Pamela A. Thomas, is originator & producer of the award-winning documentary, MIDNIGHT RAMBLE: Oscar Micheaux and the Story of Race Movies for PBS documentary series, The American Experience. Recognized as a critical piece bridging the informational gap in Black cinema history, MIDNIGHT RAMBLE was ten years in the making from concept to completion.

Ms. Thomas' interest in research and promotion of race movies and early Black American cinema history have had her on the lecture circuit for years. Lecturing on the significance and impact of race movies in this country, engagements have included among others: Harvard University; Howard University; University of Toledo; Boston University; Boston College; Stanford University; University of California, Berkley; the State University of New York (S.U.N.Y.), Purchase; Roxbury Community College, Boston; the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of American History and the Hong Kong Film Center in China. (A complete exhibition history is on www.blackfolksmakemovies.com)

Following undergraduate studies at the University of Cincinnati in film & media she moved to Boston, where while studying at Harvard & MIT, she began her passionate interest & research into race movie filmmaker, Oscar Micheaux considered the 'Dean of early Black American film'. The end result was MIDNIGHT RAMBLE. While at Harvard she created Blacks in Black & White & Color, a symposium on Black Americans in media. Just prior to the MIDNIGHT RAMBLE national broadcast, Thomas began lecturing on race movies & early Black American film history. Along the way lectures became presentations traveling across the country and to Hong Kong where MR was screened at the Hong Kong Cultural Center for the first annual Black American Film Festival. Following her return to the States, Pam moved to the 'Boston of the West,' the San Francisco Bay Area. While teaching at Mills College in Oakland, CA, she founded the groundbreaking film festival, RAW STOCK, Celebrating Cinema, Oakland, CA, an annual education based film festival focusing primarily on filmmakers of color locally, nationally & globally.

Most recently Ms. Thomas founded BLACK FOLKS MAKE MOVIES, Inc. (BFMMI) an organization promoting empowerment and education through Black American film. Utilizing multiple venues, BFMMI is committed to the examination of Black film history through images portrayed in film and television via education, the promotion of past & current independent filmmakers of color and the preservation of contributions by Black and other artists of color. Currently featuring Race Movies: A Presentation, next is RAW STOCK, Celebrating Cinema, Cincinnati, and BLACK LIGHT: Over 100 Years of Black American Cinema.

A three pronged project, BLACK LIGHT consists of a touring film festival incorporating not only screenings & panels but an art exhibit of race movie memorabilia and live performances of several musical scores commissioned for significant Oscar Micheaux films, Body & Soul and Within Our Gates. Covering approximately two years, BLACK LIGHT: Celebrating Over 100 Years of Black American Cinema is scheduled for multiple cities beginning September 2010.

Secondly, BLACK LIGHT is also a multi-part educational series on Black American film for television; and thirdly it is a children's book on Oscar Micheaux and race movies. BLACK LIGHT is a long overdue historical exploration of film contextually demonstrating the visual perception of the Black image from the Black American perspective. In so doing, BLACK LIGHT defines and conceptualizes the impact Black American Cinema has on our culture, our history and American Cinema.

RAW STOCK, Celebrating Cinema (based on the Oakland model- see P Thomas Bio) is scheduled for its Cincinnati premiere April 9-12, 2009. Based out of the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, RAW STOCK Cincinnati is planned as a collaborative effort between CMC and othr organizations such as the Freedom Center & the Cincinnati Museum of Art (Eden Park). Again the focus is on filmmakers of color locally (Cincinnati/Tri-State area), nationally & globally. More information on RAW STOCK & BLACK LIGHT will be forthcoming.

To date awards include: a Ciné Golden Eagle; a Chris Award; National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) Prized Pieces Award, Runner-Up; NBPC Community Choice Award for Best Documentary; NBPC Community Choice Award for Best Producer; NEFV Foundation Gold Apple Award; and a Silver Hugo.

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