The Michelle Materre Collection

The Black Film Center & Archive (BFCA) presents a series of special programs celebrating its acquisition of the collection of renowned distributor, programmer, and educator Michelle Materre (1954–2022).

Founded in 1981 at Indiana University, the BFCA is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and making accessible films and related materials by and about Black people. As one of the nation’s leading institutions committed to safeguarding the history of Black filmmaking, the BFCA serves scholars, filmmakers, students, and the public, ensuring that the voices and visions of Black cinema remain central to cultural memory and future creation.

Michelle Materre’s life’s work exemplifies the very mission of the BFCA. She was instrumental in securing the release of Julie Dash’s landmark film Daughters of the Dust (1991) — the first feature directed by a Black American woman to receive theatrical distribution in the United States. Beyond her groundbreaking work as a distributor, she was an educator at The New School, a trusted consultant, and the founder of Creatively Speaking, a film series devoted to showcasing stories by BIPOC artists that might otherwise go unseen. Through these roles, she mentored and uplifted an entire generation of independent filmmakers of color.

In 2024, Materre’s colleagues, friends, and family generously donated her personal and professional collection to the BFCA. The Michelle Materre Collection is vast and significant: 313 DVDs, 118 videocassettes, 73 CDs, 4 film reels, more than 6,000 digital files, and over 20,000 paper documents. These materials chronicle Materre’s lifelong advocacy — including her collaborations with filmmakers, recordings and promotions from her many programs, and invaluable resources connected to the release and enduring legacy of Daughters of the Dust.

With generous grant support from the IU Foundation’s Affinity Giving Group – Black Philanthropy Circle (BPC), the BFCA is honored to celebrate the official unveiling of this remarkable collection with a series of public events featuring Julie Dash and several of Michelle Materre’s colleagues.

Events:

September 25 | Opening Reception + The Michelle Materre Collection Ribbon Cutting

BFCA | Wells Library, Room 044 | 4:30pm

September 26 | Friends of Michelle Materre Panel Discussion + Luncheon

BFCA | Wells Library, Room 044 | 12:00pm

September 26 | Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash, 1991) Screening + Q&A with the Filmmaker

IU Cinema | 7:00pm

All events are free and open to the public. Please join us in celebrating the legacy of Michelle Materre and the enduring mission of the Black Film Center & Archive — to preserve and champion Black cinema for generations to come.