Joshua Reed is a freelance writer, director, and photographer. His artistic passions are broad; from photojournalism, concert photography, and portraiture in his photographic work, to satire, drama, and comedy in his cinematic work. He believes that well-made art can elevate every day to the extraordinary, and even be revolutionary.
Tell us about your experience at the Hip Hop Film Festival. I greatly enjoyed my time at the Hip Hop Film Festival. The festival experience was tailored to the needs and experiences of filmmakers and the panels that we had after each day of screening were both insightful and informative conversations. I appreciated the conversations around AI, the strike, and the future of Black film were truly inspiring and thought-provoking. I enjoyed that the community came out to the Schomburg each evening for screenings. It was a great communal experience and celebration of Black independent film.
Why are “stories from the culture” worthy of a platform? The African diaspora is vast. There are many different cultures within “the culture” and they are all worthy of platform and expression. Each different story represents our collective history and collective future. I believe that a place for these stories to live and be seen is extremely important so that people can see themselves on screen and imagine different possibilities of representation.
Why do you think the Harlem Film House and Hip Hop Film Festival are important? I believe the Harlem Film House and Hip Hop Film Festival are important because of their explicit commitment to Black independent filmmakers as well as the commitment to creating independent platforms where Black and African filmmakers can showcase their work. We are our strongest supporters.
What projects are you working on now? I am working on a documentary about a variety of different artists I know in New York City as well as my thesis film for NYU, about Black kids in a predominately white private school.