Joie Lou Shakur

Joie Lou Shakur (they/them) is a Black Trans immigrant from Jamaica. They are currently a Southern culture worker, filmmaker, and land steward based in Durham, North Carolina. Joie Lou Shakur is the Founder & Executive Director of Comfrey Films. Comfrey Films is a Film Fellowship Program and Production House focused on cultural organizing and narrative power led by and for Black Trans and Gender Non-Conforming people. In addition to their work with Comfrey Films, Joie Lou founded and curates the Black Trans Short Film Festival. This annual event is dedicated to showcasing the stories and creativity of Black Trans/Gender Non-Conforming/Intersex (TGNCI) filmmakers from around the world. It's a space where the unique experiences, struggles, and joys of Black TGNCI lives are told on screen, giving visibility to voices that often get overlooked in mainstream media. When Joie Lou isn’t building Black futures, Black Transformative possibilities, or behind a camera, you can find them in a pottery studio, garden, or their kitchen cooking Jamaican Sunday dinners on a Tuesday afternoon.