BlackStar Projects announced receiving a $1 million Arts and Culture grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to fund the organization’s initiative to bring light to Black and Brown creatives. Founded in 2012 by Maori Karmael Holmes as the BlackStar Film Festival, the organization holds key values of inclusion in storytelling and creativity.

They have since expanded into year-round programs, including film screenings, exhibitions, the annual film festival, a filmmaker seminar, a film production lab, and a journal of visual culture. “With Mellon’s support, we’re able to focus further on the sustainability of our programs and our organization as a whole, which includes ongoing work to increase accessibility at events and take care of our amazing staff year-round,” Holmes tells GU.

Photo Credit: Daniel Jackson

The Mellon Foundation grant allows BlackStar to further its mission of uplifting visual art from the global majority. In addition to focusing on the sustainability of its programming, the organization will focus resources on expanding its commitment to disability justice and maintaining a care-centered work environment for its 21 full-time employees.

From 2024 through 2026, the Mellon Foundation will provide BlackStar with $1,000,000 in funding to support the organization’s general operations. Their programs provide artists with opportunities for viable strategies for collaborations with other artists, audiences, funders, and distributors. BlackStar is working towards a liberatory world where a vast spectrum of Black, Brown and Indigenous experiences is irresistibly celebrated in arts and culture.

Photo Credit: Daniel Jackson

“This award feels especially significant at this point in BlackStar’s history as interest in cultural organizing around racial justice has shifted and as we are witnessing in real-time globally the impact of moving images on whose narratives are valued and ignored,” Holmes says.

Through its year-round programming, the organization has continually provided resources, catalyzed community, and celebrated creatives of color. “We are thrilled to receive this grant from the Mellon Foundation to continue to provide Black, Brown, and Indigenous moving image artists with the resources, support, and space they need to create visionary, necessary work,” she says.

About the Author: Kenyatta Victoria is the lead writer for Essence GU, working on all things pop culture, politics, entertainment and business. Throughout her time at GU, she’s garnered devoted readers and specializes in the Zillennial point of view.