Issa Rae. Photo by Hanna Lassen/Getty Images
Issa Rae is the new creative director of Nice Crowd’s American Black Film Festival, Variety reports. She’ll be working with the festival’s co-founders and producers, Nicole and Jeff Friday, to curate the festival’s 2023 program. The event will occur on June 12-15 in Miami Beach.
Rae was the festival’s ambassador last year and has previewed the past two seasons of her TV show Rap Sh!t there. Now, she’s stepping into a larger partnership with ABFF. “As one of the first major festivals to showcase my work, ABFF continues to elevate Black creatives from the ground up,” she told Variety.
She continued: “There’s no other festival highlighting us in this way, highlighting our film, highlighting our television shows, and it’s in an elegant way. That’s what I admire so much about this particular festival — it’s so intentional. Even thinking about the awards that they do later, ABFF as a brand is so solid, and I feel proud of having my work showcased here.”
The Fridays appreciate Rae’s contributions to inclusion and diversity, particularly for Black creatives. “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,” they told Variety.
Rae’s foray into film isn’t her only venture outside of TV this year. In July, Raedio — Hoorae Media’s audio division — ended their contract with Atlantic Records and signed a multi-year deal with Def Jam Recordings.