KAZEMBE BALAGUN (he/him), executive DIRECTOR
For the past twenty years, Kazembe Balagun has been a dynamic force on the NYC’s left intelligentsia scene, bringing together diverse audiences in real time to debate, learn and form solidarity.
Kazembe was born in Harlem in 1976, the son of Benjamin and Mildred. As the youngest of three and first generation out of the south New Yorker, Kazembe’s world outlook was formed by his parents’ trade unionism, life in the Polo Grounds Housing Project (“a small southern village transplanted up North as he said”), the LA Rebellion of 1992, and the sounds of Public Enemy, X-Clan, Rage Against the Machine and Wu-Tang.
From 1996-2000 he was a member of The Student Liberation Action Movement (SLAM!) as a student at Hunter College, a broad multiracial front that sought to extend the legacy of the 1969 CUNY Student movements, fighting for a free, democratic, CUNY.
In 2008, he came onboard as outreach coordinator for the Brecht Forum, a broadly anti-capitalist cultural space in the West Village. His interest included the intersections of Marxism, Black liberation, and LGBTQ issues, working with diverse collectives such as Theater of The Oppressed, Women on Wednesdays, Ground Floor Collective, Neues Kabarett, Music Now Series, and speakers such as Slavoj Zizek, Angela Davis, and Naomi Klein.
“Being around so many speakers, so many musicians and artists, especially in the Village taught me it really wasn’t about code-switching, it was about being polyphonic.” said Kazembe about his experiences at the Brecht Forum. “The sound of jazz really helped me develop coalition politics.”
His start in film was unintentional. A class at Manhattan Neighborhood Network to document Brecht Forum events led to a passion for editing. Eventually he joined the Red Channels Collective which programmed films out of the Brecht Forum. He continued his film work as a production fellow at Third World Newsreel.
From 2013-2022, Kazembe was a project manager at the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung New York Office, He lives in Co-op City with his son Miles and cat, Leroi.
Nelson Walker (he/him), DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Nelson is a New York-based cinematographer and documentary filmmaker whose work spans production, education, and film programming. He got his start in cinematography working alongside the late Albert Maysles, and since then his work has appeared in many notable films, such as MAKING A MURDER, IRIS, WATCHERS OF THE SKY, CIVIL WAR, THE FIGHT, CAPTURING THE FLAG, THE REVEREND and most recently NAM JUNE PAIK: MOON IS THE OLDEST TV and INVISIBLE BEAUTY. With his partner Lynn True, Nelson also shoots and directs his own films, including LUMO (winner of the Student Academy Award), SUMMER PASTURE (winner of the Peabody Award), and IN TRANSIT, which he co-directed with Albert Maysles and others. In addition to his work as a filmmaker, Nelson is founder of the Congo in Harlem film series (www.congoinharlem.org) and the Kham Film Project (www.khamfilmproject.org), which seeks to expand opportunities for Tibetan filmmakers. Nelson currently serves as DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT of Maysles Documentary Center, a Harlem-based non-profit cinema that uses film to promote community, education, and social justice (www.maysles.org). Nelson is a graduate of Brown University and Columbia University School of the Arts.
Vithya Truong (he/him), Bookkeeper
Vithya has been with MDC since 2017, and is responsible for our general accounting. When he is not crunching numbers at MDC, he is in his painting studio and caring for his two daughters. He has a BS degree in Accounting from Northern Illinois University with a CPA certification, and a MFA in painting from the New York Academy of Art.
Emily Rose Apter (she/her), Director of Programming / Cinema manager — Emily is a programmer, filmmaker, and community organizer based in brooklyn. She has programmed at cinemas, museums, and schools around the country including Spectacle, Peephole Cinema, Museum of the City of NY, City College, Harlem Stage, the Film-Makers' Cooperative, among others, archives, labor, landscapes, and collective struggle are core themes of her work.
Art Jones (he/him), Lead Film educator
Art Jones works with film, digital video, and interactive media in the roles of director, director of photography, motion graphics designer, and editor. He has produced and directed pieces for organizations including MTV , Deep Dish Television, and the Women’s Health Project (New York City Department of Health). He has served as Director of Photography on projects for clients including Red Bull, The New York Times, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and on numerous short and long-form films and videos. Jones’ films and new media projects have been presented at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, London’s Tate Gallery, and media festivals and broadcast outlets internationally. Jones works in a variety of genres, most significantly in documentary and music related pieces.
akeema-Zane (she/her), film educator Akeema is an artist and researcher working in the mediums of literature, film performance and sound. a²z is the arm which houses some of the artists’ music/sound practice which includes deejaying, composition and scoring/sound design. She is currently serving as board chair of The School of Making Thinking and on the board of Cucalorus Film Festival.
Astrid dong (they/them), projectionist
Astrid is a filmmaker, community organizer, and projectionist. At MDC, they tend to the technical aspect of film screenings to share stories with audiences. They graduated from SUNY Purchase, where they produced their thesis film, Joyrider, with the reception of the Elayne Rubinoff award. They are a Telluride Film Festival Student Symposium alum, and a PitchNY Participant (Tribeca, NBC Universal, NYS-MPTV). Astrid lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Langston sanchez (he/him), projection manager Langston is an artist, educator, and technician. As Technical Manager/Projectionist, Langston enjoys both detailed plans and spontaneous action, tending to the cinema’s audio/visual and front of house needs. As an artist, his work draws from the foundations of cinema verite. When not working below the line or behind the curtain, Langston shares his knowledge of film, technical theater, and production with young people across the city.
Victor sanchez (he/him), House Manager
Nasri Zacharia (he/him), Education Program Coordinator
Nasri is a co-founder of, and the Director of Programming for, the Harlem International Film Festival. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of California at Davis, and earned his MFA in directing and cinematography from New York University’s Graduate Film School.
Lucas C. Ospina (he/him), Print traffic manager
Lucas is a filmmaker and photographer living in Queens, NY. He was born in California.
Tiffany wang (she/her), projectionist Tiffany is a film projectionist living in Brooklyn, NY
Nia Whitmal (she/her), Summer-fall intern
Nia is a phD student in sociocultural anthropology at Cornell University. My research interests include the Black middle class and Black homeownership in New York City. I am particularly interested in Black Harlemites who own and/or will inherit historic brownstones from their forebears. Alongside doctoral research, I teach undergraduates documentary production and work on independent films in New York.
Benji Santos (they/them), projectionist
Benji hunches in booths across New York, Olympia, and San Diego..
Iman Rose Louis-Jeune (she/her), projectionist
Iman is an interdisciplinary artist from Brooklyn, NY. Her work is inspired by science fiction, current events, and familial relationships. Through movement, lens-based media, design and production she is focused on creating dance films, photo prints, and design work exploring mental health, racial inequities, and her diverse cultural upbringing.
Beau Gaines (he/him), rentals coordinator
Beau is a documentary filmmaker originally from the Bay Area, who now lives in Harlem. His experience in film ranges from archival research to production management and producing. Working for both major studios and innovative start-ups on multiple critically acclaimed projects, Beau is enthusiastic about contributing to the community, education, and culture of championing diverse voices at Maysles.
Andrew Castillo – guest programmer
Andrew Castillo is a record collector, cinephile, and “uncredentialed researcher” from the Bronx. He hosted Jazz Alternatives on WKCR-FM from 2016-2020, and has presented film and music programs at the Maysles Documentary Center, Light Industry, the Spectacle Theater and Lot Radio.
