Mike Sargent

Mike Sargent is an award-winning cultural critic, filmmaker, journalist, and broadcaster whose work spans radio, television, film, and podcasting. He made his feature writing and directing debut with Personals (aka Hook’d Up), starring Malik Yoba, Stacey Dash, and Rhonda Ross, and featuring the film debut of comedian Jim Gaffigan. The Los Angeles Times called it “both entertaining and provocative,” and it premiered as the opening night selection at the Pan African Film Festival in 1999.

His most recent film, From The Shadows, a supernatural sci-fi thriller starring Keith David and Oscar® nominee Bruce Davison, was released theatrically in 2023 and began streaming in 2024.

From 2014 to 2016, Mike created, hosted, and co-produced more than 60 episodes of Arise On Screen, the first nationally broadcast African-American-hosted movie review show. He is also the co-founder and co-president of the Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC), a founding member of the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA), and a frequent voice on film culture and criticism.