Filmmaker, artist, and author Michèle Stephenson (she/her) pulls from her Haitian and Panamanian roots to disrupt and challenge conventional storytelling canons. Grounded in a Black Atlantic lens, she creates emotionally driven, personal narratives of resistance, centering a Black radical tradition for communities of color and the Black diaspora. Her acclaimed works include Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project and Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games, both Oscar-shortlisted. She’s an Emmy-nominated director, a Guggenheim Fellow, and Creative Capital Artist.