black, Brown, and Indigenous filmmakers are bringing to the screen.

Browse our complete guide to BGDM member films below and start building your festival schedule.

Celebrate With the Mafia

Of course, BlackStar isn't just about the films. It's also about the people who make this community so special.

This year, we're coming together to honor the visionary leaders who helped shape BlackStar into what it is today while making space to reconnect with old friends, meet new collaborators, and celebrate another incredible year of documentary storytelling. Whether you're a BlackStar regular or attending for the first time, we hope you'll join us for these special BGDM community events.

• A Special Retrospective - Scene Not Heard: Women in Philadelphia Hip Hop

We're kicking off Friday's celebration by honoring one of our own with a special retrospective screening of Scene Not Heard: Women in Philadelphia Hip Hop, the debut featurette by Maori Karmael Holmes. Newly restored in 2K, this landmark film celebrates the women who helped shape Philadelphia's hip-hop culture while offering audiences a chance to revisit an early work by the visionary filmmaker who would go on to build BlackStar into the institution it is today.

Friday, August 7 | 4:30 p.m. ET
Suzanne Roberts Theatre

• BGDM x DAWG Community Mixer

Following the screening, join BGDM and the Documentary Accountability Working Group (DAWG) for our biggest community gathering of BlackStar weekend. Together, we'll celebrate Maori Karmael Holmes and Nehad Khader for their extraordinary leadership and their lasting impact on the documentary community over the past 15 years. Expect light bites, cool drinks, and even cooler people. Whether you're reconnecting with longtime collaborators or meeting fellow Mafiosxs for the first time, this is an opportunity to celebrate the people, relationships, and shared values that continue to make our documentary community stronger.

Friday, August 7 | 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Frankie's Summer Club
355 S. 15th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102

RSVP here