We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Justin Roblero. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Justin below.

Justin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I love this question! I’ve worked on many projects, however my most meaningful project I have worked on so far is my current project I am working on, “Shades of Otaku.” “Shades of Otaku” is a documentary feature film that chronicles the rise in popularity of anime and its resonance with the black community.

The story follows 4 pioneers within the black anime community as they strive to reach personal goals, in turn showcasing cosplay, conventions, anime favorites and emotional connections to the people along the way. This film is both a love letter to all anime fans and a deep dive into how storytelling and art can transcend time, race and culture.

This project oddly came to existence because of another project of mine titled “The Rotunda,” a 9 episode visual podcast in which one episode I dedicated to discussing our love for anime and how it makes us feel. Ironically all of my friends (who are not even into anime) loved the episodes stating, “I don’t know what y’all were talking about, but everyone looked like they were having such a good time. and showed so much emotion and joy!”

All my life I have been into anime, from early days of Toonami on Cartoon Network or VHS tapes in the back of video stores (way back when) all the way to internet hunting for new episodes on random websites. In today’s world, anime is not only accessible but it is also acceptable, unlike the old days of being condemned as a nerd. And to bring it a level further, there has always been an interesting synergy with black people and anime.

“Joy” became a key world. Within the black community there are very few outlets for us to enjoy media without the harsh realities that follow, we lack both the escapism and the outlet for emotional release without judgement. Anime itself is a medium of art that we can resonate with characters. stories, emotions as well as the raw yet magical worlds they explore. And beyond that black joy is rarely depicted in film without being tied to any negative connotation.

I wanted to create a film that gave anime and Japanese mangakas their flowers for how much they have impacted the lives of kids of a completely different culture and also to showcase that the black community is not a monolith.

This film has allowed strong friendships to form, boundaries to be broken and has been my most personal project in my life so far.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hey Everyone! My name is Justin Roblero and I am an independent filmmaker, content creator and producer based in NYC. I am also the founder of Afroproductions, BlueBird Studios, and the director/producer of the feature documentary “Shades of Otaku.”

My production company Afroproductions is dedicated to telling stories of underrepresented communities in different genres of film, while BlueBird Studios is a production company that focuses on fantasy and anime-based content.

I have loved watching movies since I was 2 years old but I started my journey in my desire to be an actor and went to the City College of New York where I obtained a BA in Theatre. After graduating I was very broke and took the skills I learned while applying (and failing to get in) to their film program such as editing, lighting and basic camera skills to photograph events for money.

I would often film skits with my friends once I bought my own camera and continue to do background acting work in small roles in show like. the Netflix Original Series “The Get Down” and others while being a photographer/videographer on the side for events; seeing that the beginning of content creation marketing was on the rise.

After getting tired of trying to find a way into my industry I decided to use the skills I’ve learned and the talented people I had befriended to break the door down myself and start Afroproductions. Throughout my background acting days I found the lack of both physical and creative representation from other cultures were drastic.

I wanted to see other cultures take on sci-fi, horror, and fantasy. Being of African-American and Nicaraguan decent, I’ve always wanted to see film that not just represented other cultures but also that brought the creativity of our stories and unique characterization to projects.

What I am most proud of is my ability to connect with people from all walks of life and express that through the lens of film to showcase emotions not typically present in black and brown media. An example would be my current and biggest project yet, “Shades of Otaku” that focuses on anime and the resonance it has with the black community.

I make film not for financial goals I’m trying to reach (although we all need money) but for the opportunity to express and share amazing moments. To have an entire theater cry or laugh together is the true blessing this medium brings to me.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

There are many goals I have when thinking about my creative journey, some small victories and some that are big picture.
However the main goal that has been constant is to inspire and resonate emotions from my visuals.

One thing I’ve found is that EVERYONE has a favorite movie or show. Whether you are a movie buff like myself and watch for the art, you’ve just broken up with your partner and need some comfort, you have kids and want to share a family moment, or you have a day off and want to watch something to be inspired.

The feeling of following someone’s journey in their story, meeting characters you fall in love with, learning educational historical information or being taken away to a fantasy land to escape your current reality. My goal is to evoke inspiration and emotions from the audience and use my personal stories to relate to people from all walks of life.

There have been people, myself included that would say that art has saved their lives. You never truly know who you will inspire and if you don’t continue to create then you’ll never know.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I personally think what most non-creatives struggle to understand about not just my journey but the journey of other creatives as well, is both what is takes to physically “create” and how much mental energy it takes to conceptually create.

Most of my friends are not in the creative field and although I love them like family, I am often baffled when I tell them how much funds I need for a film and they are like, “EXCUSE ME WHY SO MUCH MONEY.”

On the physical side of creation, whether you are alone or have a small team, there is SO MUCH that needs to happen to produce a film or show. Most non-creatives are only thinking about concepts, lighting, camera angles, acting but usually fail to remember we need to hire each of those aspects, scout locations, plan and schedule readings, insurance!

When having conversations I tend to break it down to them instead of just saying “it’s a lot” because to bridge the gap you would nit know unless you understand why costs can get so expensive.

However on the. mental energy side it is a bit more complicated to explain. I’ve had many arguments with family or partners in the past about “I am broke but my creativity is not just an on/off switch.” In their defense we are adults in a world and position where we don’t always have the luxury to create “when it calls us” because we need to make money or take other jobs non creative to survive.

In our defense as creatives, we are giving a piece of our heart, our mind, and our vulnerability to these projects. In my case a lot of how I think and who I am, goes into my films. Non-creatives tend to struggle to understand how mental creation can be seen as taxing labor because it is not tangible until we get to the aforementioned “physical creation.”

And I can see where they come from, but when explaining to my non-creatives, I usually equate this to, “have you ever had something on your mind that bothers you, or angers you, or you makes you. extremely happy?” Now take that feeling and try to hold on to it for days, weeks, or months in order to infuse that emotion into your creative work while doing all the physical planning mentioned, while also living your day to day life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jobacademyinfo.my.canva.site/visualportfolio2025
• Instagram: justafro
• Linkedin: Justin Roblero
• Youtube: Afroproductions

Image Credits

Adetunji Shennaike
Christian Clouden