Tishon Pugh

Film Programmer & Writer

Movie theater. Southside, Chicago, Illinois by Russell Lee, 1941, Prints & Photographs Division, Library of Congress, LC-USF34-038553-D .

Tishon Pugh is a Georgia born, South Carolina raised screenwriter, filmmaker and film programmer. She prefers to explore the themes of comically awkward youth, Southern heritage, queerness and the unusual in her works. Tishon is an alumni of the University of South Carolina, graduated with cum laude distinction, having obtained her B.A. in Anthropology with a specification in Cultural and Visual Anthropology. Hoping to combine the two, Tishon’s ultimate goal in life is not only to create great stories but help preserve them for the upcoming generations to experience.


Tishon has taken up many opportunities to get involved with the film industry and has had the pleasure of being apart of two inaugural programming fellowships with Outfest Fusion Film Festival and the Athena Film Festival. She currently works with the New Orleans Film Festival as their Programming Coordinator.


Outside of any creative endeavors, Tishon enjoys bar trivia, thrifting and occasional rewatches of her favorite tv show, New Girl.


As an artist, Tishon’s mission is to make film more accessible to rural areas in the South, expose low-income children to the world of cinema, and play an active role in archiving the Black Southern experience.



experience

March 2023 - Aug 2023

New Orleans Film Festival | New Orleans, LA

festival Programmer

  • Evaluate documentary features and animated shorts to curate a diverse and compelling program lineup that meets the festival's objectives and target audience.
  • Report progress at scheduled meetings with the New Orleans programming team
  • Participate as moderator for films as required, virtually and in-person.


Dec 2021 -April 2022 \ Oct 2022 - April 2023


Outfest l Los Angeles, CA

festival Programmer

  • Review and evaluate assigned short and feature films for inclusion at Outfest Fusion as well as requesting screeners from major festivals.
  • Introduce films/filmmakers and moderate Q&A sessions as required, virtually and in-person during the Festival.
  • Write program and promotional notes for films as required.


July 2022 - Oct 2022

Athena Film Festival |New York, NY

programming fellow

  • Review, evaluate and track assigned shorts while also assisting in organizing the short film tracker.
  • Research and request screeners of potential films from major festivals and film contacts as required.
  • Assist with assembling shorts films into programs, and work with the senior shorts programmer to finalize programs.


publications

Outmuseum

Outfest Fusion

Barnard College

News

Queer Diversions

What's On Queer BC

Curation

Outfest Fusion Film Festival

2022 - 2023

Animated/Narrative/Documentary Shorts / Episodics / Narrative & Documentary Features

Athena Film Festival

2023

New Orleans Film Festival 2023

Animated/Narrative/Documentary Shorts & Episodics

Documentary Features & Animated Shorts

Welcome to Black Women Watch. A series devoted to exploring the array of all things film from a black woman’s perspective. Hosted by Tishon Pugh, each season explores a different genre of film, with every episode critiquing one film in-depth with the occasional guest.

A 5EPN Original.

podcast

connect with me

Email

tishonpugh62@gmail.com

social

Flat Fill Twitter Icon

@tishyp_

@tishyp_

instagram

@Tishon Pugh