Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor

Interview
Written By Michelle LeClerc

Breaking Barriers and Earning top spot at the box office

UK producer Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor is a true multi-hyphenate who produces, writes, and directs.

She runs Joi Productions, a company focused primarily on Queer, Black, and female work. In 2019, she produced the hit Blue Story, which became the top-grossing film of its genre. In 2020, she was named a Screen International Star of Tomorrow, a BAFTA Breakthrough, and Joi Productions received a BFI Vision Award. 

Yaaaapp, she’s very impressive! 

At the end of 2021, she produced Aml Ameen’s debut, Boxing Day, the first all-Black Christmas film out of the UK. More recently, Joy produced Champion for the BBC and Netflix. In 2022, Ringside Studio acquired a stake in Joi Productions.

Speaking with Joy was especially wonderful because she has such a unique background. Her origin story formed her incredible perspective and gave her a clear vision for the kind of stories she wants to bring to life. 

We will dive deep into how getting her start outside of the industry’s mainstream helped benefit her work, how being kind got her further, and how challenges (such as seeking asylum and being homeless) drove her to succeed in her work.

Tune in!

xx cg

“Our films have some sort of social impact. I don’t expect us to change the world. But change happens in tiny moments… It’s about making work that allows those conversations to happen.”

- Joy Gharoro-akpojotor

Episode Transcript

Michelle LeClerc

Michelle strives to add context and meaning to the exponentially growing world of design. Recently served as the Creative Director at Beutler Ink, a strategic creative agency specializing in research, writing, and design. Michelle has developed design and data visualization for social justice organizations like Campaign Zero, Be a Hero, and Yale’s The Justice Collaboratory and Freedom Reads. In 2017, she created the data visualization for Elizabeth Warren’s book, This Fight is Our Fight, a #1 New York Times bestseller. In 2019, on behalf of Campaign Zero, she led the data visualization for the first police scorecard in the US, which sought to identify urgent issues surrounding police accountability and propose best-practice solutions. Michelle’s commitment to quality design extends from the office to the classroom—she teaches Infographic Design at Temple’s Tyler School of Art.

www.michelleleclerc.com
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