Monica J. Freeman (born 1947) is an independent

Black feminist Black feminism is a branch of feminism that focuses on the African-American woman's experiences and recognizes the intersectionality of racism and sexism. Black feminism philosophy centers on the idea that "Black women are inherently va ...

filmmaker and arts administrator. Freeman earned her MFA from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. According to one article, "In the early '70s, Monica Freeman's documentaries heralded a new generation of Black women producing independent films about Black women." Freeman began her career with Nafasi Productions, a Black filmmaking collective under the tutelage of John Wise, where she directed ''Valerie: A Woman, An Artist, A Philosophy of Life'' (1975). This film serves an important role in the canon of biographical films among Black female artists. The 1977 documentary'' A Sense of Pride: Hamilton Heights'' featured an all-women crew, including

Ayoka Chenzira Ayoka "Ayo" Chenzira (born November 8, 1953) is an independent African-American producer, film director, television director, animator, writer, experimental filmmaker, and transmedia storyteller. She is the first African American woman animator ...

. In 1976, under artist

Faith Ringgold Faith Ringgold (born Faith Willi Jones; October 8, 1930 – April 13, 2024) was an American painter, author, Sculpture, mixed media sculptor, performance artist, and Intersectionality, intersectional activist, perhaps best known for her Narrativ ...

's suggestion, she programmed films for the Sojourner Truth Festival of the Arts, Focus on Film, which is believed to be the first Black women's film festival in the United States. She later lived in Houston and served as Program Coordinator for the Atlanta African Film Society.

Filmography

* ''Valerie: A Woman, An Artist, A Philosophy of Life'' (1975), 15-minute, documentary about Valerie Maynard, a New York-based printmaker and sculptor who was, at one time, an Artist-in-Residence at the Studio Museum of Harlem. * ''A Sense of Pride: Hamilton Heights'' (1977),15 minutes, which explores the lives of the people in the neighborhood of Hamilton Heights in Harlem. * ''The Children's Art Carnival: Learning Through the Arts'' (1978), 17 minutes, which examines the Children's Art Carnival in Hamilton Height with then director, artist Betty Blayton Taylor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Freeman, Monica J. Living people African-American filmmakers American women filmmakers American documentary filmmakers African-American feminists American feminists Columbia University alumni 1947 births