The BlackStar Film Festival has announced its 2019 lineup. A celebration of black, brown, and indigenous films from around the world, the Philadelphia-based fest also revealed the recipient of this year’s BlackStar Luminary Award, Firelight Media president Marcia Smith.

The fest will kick off with Numa Perrier’s “Jezebel.” Inspired by a true story, the drama centers on a 19-year-old who is introduced to the world of internet sex work by her sister. Other women-directed features set to screen include Shatara Michelle Ford’s “Test Pattern” and Tania Hernández Velasco’s “Titixe.” The former is a narrative drama that tells the story of an interracial couple traveling from hospital to hospital in search of a Rape Kit, and the latter is a documentary that chronicles Velasco’s family’s attempts to cultivate their small plot of land in rural Mexico.

“BlackStar is a home for filmmakers who take risks and produce work that is edgy and blurs the lines,” said Maori Karmael Holmes, who founded the fest in 2012. “We strive to grow a community around these filmmakers that cultivates their careers, their work, and their audiences. That’s the true essence of BlackStar – connection and opportunity.”

Holmes described Smith as a “major inspiration,” adding that “Firelight as an institution is a northern light for me and so many of my peers.” The nonprofit production company uses historical film to advance contemporary social justice causes, and is dedicated to “mentoring, inspiring, and training a new generation of diverse young filmmakers committed to advancing underrepresented stories.”

The fest will take place from August 1-4. You can find more details on BlackStar’s website.