Afrofuturism in Motion: Tewodross Williams on Film, Animation, and Black Futures

Tewodross Melchishua “Teo” Williams—award-winning filmmaker, animator, Afrofuturist, and Professor & Department Chair of Visual Communication & Digital Media Arts at Bowie State University—joins Cultural Catalysts to explore how movement, music, and Black futures shape his visual storytelling. From being inspired by seeing Black people in space in Star Trek and Star Wars, to creating his “visual jazz” style, Teo shares how synesthesia, hip hop, jazz, reggae, and house music inform his animation, film work, and live projections for projects like Cinderella: The Remix at Imagination Stage and the Shaolin Jazz “The 37th Chamber” and “Page to Stage” collaborations. He dives into Afrofuturism as a lens for centering Black narratives, details his new sci-fi feature he’s calling, ‘The Beat,’ and explains how HBCUs like Bowie State function as interdisciplinary laboratories where dance, immersive media, VR, gaming, fashion, and film collide. Find out more: About Tewodross “Teo” Williams:Visual Jazz studio: visualjazzmedia.net Instagram: @soulcinematic"Planet X Marks the Spot: Nommo Music for the Suckas" Bowie State University – Department of Fine and Performing Arts / Visual Communication & Digital Media Arts (VCDMA)Megamind Media / Tressa “Azarel” Smallwood Shaolin Jazz Listen to Above the Clouds by Gang Starr: Spotify | Apple Music Want to know more about the Impact Roadmap: The Art of Describing Your Impact? Join the waitlist to get first access.🔗 Connect with Alison:LinkedInInstagram🌐   Find out more about McNeil Creative Enterprises.