Director Biography - Monda Raquel Webb

MONDA RAQUEL WEBB is an award-winning author, filmmaker and performing artist. She is an independent storyteller dedicated to telling little known stories hidden in the crevices of history's pages through her production company, Little Known Stories. A visual archeologist, she’s committed to organic storytelling from a woman's lens, that elevates, educates, and uplifts humanity.

Monda recently received a Trailblazer Award from African American Women in Cinema (AAWIC), NYC. Voted "Filmmaker of the Year" in 2020 by the National Black Movie Association, Monda has written, directed and produced two short films that deeply impact the human experience. Zoo (Volkerschau) and Pooch Sitter are a visual retrospective for societal dregs, racism and homelessness. To date, Monda has received international recognition and over 40 awards for both films. Her new short, "Mother Knows Best", a thought-provoking social impact film, will be released in the spring of 2025.

Storytelling is the heartbeat through which Monda navigates her life. She serves as juror for film festivals in Maryland, Washington, DC, Texas, New York and France. She is a juror for the NAACP Image Awards and for the NAACP ACT-SO Competition, in the categories of Poetry and Film. Additionally, she judges a youth competition for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Lauded for her body of work that champions social impact, Monda was commissioned to write and perform poetry for L'Accion (Financial Inclusion Week) and The MasterCard Foundation for women/girls and inclusion and youth, climate change and the Corona virus respectively.

Monda served as Executive Vice President for Women in Film and Video, Washington, DC (WIFV-DC) from 2021-2023, and is the Executive Vice President and Festival Programming Coordinator for the Chesapeake Film Festival. She is a member of the first Black Sorority for Women, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. , and a member of Gamma Xi Phi, a Fraternity for the Arts. In 2021, Monda won a Leader Award for Consumer Advocate by the National Association of Women in Real Estate for her work in the arts. She was also a regular contributor (Host) for Black Art in America (Readers and Reel Folk) online programming for the arts.

Monda's current project is a Documentary entitled "Portraits in Black: Honoring Our National Treasures" which tells the stories of eight African-Americans who've lived through watershed moments that changed the trajectory of this country's history.

“As a filmmaker, if I don't make you laugh, cry or throw something at the screen, I have failed. We all deserve to feel something. Thus, I choose to tackle topics that challenge the status quo. I aim to raise the rug under which many secrets are held. The truth is refreshing, truth frees.” -- monda