A Moment of Pause with Joshua Kissi — On Black Creativity, Film, and Authentic Storytelling

A Moment of Pause with Joshua Kissi — On Black Creativity, Film, and Authentic Storytelling
In this Color of Conversation, UWG (UniWorld Group) and Lincoln Motor Company join forces with Ebony to spotlight visionary director-photographer Joshua Kissi in a rich, intimate talk on storytelling, legacy, authenticity, creativity, and brand partnership. Hosted by Corey Murray (Head of Editorial Content, Ebony), and introduced by Mon’nique Nelson (Executive Chair & Owner, UWG), the session explores how culturally grounded narratives, trust, and real collaboration fuel world-class creative work—while honoring Black history, family, and community.
Kissi traces his path from Bronx kid to in-demand photographer and filmmaker, citing influences like Gordon Parks, his early platform Street Etiquette (born on Tumblr), and formative brand work with Nike. He unpacks the responsibility of image-making—how pictures become “pages in history,” why representation and cultural memory matter, and how intention, empathy, and community shape every frame. He speaks candidly about craft, from learning by doing to staying a student, building teams, and keeping space for rest, faith, and family as creative foundations.
The program showcases Kissi’s short film “A Lesson in Flying,” developed with Lincoln and UWG—a poetic, Afrofuturist meditation on Black joy, imagination, and freedom. Through twin protagonists suspended in desert sky, Kissi reframes “flight” as a state of mind: play, courage, collaboration, and the promise that once you’ve tasted the sky, the ground is never the same. He also screens “The Process,” a behind-the-scenes portrait of balancing fatherhood, marriage, and art, reinforcing that authenticity outperforms performative content and that long-term partnerships beat one-off influencer hits.
From the stage, Lincoln’s Gabby Crowley underscores why the brand trusts Kissi’s vision: shared values around craft, calm, and sanctuary, and a commitment to telling stories with care. The audience Q&A ranges from West African symbolism and Adinkra to navigating creative control vs. collaboration, building career longevity, saying no to misaligned gigs, and passing opportunities to the right storytellers across the Black diaspora.
Filmed at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, this conversation is a masterclass in multicultural marketing, premium storytelling, and purpose-driven creativity—proof that when brand, community, and artist are aligned, the work resonates far beyond KPIs. If you care about film, photography, culture, and creative leadership, this is your invitation to pause, breathe, and imagine what’s possible when vision meets values.
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About Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival
Established in 2002, the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) is an Academy-Award® accredited Black Film Festival where independent and established African American filmmakers can showcase, screen and promote emerging feature, documentary, and short films from across the world. The brainchild of husband and wife team, Floyd and Stephanie Rance, the MVAAFF provides a nurturing environment for African American filmmakers to test their creativity, while providing sponsors a captive audience to promote their brands among a highly discerning community of

--------------------------------About Run&Shoot Filmworks---------------------------------------------------
Run&Shoot Filmworks, producer of the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF), is a film production company credited with creating outstanding visual work for several clients including HBO, Martell Cognac, Reebok, NBC Sports and Footlocker.