2024 Sundance Film Festival Predictions: Kobi Libii’s The American Society of Magical Negroes

A small indie film flying low on our radar, production on Kobi Libii‘s feature debut would have taken place sometime this year. Among the projects selected for Sundance Institute’s 2019 January Screenwriters Lab, The American Society of Magical Negroes has been also supported by the Sundance Directors Lab and SFFILM’s Westridge Grant. Teaming with cinematographer Doug Emmett (I Care a Lot – 2020) we might have a cast comprised of Justice Smith and Nicole Byer – and the project looks to belong to Focus Features – but all this needs to be confirmed. Known for his work on Comedy Central’s The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, plus tons of acting creds, Libii actually studied comedy at Second City Chicago — so we expect this debut to have a legit funny-bone.

Gist: Aren is an idealistic young black man who’s recruited by veteran agent Roger into the American Society of Magical Negroes. Aren finds that working for the Society, an ancient, secret, and magical organization dedicated to making white people’s lives easier, is the most challenging and unexpected journey of his life.

Production Co./Producers: Sight Unseen’s Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev.

Prediction: U.S. Dramatic Competition.

U.S. Distributor: Focus Features.