BlackStar
Sydney Rodriguez is an accomplished Artist Programs Manager at BlackStar, where responsibilities include program development for the BlackStar Film Festival, community engagement, and managing program logistics. Previously, Sydney served as a Producer for BlackStar Live! and held various roles at Viacom, including Executive Assistant at MTV/VH1, where support was provided for strategic initiatives and special events. Additional experience includes production roles in film projects and internships at Essence Communications, BET Networks, and Macro Ventures, showcasing a strong background in creative development and project management. Sydney holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from The Wharton School.
BlackStar
BlackStar creates the spaces and resources needed to uplift the work of Black, Brown and Indigenous artists working outside of the confines of genre. We do this by producing year-round programs including film screenings, exhibitions, an annual film festival, a filmmaker seminar, a film production lab, and a journal of visual culture. These programs provide artists opportunities for viable strategies for collaborations with other artists, audiences, funders, and distributors. We prioritize visionary work that is experimental in its aesthetics, content, and form and builds on the work of elders and ancestors to imagine a new world. We elevate artists who are overlooked, invisibilized or misunderstood and celebrate the wide spectrum of aesthetics, storytelling and experiences that they bring. We bring that work to new audiences as well as place it in dialog with other past and contemporary work. And, we curate every aspect of our events to be intentional community building efforts, connecting diverse audiences in a Black-led space centered on joy and thriving.