Stanley Nelson is today’s leading documentarian of the African American experience. Awards received include a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, five Primetime Emmy Awards, lifetime achievement awards from the Emmys and IDA, and the National Medal in the Humanities from President Obama.
Marcia Smith is the former President of Firelight Media. Under her leadership, Firelight Media was honored with a MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. She has written several films alongside Stanley Nelson including: Freedom Riders, Through the Fire: The Legacy of Barack Obama, Jonestown, and The Murder of Emmett Till.
In 2000, Mr. Nelson and his wife, Marcia Smith, co-founded Firelight Media, a non-profit organization that provides mentorship, funding, and artistic development opportunities to emerging documentary filmmakers of color.