Bilal Motley, a filmmaker and actor from Chester, PA, made his mark with “Midnight Oil,” a BlackStar Film Festival Official Selection and Doc Society NYC grantee, now with Black Public Media. This documentary film delves into the complex relationship between South Philadelphia oil refinery workers and the neighboring fenceline community. His animated short, “Quarantine Kids,” reflects his daughter’s pandemic experience and won the Philadelphia Filmmaker Award at the BlackStar Film Festival and Best Short Documentary at the March on Washington Film Festival. His latest work, “Trash & Burn,” documents the 30-year battle against America’s largest trash incinerator in Chester, a town grappling with industrial pollution. Bilal is in the process of developing “INWARDS IN PARIS,” a feature film screenplay. This drama blends the whimsical charm of “Amélie” with the intensity of “Do the Right Thing.” It centers on a Black Philadelphian’s vision of an ideal, race-free Paris, set against the backdrop of France’s racial awakening.
TRASH & BURN:
“Trash & Burn” highlights the 30-year struggle led by Zulene Mayfield in Chester, Pennsylvania, against the United States’ largest trash incinerator. This facility, processing waste from as far as Canada and Puerto Rico, has deeply affected Chester’s predominantly black community, illustrating a severe case of environmental racism. The documentary film, which recently had a special screening at the Philadelphia Film Society’s Philly Film Showcase, is set to have more community screenings and will be shown at film festivals worldwide. It focuses on the town’s resilience and its ongoing battle against systemic injustice.