FOUNDER

Jeff Friday is among the most innovative and visionary entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry today.

Leading what he calls a quiet revolution, Friday has transformed his passion for film and television into a preeminent entertainment enterprise that is changing the face of Hollywood. His company, Film Life, Inc., has made a major impact on the motion picture industry and is positioned to become the leading American brand offering Black movies, television and digital entertainment content. The company's mantra, "Because Hollywoodn't," best expresses the ethos that has impelled Film Life to take advantage of the unique business opportunity that exists within the entertainment industry for a content provider working outside the studio system.

Friday entered the film business in 1996 when he became president of UniWorld Films, a division of UniWorld Group, Inc. His success there put him at the forefront of the independent Black film movement and solidified his commitment to transform the business of Black cinema. Under his direction, the company founded the Acapulco Black Film Festival and assisted studios in marketing movies, including DreamWorks' film release Amistad, to the African American audience.

In 2001 Friday founded Film Life, Inc and assumed the position of CEO. One year later he acquired the rights to The Acapulco Black Film Festival, moved it stateside and renamed it the American Black Film Festival (ABFF). It is currently held in Miami Beach, Florida.

Friday is the creator and executive producer of the Black Movie Awards (BMA), a star-studded awards ceremony celebrating Black cinema. The awards are given in recognition of excellence in cinematic achievement in feature-length motion pictures by persons of African descent. The BMA made its national television debut on Turner Network Television in October 2005.

A champion of social change and a proponent of diversifying the images of African Americans in film, Jeff Friday regularly speaks to students and industry executives about trends in movie marketing, film distribution and the history of Black cinema. Principled and uncompromising, he devotes time to nurturing the careers of individuals in front of and behind the camera. Friday recently established the Film Life Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering diversity within the motion picture industry. Its mission is to inspire and support women and multicultural artists pursuing careers in film by providing scholarships and other educational resources.

In 2003 Friday was presented with an Outstanding New Jerseyan Award by Kean University. He has also been recognized as one of Black Enterprise Magazine's "Top 50 Hollywood Power Brokers", Ebony magazine's "150 Most Influential Blacks in America" and among Howard University's School of Business Distinguished Alumni.

Friday's professional efforts have been featured in numerous publications, including Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Crain's, Essence, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Uptown and VIBE. He has also been profiled on WNBC-TV in New York and featured in print campaigns for such brands as Walmart, Allstate and Chanel.

Jeff Friday boasts twenty years of success as a product marketer, entertainment executive and entrepreneur. A cum laude graduate of Howard University, with a degree in finance, he received his MBA in marketing from New York University's Leonard Stern School of Business.

Friday resides in New Jersey with his wife Nicole and their children.