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Issa Rae stays booked and busy, and she has yet another gig in the works. The entertainment mogul will be on hand at the 2024 American Black Film Festival as its Creative Director.
The announcement was first reported by Variety on Tuesday.
“As one of the first major festivals to showcase my work, ABFF continues to elevate Black creatives from the ground up, and I’m excited to join its co-founders and producers, Nicole and Jeff Friday, in that mission,” Rae said in a press release.
She was the festival’s ambassador in 2022 and now looks to expand upon that role.
The Black creative who appeared in the Barbie movie, showcasing a few stylish hot pink looks along the way, is looking forward to helping other Black creatives find the next level. Rae is in her “mogul era” she told Elle earlier this year. After the end of her HBO TV show Insecure, which concluded its critically acclaimed run in 2021 after five seasons, she has other projects in the pipeline.
Hoorae Media’s Raedio, an audio subsidiary, left Atlantic Records to sign a multi-year deal with Def Jam. Rae’s Max show Rap Shi!t, which she premiered at ABFF will begin its strike-delayed second season in November. She also appears in the Toronto International Film Festival darling American Fiction starring Jeffrey Wright, which won an audience award there, and she voiced the character of Jessica Drew in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
So Rae is well positioned to help others succeed.
It’s expected she will help program the festival in her role as creative director, along with ABFF founders Nicole and Jeff Friday.
“Throughout the course of her career, Issa Rae has made an indelible impact within the entertainment ecosystem ranging from her wide array of roles – in front of and behind the camera – to her fierce advocacy for equitable representation and opportunities for Black creatives,” the Fridays said in a statement. “We couldn’t think of a better partner to help us continue to embody the ABFF mission of showcasing Black talent — and discovering and amplifying new voices.”
ABFF recently rebranded to Nice Crowd and will continue to host the festival as well as other entertainment and lifestyle events throughout the year. Their inaugural Because They’re Funny (BTF) Comedy Festival takes place in Washington, D.C. this weekend, Oct. 6-8.
The American Black Film Festival will be held in Miami from June 12-16, 2024.
