Purpose, passion and determination are the qualities that endear us to our Woman Crush Wednesday, Joy Efe Odiete. She is the CEO of Blue Pictures Entertainment. Film distributor and film sales agent, Joy has work experience that spans over 15 years in the industry.
Launching her career as a sales executive at Nu Metro Media Store, Joy rose to be the Head of Operations for Nu Metro Film Distribution within six years. In 2011, she took the leap and chased after her dream of owning an independent film distribution company, Blue Pictures Entertainment, in a male-dominated industry. She has not regretted her decision as her company has grown to become a leader in West Africa.
Joy is motivated by a deep passion to make tangible contributions to the African entertainment industry, from pre-production to distribution. She is on a mission to make the viewing experience for movie fans enjoyable, and to put Africa’s entertainment content on the global map.
To actualise these goals, she is involved in all aspects of film production. Joy has worked with notable film studios such as Warner Bros. Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, 20th Century Fox, as well as several independent studios in the US, UK and South Africa to distribute major films across Africa. She has distributed foreign franchises such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, Thor, Avengers, Batman, Iron Man and Black Panther, while in Nollywood, box office hits such as The Return of Jenifa, Phone Swap, Last Flight to Abuja, The Mirror Boy, and Anchor Baby. Joy also serves as a consultant for the Kenya-based Crimson Multimedia.
Blue Pictures Entertainment has expanded to storytelling and film production. She wrote and produced the 2021 Netflix movie hit, Gone, and is currently working on several productions to feature on Netflix and Amazon. Joy serves as the president of the Theatrical Distributors Association of Nigeria, and is a member of African Women in Leadership Organization. Pride Magazine Nigeria appreciates and celebrates Joy for how she is supporting the rise of African film industry.