Sponsor BlackStar Film Festival 2025

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Jul 31 — Aug 3 blackstarfest.org | @blackstarfest

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Mission The BlackStar Film Festival is 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. What we do: • Provide an expansive view of indie cinema of the global majority.

• Create space for nuanced discourse at the intersection of film, art, and social justice movements.

• Support genre-defying artists at the vanguard of imagining a more liberatory world.

Highlights from the 2024 festival.

“ BlackStar Film Festival has grown into a marquee platform for showcasing some of the world’s most creative and influential Black, Brown, and Indigenous voices in filmmaking and the visual arts.”

OKLA JONES, ESSENCE

Director Shatara Michelle Ford speaks after the world premiere of Dreams in Nightmares at BlackStar Film Festival 2024. Photo by Mochi Robinson.

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Community Select Festival Alumni and Guests Adepero Oduye

Gabourey Sidibe

Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson

Garrett Bradley

Arthur Jafa

Imani Perry

Ava DuVernay Bashir Salahuddin Blitz Bazawule Bradford Young Darius Clark Monroe Denée Benton dream hampton Elissa Blount Moorhead

Haile Gerima J Wortham Julie Dash Kahlil Joseph Lisa Cortés Lulu Wang Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich Tariq ‘Black Thought’ Trotter

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Experience Film Screenings

Panels & Conversations

Parties

Special Events

Venues In 2025, the festival is slated to take place in Center City Philadelphia, at multiple venues along the Avenue of the Arts, including the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center and Suzanne Roberts Theatre.

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Timeline June 3 Festival Program Announced July 1 Schedule and Jury Announced Jul 31 - Aug 3 Festival

“The festival works to promote a fiercely expansive crop of work...[It] goes beyond representation” Arimeta Diop, Vanity Fair

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Audience In 2024, the Festival had a record-breaking year for ticket and pass sales. We continue to attract a multiracial, cross-generational demographic to Philadelphia, with major attendance from surrounding metropolitan areas, including New York City and Washington D.C. Our core audience can be described as one that’s attuned to and vocal in conversations around the power of the moving image and shifting narratives about communities of color.

This is a crowd that thrives on seeking out exciting independent artists and emerging visionaries before everyone else finds out about them.

They are tastemakers, trendsetters, creatives, industry insiders and most of all socially conscious supporters of projects and filmmakers who honor and authentically portray the day-to-day lives of the global majority.

2024 Festival Numbers • 96 Films Screened • 48 Countries Represented • 7 Panels • 7,000+ in person • 10,000+ online • 60+ press mentions, including in Vanity Fair, Philadelphia Inquirer, Variety, and more, reaching a combined audience of over 4 million readers.

Online Reach X/Twitter: 13K+

Instagram: 42K+

MailChimp: 18K+

Facebook: 14K+

“ I believe one day we’ll look back, and BlackStar will really show a continuity of a whole lineage of filmmakers from the Haile Gerimas to the Jenn Nkirus and Ja’Tovia Garys.”

MADELEINE HUNT-EHRLICH, HUNT-EHRLICH, FILMMAKER

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Notable Films

The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire

The Burial of Kojo

Dreams In Nightmares

The Forty-Year Old Version

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project

Mars One

Random Acts of Flyness

Seeking Mavis Beacon

Time

When I Get Home

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Press "BlackStar’s greatest achievement is its ability to realize the festival experience described in its aims, to “create space for imagination, critique, gathering, pleasure, love and radical care."

“BlackStar Film Festival Has a Mission, and Plenty of Ambition”

“Deeply conscious of the current moment — while glancing back, forward, and even out of this world.”

“At the BlackStar Film Festival, a Revelatory Understanding of Cinema”

"[BlackStar has] bloomed into a prized platform and community-builder that is unlike any other film festival in the country."

“The intimacy and intricate care that BlackStar puts into the organization and accessibility of its annual film festival make it feel like a deeply considered project.”

"[BlackStar is] more than just a film festival—it is a movement that celebrates and amplifies marginalized voices."

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Sponsorship Sponsorship at BlackStar Film Festival is designed to support your company’s business objectives and align your company’s name, image, products and services with our influential and creative participants.

Sponsorship deadline: May 31, 2025 Sponsorship Packages Customization of sponsorship packages are available at the Silver and above levels. To discuss sponsorship packages, contact Chief Operations Officer, Catherine Lee, at catherine@blackstarfest.org.

Sponsorship Levels • Title $250,000 • Platinum $125,000 • Gold $75,000 • Silver $50,000 • Bronze $25,000 • Brass $10,000 • Copper $5,000

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Sponsorship Levels Title $250,000 • Exclusive Title Sponsor of the Festival • Logo placement at top tier on all promotional materials, on festival trailer, on step-andrepeat, on street advertising, and on festival lanyards • Two page opening ad in program guide and ad in festival takeaway • 20 Industry passes • 6 Invitations to Directors’ Brunch and Awards Ceremony • Activation opportunities and logo placement at all venues, including in-venue banners and activation at opening and closing night parties

Platinum $125,000 • Logo placement in second tier in all promotional materials, on street advertising, and on festival trailer • Acknowledgement in radio and podcast ads • Back inside cover ad in program guide and ad in festival takeaway

Gold $75,000 • Acknowledgement before every screening and panel • Logo placement in third tier, on website, and program guide • Full page ad in program guide • 6 Industry passes

• 10 Industry passes

• Promotional product in filmmaker gift bag

• Promotional product in filmmaker gift bag

• In-person Festival and Digital Festival on-screen digital still ad before each screening

• In-person Festival and Digital Festival onscreen ads (up to 15 seconds) before each screening • 4 Invitations to Directors’ Brunch and Awards Ceremony • Activation opportunity at primary venue • Social media activation and discount benefits of Bronze tier

• 2 Invitations to Directors’ Brunch and Awards Ceremony • Social media activation and discount benefits of Bronze tier

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Sponsorship Levels Silver $50,000 • Logo placement in fourth tier, on website and program guide • Half page ad in program guide • 4 Industry passes • 1 Invitation to Directors’ Brunch and Awards Ceremony • Social media activation and discount benefits of Bronze tier

Bronze $25,000 • Logo placement in fifth tier, on website and program guide • Half page ad in program guide • 2 Industry passes • Discount code for 15% off passes and tickets for employees/ members • Social media activation

Brass $10,000

Copper $5,000

• Logo placement in sixth tier, on website and program guide

• Logo placement in seventh tier, on website and program guide

• Social media activation

• 2 All Access passes

• Pass and discount benefits of Copper tier

• Discount code for 10% off passes and tickets for employees/ members

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Industry Lounge Lead Sponsorship: $75,000 The Industry Lounge provides an intimate space for participating filmmakers and Industry passholders to network, build knowledge, and relax each day during the Festival. The Industry Lounge is a special space with opportunities for special programming and engagement with those working in the field.

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

The Daily Jawn Stage Lead Sponsorship: $50,000 The Daily Jawn Stage, which attracts thousands of attendees to the lobby of the Kimmel Center, features a robust schedule of panels, Q&As, and other events throughout the duration of the Festival, creating space for critical dialogue and additional engagement with themes related to the film program as well as relevant topics from the wider field. The stage and all associated events are free and open to the public.

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

BlackStar Bazaar Lead Sponsorship: $30,000 Located inside the central venue, BlackStar Bazaar spotlights independent artisans selling art, apparel, accessories, décor, and more. The Bazaar, which is curated to showcase local Black, Brown, and Indigenous-owned businesses, is free and open to the public.

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Opening or Closing Night Party Lead Sponsorship: $30,000 each The Opening and Closing Night parties are two of the most well-attended single events of the festival. With over 1800 tickets issued in 2024, the Opening Night Party kicks off the Festival in the spirit of community and high vibrations, while the Closing Night Party closes out the Festival with unforgettable energy and style. Festival parties are free and open to the public.

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Director's Brunch Lead Sponsorship: $25,000 Annually, BlackStar awards outstanding filmmakers in the following categories: Best Feature Documentary, Short Documentary, Feature Narrative, Short Narrative, Experimental Film, and the Philadelphia Filmmaker Award. These awards are presented at the exclusive Filmmaker Awards & Director's Brunch Ceremony.

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Filmmaker Mixer Lead Sponsorship: $25,000 The Filmmaker Mixer is a Saturday night happy hour event that creates a space for both celebration and networking amongst participating filmmakers, industry professionals, and aspiring filmmakers.

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Accessibility Lead Sponsorship: $25,000 BlackStar Film Festival thoughtfully centers access and disability justice principles. Our goal is to ensure our programming continues to be access-centered so that we are not developing programming that excludes, rather ensuring that each program is inherently accessible. In a 2023 report by FWD-DOC, we were listed among the five most accessible film festivals in the world. According to the survey (which included 75 of the top festivals between 2022 and 2023), BlackStar ranked number 2.

We dedicate significant resources to implementing accessibility measures under the guidance of peers, artists and staff, and guided by disability justice consultants.

Accessibility Measures • Production of a Festival Accessibility Guide • Hiring of ASL Interpreters and Audio Describers • Acquiring equipment and integrating technology for audio description, captions, etc."

• Purchasing COVID tests, masks, air purifiers and other health safety materials We are continuously looking for support to enrich our accessibility offerings, which serve at least ~17% of our audience. You can help us remain at the forefront of the industry through cash or in-kind sponsorship.

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

First Friday at the Barnes Lead Sponsorship: $25,000 Each year, BlackStar partners with the Barnes Foundation to co-host their regularly scheduled First Friday program. The event features live music and performances, art, cocktails, and light fare and provides an opportunity for increased Festival visibility to a new audience.

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Opening or Closing Night Screening Lead Sponsorship: $10,000 The Opening and Closing Night films are one of the most anticipated and high-profile screening opportunities of the festival.

Featuring World, North America, or US premieres, this event will sell out and receive national press coverage and feature an official red carpet.

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Wellness Lead Sponsorship: $10,000 Radical care, engaged listening and centering the needs of our audience, team, local vendors, artists, and collaborators are at the very heart of BlackStar’s work. We meticulously craft spaces in which all participants are recognized as kindred; necessary strands of an ever-expanding tapestry of connection.

We welcome partners that deeply value radical hospitality to help extend the reach of our care.

Wellness Initiatives • Hosting facilitated grounding and debrief sessions around programming with heavy or disturbing themes; • Allocating quiet spaces for neurodivergent guests or folks who require a moment of relief and restoration amidst the festival's fast-paced environment.

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Merchandise From outfitting our Staff to partnering on the official Festival sweatshirt, there are numerous opportunities for high visibility and impact via merchandise sponsorship. We produce over 1000 items of merchandise annually, including t-shirts, hats, and publications.

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

In-Kind Sponsorship We also welcome in-kind sponsorship of other products or services as it aligns with our programmatic needs. Should you be interested, please reach out to our team to discuss options.

Additional opportunities to sponsor products and events not mentioned above are available.

To discuss bespoke sponsorship packages, contact Catherine Lee, Chief Operations Officer, at catherine@blackstarfest.org.

“BlackStar stood out in the most spectacular way. From submissions to the last day of the festival, the level of intentionality was brilliant. BlackStar is legit one of the best festivals I have ever attended.”

BLACKSTAR 2024 FILMMAKER

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Advertising Whether you’re a seasoned brand or an indie newcomer, by advertising with the festival, you have the opportunity to reach our influential audience in-person and around the world.

Advertising deadline: June 9, 2025 Visit blackstarfest.org/festival/ advertising for guidelines

In the heart of Philly + online worldw ide.

m a r g o r p + 1000 guides

40,000 page views

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Advertising Rates

*Interstitials are 10 second still or video ads that play on a loop before and after screenings, without sound. Virtual screening ads are 10 seconds and play directly before a film in the virtual festival platform. All ads are displayed in full color.

In-Person Events:

Online:

Print ads, tabling opportunities, and interstitial* ads at screenings, panels, and parties happening in-person in Philadelphia

Ads before virtual screenings or placement on the BlackStar streaming website itself

Tabling

Pre-Screening

Print

Website

VOD

$1,000

$1,000

$3,500

$1,000

$1,000

Single day tabling

Single interstitial ad

Half page in festival program guide

Single webpage ad or Newsletter banner

Single pre-screening still ad

$3,500

$50,000

$5,000

$2,500

$2,500

Full festival tabling

Full festival interstitial ads

Full page in festival program guide

Single page banner

Single pre-screening video ad

$25,000

$50,000

$50,000

Ad in fest takeaway

Exclusive homepage banner

All screenings ad

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

2024 Sponsors Platinum

Silver

Bronze

Brass

Copper

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 Sponsorship

Join Us Take part in the world’s most welcoming, inspiring, and collaborative festival for filmmakers of the global majority. Support fiercely independent media and genredefying artists who are shaping and shifting culture. Engage with our multicultural audience of tastemakers and influential attendees.

Advertising: blackstarfest.org/ads Sponsorship: blackstarfest.org/sponsorship Maori Karmael Holmes Chief Executive & Artistic Officer maori@blackstarfest.org Imran Siddiquee Chief Communications Officer imran@blackstarfest.org Catherine Lee Chief Operations Officer catherine@blackstarfest.org