Loira Limbal has been appointed president and CEO of Firelight Media. Limbal succeeds Marcia Smith, who co-founded the nonprofit organization with her husband, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Stanley Nelson (“Attica”) in 2000. Firelight supports, provides resources to and advocates on behalf of documentary filmmakers of color.
Smith, who announced her departure from Firelight Media in July 2024, stayed on as interim president and CEO while the company held a nationwide search for her replacement. Limbal will assume her new position on June 1.
“We could not be more thrilled with the appointment of Loira Limbal as Firelight Media’s next president and CEO,” Nelson and Smith said in a joint statement. “As Firelight transitions from being a founder-led organization for its 25 years of existence, and at such a pivotal time for the documentary industry, Loira is the ideal person to ensure the longevity of the organization for the next 25 years and beyond. We know Loira will bring visionary leadership, new energy, and organizational acumen to this role, as she has for the last 16 years in her staff and consulting roles.”
Limbal served as Firelight Media’s senior vice president of programs until 2021. The org produced doc hits including “Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool,” “Freedom Riders,” ”Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple” and most recently “We Want the Funk,” which is screening at North Carolina’s documentary festival Full Frame Festival on April 5. The film will air on PBS’s Independent Lens on April 8.
Limbal originally joined Firelight Media in 2009 and, throughout her tenure, led the expansion of Firelight’s flagship Documentary Lab as well as the launch of its Groundwork Regional Lab, William Greaves Research & Development Fund, Impact Campaign Fund and the In the Making documentary short film series, produced in partnership with PBS’ American Masters.
“Documentary filmmaking is one of our most powerful tools for social change — a force that disrupts, reveals, and reimagines,” Limbal said. “My time at Firelight has only strengthened my conviction in its ability to challenge harmful narratives and sow the seeds of new, transformative ones. At a time when our field faces unprecedented challenges, it is a privilege to stand alongside Firelight Media’s brilliant and dedicated staff, championing filmmakers whose work illuminates our present, preserves our past and expands the possibilities for our collective future.”
Limbal is a multidisciplinary artist who works primarily in documentary film, video installation and as a DJ. Her film “Through the Night” (2020), a feature documentary about a 24-hour daycare center, premiered at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival. Her previous documentary, “Estilo Hip Hop,” aired on PBS in 2009.
“As co-chairs of the search committee, we are elated by this outcome,” said Firelight Media board of directors members Anne Canty and Rashid Shabazz. “We are excited to work with Loira to ensure Firelight Media has the resources it needs to continue to transform the documentary field into a more sustainable and equitable place for underrepresented filmmakers.”
Recent accolades for Limbal include a 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship, a Creative Capital Award, a USA Fellowship, a NAACP Image Award nomination and a Sundance Institute Fellowship. She received a B.A. in history from Brown University.
Firelight Media is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year through a number of public programs.
