Our Team
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Sydney Chatman
Ms. Chatman is a director, educator, and producer, as well as the founder of The Tofu Chitlin’ Circuit (TCC) in Chicago’s Bronzeville district. TCC provides a platform for directors, playwrights, and designers to create works reflecting their community. Dedicated to redefining conventional theater, TCC hosts The À La Carte monthly artist talks. An alumnus of Lincoln Center’s Directors Lab, Ms. Chatman’s extensive directing credits include For Colored Girls, The Trip to Bountiful, and more.
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Saidah Holt
Saidah Holt is a freelance photojournalist with a background in television production, international photography, and education. Her career spans festival operations, IT collaboration, and mentoring students during a year in China. Saidah helped develop procedures for the African American World Festival in Milwaukee and taught photography in local schools. A former congressional staffer, she now contributes to the Annual Ethiopian Festival and Docs In Progress, supporting cultural events and documentary filmmakers in Silver Spring, MD.
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Ventress Jackson
Results-driven professional with a proven track record of delivering exceptional performance in information security, multimedia, implementation, installation, deployment, troubleshooting, maintenance, consulting, and infrastructure.
His experience includes collaborating with development and product management teams to integrate generative AI solutions and prompts into existing systems and products. I have a proven ability to provide expert advisory services to clients, ensuring the optimal utilization of technology. Additionally, I have led cross-functional initiatives and managed technology deployment and client onboarding processes, ensuring seamless integration. -
Walter Nelson Jones, GIBFF Board Chair
Walter Nelson Jones returned to Gary, Indiana, after serving in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone. His contributions to his hometown include literacy tutoring, community theater with Morning Bishop Playhouse, and hosting jazz and poetry shows. A Purdue University graduate (BS, MS), he has worked as a math instructor, academic advisor, and substitute teacher. A dedicated gardener and National Home Gardening Club member, Walter also enjoys writing, photography, and fostering compassion through humor and humility.
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Ludeen Kilgore
Ludeen B Kilgore, a native of Gary, Indiana studied Public and Environmental Affairs at IUN. As a former flight attendant and international traveler, Kilgore has lived in multiple cities throughout the US and abroad. Ludeen is also a board member with Community Advocates of Northern Indiana.
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Lester Lowe
Lester is a businessman and local civic leader whose work and commitment reflect his love, faith and passion for family and his hometown of Gary, Indiana. Lester is a proud father, husband and business leader who believes in the future of Gary.
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Toni Simpson
Gary native Toni Simpson is a lifelong artist and consultant for arts organizations, civic groups and educational institutions. Simpson also serves on a variety of local and national councils and groups dedicated to bringing world peace.
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Karen Toering, Festival Founder and Director
Karen is a grassroots organizer, cultural worker and consultant for non-profit arts and social justice organizations. Her work includes, social justice philanthropy, base-building and collaboration on media justice and media policy initiatives, and strategic engagement in equity-based collaborations.
Karen spent 14 years as Consulting Producer for Seattle’s Langston Hughes African American Film Festival and is the founder of the Gary International Black Film Festival in her hometown of Gary, IN and co-founder of Sankofa Film Society in Seattle, WA.
Karen is the proud mother of two amazing young activists, Hannah and Nicholas.
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James Ward
James Ward is the Co-Founder and Project Manager of Quad J Creative Group (QJCG), a collective of independent contractors and business owners dedicated to providing affordable marketing, promotions, public relations, and advertising services to small businesses and not-for-profit organizations. Embracing the motto "Thinking Outside The Box," James strives for excellence with the philosophy, "if you can't be good, then be GREAT!"
“The poet is key into giving a voice to emotions and the businessman is key in providing revenue to afford the artists space to perform and changes in society based on the people’s needs that should be articulated by the artists.” – Kelechukwu
Kelechukwu Brnfre (1967-2014)
Kelechukwu Brnfre was a dynamic artist and public speaker who has been performing since 1990 after leaving the US Marines as an Embassy Security Guard. Born Kelly Comer, he changed his name in 1993, choosing an African name with a derivative sound of his former name because of what he calls the encouraged global disrespect and insensitivity of Black men defining themselves. This is reflected in his writings and he uses a charismatic humor to raise the level of consciousness of the listener.
Starting Beautiful Soul with his own resources, Kelechukwu and his partner, K Sims, created a forum for talent in Gary and surrounding areas. He believed in the ingenuity of people and their ability to always create regardless of the environment.
Kelechukwu penned two books, compiled an anthology of his works, recording a CD entitled “Educated Fools” and has several poetry mix tapes. He remains active in the community specializing in interaction with so-called troubled youth. Kelechukwu’s signature poems include “Educated Fools”, a poem about degreed arrogance; “Zero”, a poem about the dynamism of women; and, “Bittersweet Memories”, a poem about Michael Jackson’s effect on Gary. Indiana. He was part of one of the first successful poetry nights in Gary and has also performed in Chicago, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington DC.
Where most people see apathy, Brnfre sees opportunity. He is a very serious businessman with endless ideas about the transformation of any inner city into a source of revitalization, especially through the arts.