BLACK EUROPE FILM FESTIVAL
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Fred Kudjo Kuwornu (Founding and Artistic Director) is a Ghanaian Italian filmmaker, producer, civil rights activist, and educator. The founder of the independent production company DoTheRightFilms, Fred is best known for Inside Buffalo (2010), 18 IUS SOLI (2011), and Blaxploitalian: 100 Years of Blackness in Italian Cinema (2016)—award-winning documentaries that address issues related to race, identity, and diversity in Italy and Europe. Fred’s latest documentary, We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe, is currently screening at the 60th Venice Biennale of Art.
Lorenzo Fabbri (Founding Director and Curator) is a professor, film curator, and producer based in Minneapolis. Lorenzo teaches film media at the University of Minnesota, and his second book, Cinema Is the Strongest Weapon: Race-Making and Resistance in Fascist Italy, was published in 2023. In 2020, Lorenzo co-created At Home in Scott County—a student-directed short documentary series commissioned by the Scott County Housing Development Agency to amplify their mission. An active member of the Twin Cities film community, Lorenzo curated the Italian Film Festival of Minneapolis/Saint Paul for many years.
Iman Mohamoud (Outreach Director) is a Somali American English teacher at Eden Prairie High School, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota studying Education Policy & Leadership, and a passionate advocate for art and literature. Iman recently proposed and received approval from her district for an 11th/12th grade “Somali Literature: Authors and Narratives” course, the first of its kind in the country, featuring Somali diasporic authors, poets, and filmmakers. Iman is deeply interested in inviting non-Somalis into the beautiful culture of Somalia. She is passionate about culturally responsive teaching, ensuring that her curriculum reflects her students’ diverse backgrounds and experiences. Additionally, she is dedicated to representing Black youth in a joyful and empowering way, highlighting their talents and contributions to society.
Sara Osman (Director of Programming) is a documentary filmmaker from Minneapolis. Her passion lies in storytelling around memory, place, and identity, specifically focusing on the unique and evolving Somali identity within the Minnesota landscape. Sara is deeply committed to using her art as a tool for social change and fostering meaningful connections within the community, allowing her to bring to light the untold stories and resilient spirit of those who call Minnesota home. Sara is currently directing and producing two short documentary films. Her work has been supported by NeXt Doc, the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, the Saint Paul Neighborhood Network, and the City of Minneapolis’ Department of Arts & Cultural Affairs.
Kirsten Smith (Associate Curator) is a doctoral candidate in the Department of French and Italian at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, specializing in Québécois cinema. Kirsten has also published articles on French, Latin American, and North African co-productions, Indigenous cinema in Canada, and decolonial archival work in the SWANA region. She is a member of l’Université du Québec à Montréal’s Labdoc, where she worked at the biannual Montréal-based film festival Les Monteurs à l’affiche. During her time with Les Monteurs à l’affiche, she helped interview film editors, directors, and producers who worked on transnational productions, focusing on representations of global, transnational, and diasporic communities in Québec’s film industry. Kirsten is invested in exploring and platforming films that represent diverse communities from around the world and transnational and multinational narratives.