Telling Authentic Stories: Amplifying Black and African Voices in Film

Thato Mwosa, Illustrator/Screenwriter/Playwright/Filmmaker, Assistant Professor at Emerson College

Join the event on YouTube Live on February 4th at 5:30pm with this link:
https://www.youtube.com/live/Z8AsWiT_uw4

Co-hosted by Assistant Professor-in-Residence Catherine Masud, and Digital Media & Design students 

About the Topic:

This talk explores the power of storytelling to authentically represent the lives of Black women and girls, free from stereotypes and external expectations. Featuring screenings of two short films, Stay Here with Me and Temple, it highlights the filmmaker's dedication to celebrating the brilliance of Black and Brown girls in environments that often undervalue their potential, portraying their stories with authenticity and emotional depth. The discussion will also explore the systemic barriers and resource limitations marginalized filmmakers face, advocating for increased support to amplify diverse and authentic voices and reach broader audiences. 

About the Speaker: 

Thato R. Mwosa is an award-winning illustrator, screenwriter, playwright, and filmmaker. Her films have been broadcast nationally and internationally. Her first feature film, Memoirs of a Black Girl, premiered at the 2021 Boston Globe’s Black History Month Film Festival and it won Best Feature Film award at the 2021 Hamilton Black Film Festival and the 2021 the Roxbury International Film Festival (RIFF). Additionally, Thato won Best Feature Director at the 2021 Hamilton Film Festival. She has been featured on NPR and the Boston Globe. Thato was a finalist for the 2019 Mass Cultural Art Fellowship in the Dramatic Writing category. Thato's latest script, A Blue Dawn, is a quarter-finalist for The Academy Nicholl Fellowship and a semi-finalist for the 2021 Writer Lab NY.  

Thato's artwork has been featured at the Wortiz Gallery, Dudley Cafe and The Amory. She was twice selected as the artist of the month for the Milton Public Library's Wortiz Gallery.  Thato launched an African trivia card game SAWA Trivia in 2020 which is being used by several universities and high schools. In the summer of 2021, she released her first book, 14 African Women Who Made History. Thato has taught film and screenwriting classes at Boston University, Harvard University and Lesley University. She is an Assistant Professor at Emerson College.

If you would like and email reminder for this event, please add your details here! 

This event is brought to you by UConn’s Department of Digital Media & Design in partnership with UConn’s Africana Studies Institute

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