On October 14, 2012, Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series celebrated its 15th anniversary as one of the leading showcases dedicated to supporting women of color filmmakers. At this event, The New School’s media studies faculty member and School of Undergraduate Studies Associate Director, Michelle Materre, was awarded the Pioneer Award for her outstanding contributions to black culture and her many years of professional efforts in providing opportunities for women filmmakers. As one of the evenings’ featured honorees, Michelle also received a Proclamation from the City of New York from distinguished NYC Council Members Letitia James and Jumaane Williams.
Ms. Materre received her MEd from Boston College. Her professional background spans more than 25 years in the independent film and television industry as producer, writer, arts administrator, outreach consultant, distribution/marketing specialist, and teacher. As a founding partner of KJM3 Entertainment Group, Inc., a film distribution and marketing company specialized in multicultural film and television projects, Ms. Materre directly managed the marketing and positioning of 23 films including the successful theatrical release of Julie Dash’s highly acclaimed Daughters of the Dust as well as L’Homme Sur Les Quais by Raoul Peck. Ms. Materre currently serves on the Board of Directors of New York Women in Film and Television, and is on the advisory board of Reel New York on Thirteen/WNET.
Currently, Michelle is working on curating independent films for MIST HARLEM. MIST Harlem (My Image Studios) is New York City’s long-anticipated new cultural entertainment center that’s poised to become a leading showcase for independent black and Latino cinema from around the world. In addition, through her marketing company Autonomous Entertainment, Michelle is bringing her new film projects Otelo Burning and Elza to MIST’s big screen.
