The BRIC Film Festival

Shirin Barghi is an NY Emmy-nominated audio producer and documentary filmmaker based in Brooklyn, New York. She currently works as a Senior Producer for BRIC TV, where she covers issues of social justice, immigration, inequality and more.

Gabriel Tolliver is a multimedia journalist at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism class of 2017. Gabriel was a US Army video journalist(46R) from 2007-2011 which included deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (09-10). In addition, he is an author of several books, a haiku poet, mixed media artist, entrepreneur and a filmmaker.

Jordana Persad is a producer, actor, director, and writer. She is a native New Yorkerwith Trinidadian roots via her parents, who were born in Trinidad and Tobago. Shestudied theater at the William Esper Studio and is actively working on her nextproduction, “Illegal Alien,” with performances at the Tank Theatre, Playwrights Horizon,and WP Theatre. Her Caribbean sketch comedy show “Don’t Pass the Peppa Sauce,”the only Caribbean sketch comedy show in New York City has been featured in TimeOut's "Best Things to Do in NYC," Caribbean Life News Paper, CBS News, WPIX News,Queens Ledger, Noticias and much more. 

Khalid Hamid is a Trinidadian actor and entrepreneur. He is a member of the onlyCaribbean sketch comedy show in NYC, “Don’t Pass the Peppa Sauce" which hasperformed at the Tank and Playwrights theaters and has been featured in Time Out’s"Best Things to Do in NYC,"" Caribbean Life newspaper, CBS Morning and many more.Outside of acting, Khalid is the owner of Island Pops; a frozen dessert companyspecializing in Caribbean centric ice cream, sorbet, and popsicles. 

Justin D. Jenkins is a writer, producer, and director. Born and raised in New York City, Justin's past credits include the web series Remembering Wednesday, the award-winning short film The Reading, and the AT&T grand prize-winning short film Ghosted. Justin also serves as the managing editor of the media platform The Quintessential Gentleman. A true storyteller at heart, Justin hopes to continue to work on his craft while making strides in Hollywood. 

Nancy Ma is a performer, playwright, and filmmaker from Chinatown New York. She is currently a National Arts Club artist fellow. Her work has been supported by the NYFA Women’s Fund, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, The New Harmony Project, Fresh Ground Pepper, Asian American Arts Alliance, Museum of Chinese in America. Selected acting credits: Barry (HBO), Hacks (HBO),Warrior Sisters of Wu (Pan Asian Repertory Theater), Support (On the Verge, Ojai Playwrights), Three Little Girls Down a Well (UTR, The Public). She also facilitates workshops with The Moth, Brooklyn Arts Council, and Young Storytellers. 

DaeQuan Collier uses documentation, response, and reimagining to provide commentary on life and adversity through the lens of a Bronx native of color. Using mediums such as poetry, sound, film, installation, and performance, Collier strives to produce comprehensive creations that blend personal and socio-political narratives. Collier presents, A place in the sun: and other things I tell myself on hopeless days, a four-channel video installation that combines poetry, archival home videos, music, found clips, family interviews, and stylized surrealist scenes to explore and document an artist’s journey to healing and liberation and to examine how Black people find their way to emotional wellbeing.

Collier’s films have been shown at the Oxford Film Festival, Show Me Justice Film Festival, and the NYU Social Impact Film Festival, among others. He was awarded best BIPOC Director by Argo Untold Stories Short Film Awards and Best Social Justice/Investigative Short from the Shortie Film Festival. Collier received his MFA from Emerson College.

What I got to say about Martha Sea? Let’s Start A Movement: key ah key! I’m a photographer, bookkeeper and a keeper of history. Got an MBA from St. John’s University. Worked for Pan Am and flew around the world, literally then sat in a chair and counted dollars, figuratively. I’m a Mom to a beautiful daughter, gift to me from a Bajan son, where I learned my lessons about the Thus Come One. Using poetry and photography I tell a story about 2 friends who set out to honor the legacy of Gil Scott Heron. The story unfolds over 7 months in the Gil Scott Heron Amphitheater located in St. Mary’s Park in the Bronx, NY.

It seemingly ends on Gil’s 73rd birthday in 2022, but gets followed up with a celebration in 2023, on his 74th birthday, in Washington DC. In 2024 for his 75th, a 10- minute short doc film at Bric. One never knows about his 2025 gifts, Brother Gil got a bag of tricks! ❤️🖤💚

Magali Judith is a video producer, journalist, and writer with extensive experience creating a wide range of documentary videos for digital and broadcast television. Born and raised in Paris, France, she holds Master’s degrees in political science and journalism from the Sorbonne University of Paris and ESJ Lille. With a French and Caribbean background, she likes to focus her storytelling on questions of identity and belonging. 

Yes They Can showcases the intricacies of New York City's can-collecting system and the challenges ‘canners’ face in their everyday lives.

Photographer and author of Block Party NYC Soul of Summer.