BlackStar Projects, the premier organization celebrating visionary Black, Brown, and Indigenous film and media artists, is pleased to announce a third season of its podcast, Many Lumens with Maori Karmael Holmes. The new season features ten episodes airing in two parts, with five episodes being released on Wednesdays now through May 17, and the second half of the season coming in the fall. The first episode is live today, presenting Holmes in conversation with filmmaker Sterlin Harjo, the celebrated co-creator and showrunner of Reservation Dogs.
Guests this season include changemakers such as director and writer Cherien Dabis, who made history in 2022 as the first Arab woman to be nominated for an Emmy in the directing category; and model, modeling agent, and activist Bethann Hardison, recognized as a champion for representation in the fashion industry. Hardison will be joined by director and producer Lisa Cortés, whose documentary film Invisible Beauty chronicles Hardison’s career and recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Owing to BlackStar’s Philadelphia roots, Holmes will also be in conversation with some of the city’s cultural leaders, such as chefs Cybille St.Aude-Tate and Omar Tate, known for their work amplifying Black farmers and transforming food systems. Additional episodes will feature actress Danielle Deadwyler, known for her roles in Station Eleven, Till, and The Harder They Fall; actor, writer, and comic D’Lo; cinematographer Michael Fernandez; jazz composer and pianist Jason Moran; multidisciplinary artist Fariha Róisín; and curator and writer Meg Onli, co-curator of the 2024 Whitney Biennial.
“Our global community of listeners has continued to grow with each episode of Many Lumens, and with season three, I am excited to share another dynamic lineup of guests who have been influential to me or inspire me,” said Maori Karmael Holmes. “Spanning film, fashion, art, food, and music, I hope that these luminary thinkers inspire listeners to imagine new possibilities through storytelling that is entertaining, inviting, and deeply personal.”
The first episode features Maori and Sterlin Harjo discussing working in Oklahoma, how he runs his sets, and which “Rez Dog” character he most identifies with. In the coming weeks, listeners can tune in to learn about Cherien Dabis’ directing style, hear how 1990s hip hop taught D’Lo to be outspoken, and find out what pop culture Meg Onli turns to at the end of a long day.
Previous Many Lumens guests have included fashion designer Telfar Clemens, filmmaker dream hampton, artists Arthur Jafa and Amy Sherald, and poet Sonia Sanchez. Last season, Holmes sat down with multidisciplinary artist Terence Nance, whose solo exhibition, Terence Nance: Swarm, was curated by Holmes and is currently on view at the ICA Philadelphia.
Many Lumens listeners can tune into new and previous episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, and other podcast outlets. For more information about Many Lumens, visit manylumens.com.
For information about BlackStar Projects, including its festival and programs, visit blackstarfest.org.
About Many Lumens
BlackStar founder Maori Karmael Holmes chats with the most groundbreaking artists, change makers, and cultural workers—finding meaning in the intersections of art, social change, and popular culture.
About BlackStar Projects
BlackStar Projects is the producer of the BlackStar Film Festival, an annual celebration of the visual and storytelling traditions of the African diaspora and global communities of color—showcasing films by Black, Brown, and Indigenous people from around the world. In addition to the acclaimed festival, BlackStar presents an array of programming across film and visual culture year-round, including the twice-annual journal Seen, the podcast Many Lumens, the William and Louise Greaves Filmmaker Seminar, and the Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab, among other initiatives.
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