About
What is...
Black Femme Supremacy Film Festival
A grassroots endeavor to connect Black Femmes throughout the African diaspora through the medium of film. A film festival that is quite possibly too future for its own good. Meaning we center Femme identifying Black people in our programing. The film and media industry has been historically centered around white males. This festival encourages filmmakers who are on the margins to come together and find community within ourselves. We want to re-envision the Black Femme as a global protagonist and universal archetype. Since our first festival in spring 2018 we’ve screened over 40 short films from Black filmmakers of varying ethnicities and nationalities.
We imagine the Black Femme as a global protagonist and universal archetype. And we screen films of any genre that center Black Femme protagonists or are made by Black Femme filmmakers.
The niche market that we cater to at our festival is quite literally the future. These are the heads of households who not only influence the minds of the youth but the checking accounts of the family and community at large. We aim to appeal to the whole of who our audience is, as so often Black Femmes are forced to choose between their blackness or their queerness. This is a festival that celebrates both.
Who is...
BLACK FEMME SUPREMACY FILM FESTIVAL
At the end of the day we are all Black, Femme and proud. Our small team of four bring heritage from 2 continents, 4 countries, 5 cities, & 8 ethnicities.
FOUNDER
Nia Hampton
Nia is a multidisciplinary artist and who has consistently found community with black femme filmmakers in her travels around the world. During her first solo art show “Drapetomania; The Strong Urge to Escape” Nia created and hosted the first Black Femme Supremacy Film Festival as a means to hold space for black femme filmmakers from all over the world. As an international freelance journalist by trade who has written for sites like DAZED, VICE, Paste Magazine, LA Weekly and the Village Voice, Nia hopes that the festival will travel and meet black femme filmmakers where they are, wherever that may be.
STRATEGIC OFFICER
Jenné Afiya
Jenné Afiya Matthews is a multi-disciplinary creative living and working between Baltimore, MD and Chiapas, MX. She descends from a long line of nurturers, healers, conjurers, creators, partiers, and “take-no-stuff” kind of folk from North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, and beyond. She is forever grateful for all of their sacrifices, dreams, fortitude, and prayer of which she is the direct result.She is a founding member of the queer Black women artist collective BALTI GURLS and has worked both at the grassroots and non-profit levels supporting creatives, artists, and entrepreneurs. She is also the creator and host of ZUZU HAUS, an audio project dedicated to exploring the unique relationship Black folks have with their home-spaces, past and present.In her free time she loves digging in the dirt, caring for her ever-expanding collection of plants (aka “The Legendary Children”), and binge-watching all kinds of TV and films
DIGITAL
Hilda Adeniji
Hilda is a passionate marketer, who loves exploring the intersections of social culture both on and off-line. Her expertise in digital advertising and experiential marketing allows her to develop impactful work helping companies achieve their goals. Hilda’s experience includes serving as independent contractor on various projects and events within the entertainment, music, and technology industries for companies such as Google, International Emmys Awards, SxSW, SheaMoisture, and New York City’s Wine & Food Festival.
ART DIRECTION
Maya Rodriguez
Maya is a freelance graphic artist and exhibit designer, currently based in San Francisco. A print/web artist by trade, Maya has worked with artists, entrepreneurs, non-profits, corporations, musicians, etc. on visual content that’s original and inspired. Her photography, and graphic work has been featured in Miami New Times, AfroPunk.com, Vice, GumRoad, and exhibits in Miami, San Francisco and Bay Area.
PROJECT MANAGER
Jody Anderson
Jody is a Toronto based freelance writer, zine enthusiast and project lover. She's currently a contributing writer for Toned Magazine and has work published in Flare, HelloGiggles and An Injustice. She was managing editor for Sophomore Magazine's multimedia Sex Ed project and co-creator of a zine anthology on Black sexuality that showcased at Margin of Eras Gallery.
Where is...
Black Femme Supremacy Film Festival
This festival was founded in Baltimore City, but it was inspired by black femme filmmakers from all over the world. We travel as a means to connect with our international community. We will also be hosting virtual screenings in the near future. If interested in collaborating please don't hesitate to get in contact with us.
Black Femme Supremacy Film Festival is hosted on the unceded land of the Piscataway, Lumbee, and Cherokee peoples. We organize on the ancestral homeland of the Paskestikweya (Pist-ka-tanh-wah) people, now known as present day Baltimore. We wish to pay our respects to the elders, past and present citizens, of the Cedarville Band of the Piscataway Conoy, the Piscataway Indian Nation, and the Piscataway Conoy Tribe. We strive to hold space and value the perspectives that these nations share regarding their histories, cultures, and traditions. As we build community with sovereign nations to ensure reconciliation on their rightful land, we encourage our attendees to learn more about the Paskestikeweya by going to PISCATAWAYINDIANS.COM.
We’re proud to have our festival events featured in a number of publications, online and offline.
The Manifesto(our intentions and beliefs):
Black Femme Supremacy Film Festival...
Is 2 future for its own good. Meaning we are aware that what we are attempting to do by bringing the spectrum of Black [African’s and descendents of Africans] femininity [trans, cis, non- binary folks] together with a film festival, empowering others and working alongside leaders and activators making this work in our communities.
Believes that filmmaking is community work, community organizing, and community building, and our community is for everyone, especially those left most often out of the frame. We organize this festival with our communities in mind because this work is ultimately for the people.
Is intentionally for Black femmes - meaning, including, and especially celebrating our black queer, gender non-conforming, and trans community of filmmakers of all ethnicities and nationalities
Centers the Black femme as a global protagonist.
Believes that filmmakers and organizers should be equitably compensated for their creative labor.
Sees the importance in working across institutionalized imposed borders. Meaning literal geographic borders and barriers of the film industry. We use our voices, resources, and the internet to connect with each other wherever we are.
Sees filmmaking as a way to preserve culture and create the framework for new worlds. We understand, respect, and embody the power of storytelling through the medium.
Is a community where Black femme filmmakers are encouraged to work out ideas amongst like minded individuals who will hold your work with true consideration.