Justin O. Cooper is an NAACP Image Award–nominated filmmaker, global production executive, and founder of JOCMedia & Entertainment, a Los Angeles–based production company with an international footprint spanning North America, Europe, and Asia, including the Middle East.
A native of Kingstree, South Carolina, Cooper continues a multigenerational Benedict College legacy established by his father and uncle and carried on by his cousin. As a Mass Communication major, he served as Entertainment Editor of The Tiger News, sharpening the editorial discipline and strategic storytelling instincts that would shape his career. While still in Columbia, he earned bylines with IMARA Woman Magazine and national entertainment trade publications, including The Urban Network, Music Industry Quarterly, and CRUNK. He interned at The Big DM and Hot 103.9 and worked with WZRB-TV during its transition from UPN to the CW, gaining early experience in broadcast operations and market positioning.
Over more than two decades, Cooper has built a career at the intersection of storytelling, studio collaboration, and global production strategy. Through JOCMedia, he has supported projects for Disney, Universal Pictures, and Paramount+, with international production experience across Jordan, Thailand, Hungary, and Bulgaria. His credits include Ride Along, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Dune Part One, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Aladdin, and SEAL Team season 6.
Cooper serves as North American Liaison to The Royal Film Commission – Jordan, representing the Kingdom of Jordan’s production initiatives at global markets, including the Marché du Film, American Film Market, and Busan International Film Festival. His work advocating for cross-border production incentives and his filmmaking have received coverage in Variety, MovieMaker Magazine, the Los Angeles Sentinel, WIS-TV, The Carolina Panorama, and the Associated Press.
As a filmmaker, Cooper wrote, directed, and produced the Oscar-qualified documentary CIRILO, A Legacy Untold, an NAACP Image Award nominee for Outstanding Short Form Documentary and winner of Best Documentary Short at the San Antonio Black International Film Festival. He is currently developing a slate of scripted and unscripted film and television projects, positioning JOCMedia for premium long-form storytelling across studio and streaming platforms.
From campus newsroom to international film markets, Cooper credits Benedict College with instilling the discipline, resilience, and strategic communication skills that continue to guide his work.
His career reflects a clear principle: foundations built locally can scale globally.