Raishad Momar is a multi Emmy award winning documentary cinematographer, video editor, and journalist.

As a Black and queer filmmaker who comes from generations of storytellers, Raishad cares deeply about how communities see themselves reflected and remembered. He views storytelling as a means of recalling oneself. His work is an attempt at archiving the layers of traditions and customs that make us human.

BACKGROUND:

Raishad got his chops working as a staff videographer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, where he spent many years filming, editing and producing short documentary videos from around the region. While there, Raishad won six (6) Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards for the many communities, businesses, people and movements he documented — marking the first time the newspaper ever received the honor. “Watching Raishad work,” one former colleague wrote, “is like watching a renowned painter create a masterpiece. He has a vision and knows how to get there.”

Raishad’s freelance work ranges from branded/corporate video storytelling to documentary projects for businesses and non-profits and more. He has directed, DPed, and edited several films, including “Legendary: "30 Years of Philly Ballroom (2020)” — an award-winning documentary about Philadelphia’s historic LGBTQ ballroom scene, which screened at the 2020 BlackStar Film Festival and won the festival’s Shine Award. He also won the Best Local Short Award at the 2021 Philadelphia Film Festival for his film “Sisters of the Soil,” which documented the struggle for autonomy at a local Black woman owned bookshop in Philly. In 2025, he DPed “Talking Walls (2025)", an experimental documentary honoring Black queer elders and their historic spaces of belonging.

Raishad is also a priest within the Ifá and Orisa tradition — the spiritual tradition of his Yoruba ancestors — which continues to expand his practice of archive-making, ancestral and cultural storytelling, and careful listening.

SERVICES:

Raishad is currently available for the following freelance work:

  • Documentary cinematography / camera operation / production support

  • Social media/promotional video shooting + editing

  • Corporate/branded b-roll and interviews

  • Behind-the-scenes videography

  • Event videography

  • Video editing

Looking to connect? Reach out to raishad.hardnett@gmail.com!