“Empire” star and Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson has been selected as the 2015 American Black Film Festival’s (ABFF) celebrity ambassador, the ABFF announced Wednesday.
An actress and producer, Henson’s notable roles include Yvette in “Baby Boy,” Shug in “Hustle and Flow,” and Queenie in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Henson also co-starred in the CBS drama “Person of Interest” and currently stars on the hit FOX musical drama series, “Empire.”
“I want to thank Jeff Friday and everyone at ABFF for the honor of serving as your 2015 Ambassador,” Henson said. “It is a privilege to join my fellow filmmakers to celebrate and support black artists and the artistry that resides in all of us.”
The ABFF is a four-day event dedicated to showcasing film and television content by and about people of African descent. ABFF founder Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to promote diversity in the motion picture industry. The ABFF is produced by Film Life, Inc. and Black Enterprise.
The 19th annual Festival will be held June 11-14, 2015, in New York City at the New York Hilton, AMC Empire 25 and the historic Ziegfeld Theater.