Bio: Nicole Friday
Nicole Friday
President & Co-Founder, Nice Crowd
Nicole Friday is an entertainment executive, producer and business leader with more than three decades of experience spanning motion pictures, television, radio and comedy. As President and Co-Founder of NICE CROWD, the company behind the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), Friday drives strategic partnerships and initiatives that expand the company’s reach and industry impact. Her executive scope spans film curation, studio relations, industry programming, talent engagement and the advancement of emerging voices within the broader motion picture community.
For ABFF, Friday evaluates competitive narrative films and episodic projects and works directly with studios in the selection of Opening Night presentations and other major showcases. She sets the direction for its signature conversations and featured participants and has cultivated longstanding relationships with leading entertainment companies, including Amazon MGM Studios, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Disney Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. and Lionsgate.
Friday is central to shaping ABFF Honors, the annual awards event celebrating excellence in film and television and the achievements of artists and industry leaders. She helps determine its honorees and works directly with their representatives and studios to secure participation.
Her work has centered on advancing filmmakers and expanding opportunities for emerging voices within the motion picture industry. For the HBO Short Film Award, Friday serves alongside industry executives in evaluating submissions and selecting finalists and the winning film. She has fostered connections between participating filmmakers and studio executives that have resulted in acquisitions, financing and development opportunities, including the expansion of short films into feature-length projects. Friday also established an in-flight exhibition partnership with American Airlines, curating independent films and negotiating licensing agreements to extend their reach to broader audiences.
Friday has developed artist and professional development programs with leading entertainment companies, including writer pipelines with Turner Broadcasting (TNT and TBS) and Warner Bros. Discovery and the Star Project, an actor discovery initiative with NBCUniversal. She created Greenlighters, connecting HBCU students pursuing executive careers in film and television with industry leaders through mentorship and studio experiences, and founded Writer’s Link Up, a quarterly forum for emerging writers to build creative partnerships and develop original work. Friday also led the festival’s participation in an Amazon initiative with Howard University, giving students hands-on experience across festival production.
Early in her career, Friday produced New York radio shows for Emmis Communications, including The Star & Buc Wild Show, The Wake Up Club and The Isaac Hayes & Friends Show.
Friday has been recognized by EBONY as one of its Power 100 Leaders and by the Los Angeles Times Inspirational Women Forum & Leadership Awards. A graduate of Howard University’s School of Communications, she returns regularly as a guest speaker, sharing her experience with students pursuing careers in entertainment and media.