About
Join us for a 2-part Virtual Symposium with MoAD's Cultural Critic-in-Residence Dr. Artel Great inspired by his recent publication Black Cinema & Visual Culture: Art and Politics in the 21st Century. Your ticket will provide access to Parts One & Two in the evening on May 31st & June 1st. Both programs will be on Zoom from 6-8pm (PDT).
Playing in the Dark is a two-day virtual symposium that takes an in-depth look at the newly released book Black Cinema & Visual Culture: Art and Politics in the 21st Century (Routledge), edited by Artel Great and Ed Guerrero. This illuminating symposium will feature presentations and panel discussions from key Black film scholars highlighting their vital contributions to the new book and providing timely insights into issues of race, culture, and the politics of contemporary Black cinema and media. Day One features: Dr. Michele Prettyman (Fordham University) and Dr. Adrien Sebro (UT Austin). Day Two features: Dr. Brandy Monk-Payton (Fordham University) and author Ytasha Womack. Each event will be moderated by MoAD's Cultural Critic-in-Residence Dr. Artel Great (SF State University).
Day One | May 31, 2023: "The Digital Horizon" - Dr. Michele Prettyman, Assistant Professor at Fordham University, will present her work on Black women filmmakers and experiments in expansive cinema. And Dr. Adrien Sebro, Assistant Professor at the University of Texas-Austin, will discuss issues of social justice and the politics of streaming technology in Black communities. After each presentation both scholars will join MoAD's Cultural Critic-in-Residence Dr. Artel Great, a Marcus Endowed Chair at San Francisco State University, in an engaging and insightful panel discussion, followed by audience Q&A.
Day Two | June 1, 2023: "From Industry Freedom to the AfroFuture" - Dr. Brandy Monk-Payton, Assistant Professor at Fordham University, will explore the emergence and impact of Tyler Perry in Black film and television. And author Ytasha Womack will examine Afrofuturism in film at the intersection of social imagination, aesthetics, and freedom. Following each presentation both scholars will join MoAD's Cultural Critic-in-Residence Dr. Artel Great, a Marcus Endowed Chair at San Francisco State University, in an engaging and insightful panel discussion, followed by audience Q&A.
After you purchase your tickets, you will receive an acknowledgement email with the zoom link to join the symposium. Please check your junk mail or spam folder if you do not receive the email in your inbox.
Dr. Michele Prettyman is a scholar of film and African American cinema and visual culture, a screenwriter/storyteller, and a media consultant. She is an Assistant Professor in Fordham University’s Department of Communication and Media Studies and an affiliate faculty member in the Department of African and African American Studies.
Dr. Adrien Sebro is an Assistant Professor of Media Studies with a courtesy appointment in the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He specializes in critical media studies and Black popular culture.
Dr. Brandy Monk-Payton is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication and Media Studies and affiliated faculty in the Dept. of African & African American Studies at Fordham University. Her research focuses on the theory and history of African American media representation and cultural production across television, film, and digital media.
Ytasha Womack is a critically acclaimed author, filmmaker, dancer, and independent scholar. Her book on Afrofuturism is a leading primer on the exciting subject which bridges science fiction, futurisms, and culture.
Dr. Artel Great is the inaugural Cultural Critic-in-Residence at MoAD and the George and Judy Marcus Endowed Chair in African-American Cinema Studies and Assistant Professor of Critical Studies at San Francisco State University. He is an Independent Spirit Award-nominated filmmaker, film scholar, and co-editor of the newly released anthology Black Cinema & Visual Culture: Art and Politics in the 21st Century.
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