I vlogged my entire Nice Crowd produced American Black Film Festival (ABFF) experience as one of their ambassadors for the 2024 event. In my two-part video series you can experience the festival — a curation of elite and independent Black cinema, as if you were there in Miami with me and the incredible talent present from June 12-16, 2024.
Here’s what ABFF shared about me as one of their five 2024 Social Media Ambassadors:
“As a celebrated voice actor and Creative Executive, Joy Ofodu’s imaginative voiceover performances can be heard across children’s animation, online and console games, film and music. Joy has drawn millions of views to her original digital comedy content including two original shows, Dating Unsettled and Who Needs This. Under her self-titled media company, she has grown a highly-engaged community of nearly 300,000 online daters and affirmation-seeking comedy-lovers. Joy’s dating podcast Dating Unsettled, has been lauded for its ‘vulnerability’ and ‘energizing’ ‘impressions, voiceovers and stories’ curated to empower women and non-binary daters globally.”
As an African born in the United States, who has lived a first gen African-American experience her whole life, I am deeply grateful to have the inimitable access that reinvigorated my passion for using my magic to heal others, being a ridiculously and unrestrictedly creative human.
See more of Joy at the 2024 American Black Film Festival
My ABFF ambassador videos include unforgettable, exclusive highlights as an ambassador, but you can especially play close attention to my recap of opening night on the red carpet with Benjamin Abiola, the Cadillac Media Brunch with Camron Jones, Rues World and Wes Armstrong, and Mike Gauyo of Black Boy Writes Black Girl Write and Amy Aniobi’s Superspecial Writer’s Workshop.
Undoubtedly, I was especially excited to attend and process the rich knowledge from other great Black filmmakers and actors in the industry — such as Issa Rae’s HOORAE Where the Black People At Party (WTBPA)? and Q&A Career Retrospective with Denzel Washington.
I am even more inspired to continue making digital, film, and TV projects because of the wonderfully enriching experience I had at this year’s ABFF. My preparation for my first Meet and Greet at ABFF underscores how honored and ready I felt for this event.
The journey to standing alongside Kerry Washington and Tracy McMillan as a professional actor was not an easy one. But the outcome and soul filling that took place at ABFF made every “no” of the last decade so worth it. It was an honor to interview these ladies for their work on Unprisoned, and I can’t wait to binge the show.
MIAMI BEACH, FL – JUNE 13: Kerry Washington and Tracy McMillan are interviewed at the “UnPrisoned” Season 2 World Premiere during the 2024 American Black Film Festival at the New World Center on June 13, 2024, in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Alekandra London/Getty Images)
A special thank you EENY EYEWEAR and shopAKIRA.com for dressing me for this beautiful festival celebrating Black filmmaking and performance.
Video Edit credit: Trell West
JOY OFODU | From Joy to the World 