Filmmakers: What is your primary skill and where do you work most?
Norcal Directing
My current Project Title:
The Hyers Sisters’ Dream & Legacy as well as Meet Mary Pleasant—a one-woman live touring program on Mary Ellen Pleasant
About me - current project:
Full Areas of Expertise: Producer-Director-Writer-Performer
CURRENT & CAREER WORK, BRIEF BIO,-RECOGNITION -- NEWS! After her successful run of her 2 HYERS SISTERS films, winner of a Telly, Am Filmatic Arts Award and many more, Susheel Bibbs has opened O FREEDOM! the musical saga of Mary Ellen Pleasant. It's in CineSoul August 23 at 11 AM at the Sacramento train museum, And opened on PBS along with her other films in May 2026. ..
Details on www. mepleasant1.com and mepleasant1@yahoo.com. This is a new documentary feature IN WHICH BIBBS AS MARY PLEASANT TAKES THE STAGE TO TELL PLEASANT'S LIFE IN AN OLD-FASHIONED CHAUTAUQUA. BIBBS DOES A AROUSING RENDITION OF PLEASANT AS SHE SHARES HER LIFE AND IS INTERVIEWED BY METROPOLITAN OPERA STAR RAEHANN BRYCE-DAVIS. IT IS A DOCUMENTARY WITH PLEASANT'S LONG, LOST WORDS AND ARCHIVAL VISUALS, AS WELL AS GREAT RENDITIONS OF SONGS OLD AND NEW.
A Live screening show on O FREEDOM is touring too.See www.maryplaeasant1.com The film rents and streams on Vimeo.com.
Bookings via mepleasant1@yahoo.com
Laurels, awards and other accomplishments:
- CAREER HIGHLIGHTS/KEY AWARDS & RECOGNITION EDUCATION: ARTS: Opera and Vocal Performance =Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Vocal Performance/Opera =Apprenticeships at the Santa Fe Opera; diplomas at the Mozarteum in Austria =26 years as a touring opera and concert singer and actress Touring Artist (singer-actress) www.susheelbibbs.com
- HUMANITIES = Advanced degree in Communications, Breyer State University = Certifications, State of CA, in Voice and Philosophy =1978 Diploma in Vedic Philosophy & Culture, Sandeepany,Bombay =1975 CPB Training Grant(Executive training) RECENT INTERNATIONAL AWARDS:Documentary Film & other since 2007:
FILMS
1) O FREEDOM! (listed above) See PBS Passport & listings and www.maryplaeasant1.com
2) VOICES FOR FREEDOM --The Hyers Sisters' Legacy : (Fall 2017-pres, documentary short) continues to screen and to win awards-- Awards: 2018 Bronze Telly, Grand Festival Award: Berkeley Int'l Video & Film Festival; Documentary Short Award: Houston Worldfest, Gold Kahuna Award for Excellence in Filmmaking: Honolulu International Film Festival, Award Hollywood Int'l Documentary Festival/Awards, Best Film (Cine Soul) Sacramento Int'l Film Festival, 2018 Gold Winner - International Independent Film Awards (Short Documentary), Watch for it In March 20 at the Missour History Museum, sponsored by the Museum and The Opera Center of St. Louis
3) The new film: THE HYERS SISTERS' DREAM & LEGACY has won The 2019 Am. Filmatic Arts Award and will soon run for a week in LA
4) Bibbs' Feature doc on Californis'a Mother of Civil Rights is still on PBS through 2021. -- *MEET MARY PLEASANT Mother of Civil Rights in California - film and Bibbs live one-woman show are touring --Awards: Gold Kahuna Award for Excellence in Filmmaking, Honolulu International Film Festival, Official Screening at Cannes Film Festival, Best Director of a Documentary 09 in New York and Best Historical Documentary Feature (08) in Hollywood: NY Int'l Independent Film Festival, Screening Finalist in the Hollywood Black Film Festival, =MEET MARY PLEASANT SHORT: 2007 Peace-reel Medallion - Best Documentary Short: Berkeley Int'l Video and Film Festival.
5) AN UNSUNG MUSE - Classical Song of Black Composers SHORT (reissued: 2019 in HD and on DVD) has received Willis Patterson Award for film research from The It'l African-American Art song Alliance
Bibbs' Live One-woman shows are touring : MEET MARY PLEASANT (one-woman drama) & O FREEDOM (one-woman musical) are touring now.: Bibbs has won SF Supervisors Highest Commendation, Commendations for enriching history from St. Louis City Museum, Los Angeles African-American Museum, National Park Service Network-to-Freedom Program Awards & more. See susheelbibbs.com or contact mepleasant1@yahoo.com
OTHER CAREER AWARDS -
Television & Radio =National EMMY., Executive Producer of ZOOM: =CPB Management Training Grant, =2 CPB Best Program Awards, Action for Children's Television Award (The Spider's Web): Radio Producer/Music Program Dir. of The Spider's Web (WGBH/NPR) & Others
RECOGNITION HIGHLIGHTS MEDIA -Several NPR. KVIE-TV Film, and Discovery Channel Profiles about Mary Pleasant -2018 - KVIE-PBS Arts Showcase Profile -2017 - Good Day Sacramento Hyers film profile PERFORMANCE AND CAREER =2018 Marquis Who's Who of Women Lifetime Achievement award =2018 PBS Arts Showcase: Career Profile =2001 CA Humanities/California History Alive touring artist and Grant recipient - Meet Mary Pleasant =1990-2003: Featured artist: California Touring Artist Roster =2001-pres: Grant recipient & performer: The Missouri Arts Council and The National Park Service Network to Freedom Program (Meet Mary Pleasant, O Freedom, Mother of civil Rights exhibit) 1999:2001 Commendations: St. Louis City Museum, Los Angeles African American Museum. Highest Commendation: Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco AREAS OF WORK (1970-Present) =touring classical singer-actress =Independent Filmmaker =Founder/Exec.Director,The Living Heritage Foundation (Sacramento) =Director-Performer-writer, M.E.P. Productions/Publications (books,documentary scripts) =Producer & Director of Music Program Development, WGBH Radio =Producer-Executive Producer, WGBH-TV
