Issa Rae Takes Miami, Named Creative Director For 2024 American Black Film Festival

Issa Rae‘s success in film and television has garnered her the role of creative director for the 2024 American Black Film Festival (ABFF).

The announcement was made Oct. 2, ahead of the annual film festival taking place June 12-16, 2024, in Miami Beach. Rae will work closely with ABFF founders Jeff and Nicole Friday to program the lineup for the festival’s 28th edition, Variety reports.

The “Insecure” creator is “honored” to team up with the Fridays as a partner years after using the festival to introduce her own early work.

“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.

The feeling is mutual for the Fridays, who have watched Rae’s rise in media over the years and applaud her continued advocacy for Black creatives in the field.

“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,” Nicole and Jeff Friday 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.”

Rae’s return to ABFF comes two years after she served as the festival’s ambassador in 2022 and previewed her Max series “Rap Sh!t,” which returns to HBO in November following a delay due to the writers’ and actors’ strike.

“There’s no other festival highlighting us in this way, highlighting our film, highlighting our television shows, and it’s in an elegant way,” Rae said of ABFF in 2022. “That’s what I admire so much about this particular festival — it’s so intentional.”