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Memphis native, Naima Overton is a Black, queer, mixed-media painter, designer and filmmaker. She began painting at 12 years old. Over time developing her signature style. Greyscale stencil based aerosol and acrylic portraits. Which make up the majority of her artistic catalog.

Artists that have deeply inspired her over the years are Audre Lorde, Daniel Arsham, and Stevie Wonder. Her work is reflective of the lessons that she’s learned through studying them all. Further motivating her to capture individuals in their true essence. Naima’s approach to her creative process is meticulous, intentional, and inviting.

In 2015, Naima became the creator and founder of Recycle Peace. A community centered, sustainability focused collaborative brand modeled after the ‘Pay it Forward’ concept. Best known for creating a platform for local to Memphis artists and performers through a series of curated events such as “The Product of Pac.” As well as TRIPS I & II; An immersive art experience hosted in a collective effort to pool goods and resources to donate to local missions. These events went on to help many unhoused and displaced individuals receive direct assistance and a bit of reprieve from daily hardships. Specifically relief for women and children.

From 2019 to the present, she has focused much of her time and energy producing documentary style films. Naima will make her directorial debut with Intersectionality with co-director cinematographer Malik Martin. Intersectionality provides a lens into the life of local queer artists, including Shorin Estell. She has also taken on the role of field producer on Outside Ain’t Free, focusing on how Black people, given the history, navigate and nurture their own relationships with the outdoors. Both projects are slated for release Summer and Fall ‘22.

Naima is currently enrolled at the University of Memphis completing her degree in Civil Engineering. Summer ‘22 she looks forward to reintroducing Recycle Peace and working closely with organizations and retailers committed to providing reusable, recyclable products that align with Recycle Peace’s unique approach to creating sustainability and accessibility for all. The most recent series of artwork in the works is collection of landmarks that are important to the culture and livelihood of native Memphians.

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Cai Thomas is a documentary filmmaker and dp telling vérité stories at the intersection of location, self-determination, and identity about Black youth and elders. She grew up in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood and is deeply interested in stories rooted in place. Cai is a member of the NeXt Doc collective and is a Sisters In Cinema fellow. Her most recent films include Change The Name and Queenie.

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Caden Mark Gardner (he/him/his) is a trans film critic and researcher from Upstate New York. He has written for the Criterion Collection, Reverse Shot, Film Comment, Hyperallergic, DigBoston, and many other outlets. He primarily focuses on trans film images and queer cinema.

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Faridah Gbadamosi is a pop culture-obsessed lover of film working towards making the space more inclusive. In particular, her interests are in changing the space of tastemakers, rethinking the models for curation and exhibition. She has worked in a variety of roles at different film festivals and other film organizations including the California Film Institute, Athena Film Festival, Tribeca, SIFF, and many more. In addition to her programming roles, she is also Director of Distribution at Open Your Eyes and Think MF, the distribution wing of David Magdael & Associates, a consultant on different film projects, and a freelance culture critic. She recently was appointed the Artistic Director of Outfest and is very excited to help shepherd the future of the organization as it enters its 40th year.