About me
RASHAAD NEWSOME (DIRECTOR / PRODUCER / DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY / DIRECTOR OF VISUAL EFFECTS)
Rashaad Newsome is an award-winning filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist whose work merges film, performance, technology, and community organizing. His visionary practice creates immersive experiences that challenge dominant narratives and make space for Black, queer, and trans stories to flourish.
Newsome’s projects often combine animation, sculpture, music, and artificial intelligence, reflecting a philosophy of collage that deconstructs and reimagines the world through expansive, inclusive perspectives. He holds an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Connecticut and has exhibited and performed internationally at institutions including The Whitney Museum, The Studio Museum in Harlem, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Hayward Gallery (London), Centre Pompidou (Paris), Kampnagel (Hamburg), SXSW Film Festival, BFI Film Festival, and Sundance Film Festival.
With more than 15 short films presented in art spaces, festivals, and on PBS, Newsome’s work is celebrated for its innovation and cultural resonance. Recent honors include the 2025 Creative Capital Award, 2025 USA Artist Fellowship, 2022 NewFest Emerging Black LGBTQ+ Filmmaker Award, and the 2022 Prix Ars Electronica Golden Nica for Computer Animation. Across mediums, his work reframes art and technology as tools for liberation, visibility, and joy.
