Jana Babatunde-Bey

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Jana Babatunde-Bey
Education
Occupations
Websitejanababatundebey.com jbeyent.com

Jana Babatunde-Bey is an executive producer and CEO of J. Bey Entertainment and former president and CEO of the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation (WJSFF)[1], Chief of Staff to Will Smith. COO of Overbrook Entertainment, and board member of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.[2][3]

Career

Film and television

Jana Babatunde Bey is currently developing the upcoming movie CURTSY. The feature is a coming-of-age comedy set in the sophisticated world of Black elite and modern-day Cotillions. The project's director - Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner Debbie Allen. The screenwriter of the movie will be Teryl Warren.[4]

Jana Babatunde-Bey's other film and TV work includes projects such as Ali, Hitch, The Pursuit of Happyness, I Am Legend, Hancock, Men in Black 3, where she worked as Mr. Will Smith's executive assistant.[5]

The TV Mini Series Amend: The Fight for America was released on February 17, 2021, on Netflix. Jana Babatunde-Bey served as executive producer. "Amend: The Fight for America" is a six-part documentary series that explores the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment, adopted in 1868, promised liberty and equal protection for all persons and is one of America's most enduring symbols of democracy. The series looks at the legacy of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and explores the history of discrimination and the struggle for equality in the United States.[6][7][8]

In 2019, the film Hala was released in which Jana Babatunde-Bey served as an executive producer. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was the first feature launched on the AppleTV+ Platform. Hala received positive reviews from film critics.[9][10][11]

Jana Babatunde-Bey was an executive producer in 2018 working on the multi-award-winning, and African Academy Award-nominated film Sprinter. The movie is about a rising big track-and-field sensation from Jamaica.

WJSFF

Mrs. Babatunde-Bey served as the CEO and President of the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation; a private non-profit that supports charities in the area of education & arts, health & wellness, social empowerment, and environmental sustainability, from 2015 - 2021.[citation needed]

During her tenure, WJSFF formed key strategic partnerships, contributed to numerous grants for national, international, and grassroot organizations, and was established as the social impact vehicle of the Smith's family collection of brands. The Foundation partners with the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation to educate and empower youth around the world.[12]

Jana Babatunde-Bey, as President of the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation (WJSFF), played a key role in facilitating the grant to SCAD for the Rising Star initiative, emphasizing the foundation's commitment to broadening access to arts education and fostering a more inclusive entertainment industry.[13]

Jana Babatunde-Bey is the creator and former CEO of Careers in Entertainment (CIE), the signature initiative of WJSFF, developed in partnership with Jada Pinkett Smith to provide access, opportunity, and inclusion for the next generation of industry leaders and storytellers.[14]

In a partnership between AFI and the WSJFF Foundation, Jana has been involved in highlighting young women in film.[15]

Will Memoir

During her years at the foundation, Jana became the producer of Will Smith's memoir WILL, the executive producer of WILL's audiobook launch, the producer of the domestic & international WILL LIVE show, and book tour under that title.[citation needed]

Charity and social activities

In 2015 Jana participated in the Careers in Film Summit's "Working above the Line" panel, discussing industry demands, minority representation, and creative risks in filmmaking. The academy partnered with Overbrook Entertainment and President Obama's “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative.[16]

In 2017, Jana was a featured speaker at the My Brother's Keeper Alliance conference, an affiliate program of the Obama Foundation. My Brother's Keeper Alliance, one of the key programs focused on men and boys of color created by the Obama administration.[17][18]

Jana Babatunde-Bey is a board member of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. The Colorectal Cancer Alliance is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing, treating, and researching colorectal cancer. They actively advocate for awareness, support, and scientific research in this field. The organization provides resources for patients and conducts events and campaigns to raise awareness about the issue.[19]

References

  1. ^ Perez, Lexy (2021-12-20). "Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation, 'WILL' Book Club Team With Oprah to Launch Reading Groups". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  2. ^ "Home". Jana Babatunde-Bey. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  3. ^ "Will Smith Book Club Teams Up With CAA for Ready Set Read Initiative". ca.news.yahoo.com. 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  4. ^ "Overbrook Veteran Jana Babatunde-Bey to Produce the Upcoming Feature Film CURTSY Set in the World of African American Debutantes". Yahoo Finance. 2024-05-15. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  5. ^ "Jana Babatunde-Bey | Producer, Executive, Additional Crew". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  6. ^ Daniels, Robert. "Amend: The Fight for America Educates Netflix Audiences on 14th Amendment | TV/Streaming | Roger Ebert". Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  7. ^ "Awards Spotlight: Amend: The Fight for America | International Documentary Association". www.documentary.org. 2021-06-09. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  8. ^ Daniels, Robert. "Amend: The Fight for America Educates Netflix Audiences on 14th Amendment | TV/Streaming | Roger Ebert". rogerebert.com. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  9. ^ Williams, Trey (2019-09-27). "Apple Sets Theatrical Releases for First Three Films: 'The Elephant Queen,' 'Hala' and 'The Banker'". TheWrap. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  10. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (2019-01-29). "Apple's First Deal At The Fest: Studio Takes Global Rights To Female Teenage Pic 'Hala' – Sundance". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  11. ^ Hagen, Kate (2019-02-05). "The Black List Celebrates Sundance 2019". Medium. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  12. ^ Global, DECOSTA (2022-02-01). "Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation, 'WILL' Book Club Team With Oprah to Launch Reading Groups". WJSFF. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  13. ^ "SCAD receives grant from the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation".
  14. ^ "Core Initiatives". WJSFF. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  15. ^ Nissen, Dano (2019-03-26). "AFI, Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation Launch Second Young Women in Film Intensive". Variety. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  16. ^ "Careers in Film Summit | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". www.oscars.org. 2015-10-23. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  17. ^ "My Brother's Keeper". The White House. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  18. ^ Foundation, Obama. "MBK Leadership Forum - Changing the Narrative". Obama Foundation. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  19. ^ "Jana Babatunde-Bey | Colorectal Cancer Alliance". colorectalcancer.org. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
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