Ava DuVernay
Ava Marie DuVernay is an American filmmaker and film distributor. She won the directing award in the U.S. dramatic competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for her second feature film Middle of Nowhere, becoming the first black woman to win the award. For her work on Selma, DuVernay bec…
What is Ava DuVernay best known for?
Ava DuVernay, in full Ava Marie DuVernay, (born August 24, 1972, Long Beach, California, U.S.), American director, producer, and writer whose best-known works explore the African American experience. DuVernay graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1995 with bachelor’s degrees in English and African American studies.
Is Ava DuVernay the first African American female director?
With this critically acclaimed work, DuVernay became the first African American female director to receive a Golden Globe nomination and have a film nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.
How did Selma lead to Ava DuVernay career?
DuVernay’s career quickly took off following this film as she steadily became a household name. In addition to directing many TV shows, commercials, and music videos, DuVernay’s films Selma and 13th received critical acclaim and multiple awards for their portrayal of racial prejudice in the United States.
How much did Ava DuVernay make for A Wrinkle in time?
DuVernay's 2018 Disney fantasy film A Wrinkle in Time made her the first African-American woman to direct a live-action film earning $100 million at U.S. box office but had losses of up to $131 million. [6] [7] [8] The film received mixed reviews, with critics taking issue with the film's heavy use of CGI. [9]
What is Ava DuVernay best known for?
For her work on Selma (2014), a biopic about Martin Luther King Jr., DuVernay became the first African-American woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director, and the Academy Award for Best Picture.
What did Ava DuVernay do before film?
Ava DuVernay originally went to school for broadcast journalism. During her time at UCLA, she was a double major in English literature and African-American studies. After graduating, she snagged an internship with CBS News, with one of her first assignments being to cover the infamous O. J. Simpson murder trial.
How did Ava DuVernay impact society?
As a filmmaker and activist, DuVernay uses her work to grapple with the racial histories, philosophies and ideologies which have permeated American history and society – but also to expose how these persist, in a granular way, in the present-day lives of Black Americans.
When did Ava DuVernay graduate from UCLA?
1995Where did Ava DuVernay go to college? Ava DuVernay graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in English and African American studies.
Does Ava DuVernay have a degree?
In 1990, DuVernay graduated from Saint Joseph High School in Lakewood, California. After graduating, she attended the University of California, Los Angeles where she earned degrees in English and African American studies.
Who was the first woman to direct a movie with a $100 million budget?
'A Wrinkle in Time' Director Ava DuVernay made history as the first woman of color to direct a $100 million movie for a big studio.
How do you pronounce Ava DuVernay?
0:120:49How to Pronounce Ava DuVernay? (CORRECTLY) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHow do you go about pronouncing her name eva duvernay eva duvernay here are more videos on how toMoreHow do you go about pronouncing her name eva duvernay eva duvernay here are more videos on how to pronounce many celebrity names whose pronunciation.
What is Ava DuVernay style of directing?
DuVernay creates films bursting with heart, humanity, and empathy. She shows us the world through eyes that aren't often given sight in the film industry, and when she does it, we not only see life through a different perspective but also we're reminded of our own humanity.
Who has Ava DuVernay been stuck in an elevator with?
Tom CruiseDirector Ava DuVernay sits down with Drew to talk about her love of directing, the brilliant advice Oprah gave her that's helped her navigate harsh critiques, and what it was like getting stuck in an elevator with Tom Cruise!
What is the DuVernay test?
The DuVernay Test investigates the presence of racially diverse characters in films, TV shows, and other media. Read on to learn more and discover movies that pass the test.
How fast is DuVernay?
Murray and Duvernay are different athletes but both are blazing fast. Murray didn't run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine or his pro day, but rumor has it that he once ran a 4.38. Duvernay had a bad start at his Combine 40-yard dash (says his dad) and clocked a 4.39.
How many locs does Ava DuVernay have?
91 locsAll 91 locs grow from my head and heart.
Who influenced Ava DuVernay?
"So often, when you're looking at women who are doing it now, they're giving it to themselves," she says, referring to standouts like Shonda Rhimes, Oprah Winfrey and Nina Shaw. These wildly successful women created opportunities for themselves and transformed the way Ava viewed her own big break.
How do you pronounce Ava DuVernay?
0:120:49How to Pronounce Ava DuVernay? (CORRECTLY) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHow do you go about pronouncing her name eva duvernay eva duvernay here are more videos on how toMoreHow do you go about pronouncing her name eva duvernay eva duvernay here are more videos on how to pronounce many celebrity names whose pronunciation.
Who was Oscar Micheaux and why is he significant to film history?
The country's first major Black filmmaker, Oscar Micheaux (sometimes written as "Michaux"), directed and produced 44 films over the course of his career.
Is Ava DuVernay an activist?
Ava has consistently leveraged her success to launch the careers of numerous women of color and her philanthropic and activist work has extended way beyond the screen to meaningful impact globally.
Why did Ava Duvernay leave Nipsey Hussle?
On February 11, 2020, news reports came out about Ava DuVernay possibly co-producing and directing a Nipsey Hussle documentary for Netflix.
Why did Duvernay rewrite Selma?
She made uncredited re-writes of most of the original screenplay by Paul Webb in order to emphasize King and the people of Selma as central figures. In an October 2020 interview on The Carlos Watson Show, DuVernay claimed that she, not Webb, was the principal writer, saying that the biggest mistake of her career was allowing Paul Webb "to take credit for writing Selma when I wrote it. In response to criticism by some historians and media sources who accused her of irresponsibly rewriting history to portray her own agenda, DuVernay said that the film is "not a documentary. I'm not a historian. I'm a storyteller".
What is the DuVernay test?
The DuVernay test is the racial equivalent of the Bechdel test (for women in movies), as first suggested by The Guardian writers Nadia and Leila Latif and then by The New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis in January 2016, asking whether "blacks and other minorities have fully realized lives rather than serve as scenery in white stories." It aims to point out the lack of people of color in Hollywood movies, through a measure of their importance to a particular movie or the lack of a gratuitous link to white actors.
What was the first movie that DuVernay made?
In 2005, over the Christmas holiday, DuVernay decided to take $6,000 and make her first film, a short called Saturday Night Life. Based on her mother's experiences, the 12-minute film was about an uplifting trip by a struggling single mother ( Melissa De Sousa) and her three kids to a local Los Angeles discount grocery store. The film toured the festival circuit and was broadcast on February 6, 2007, as part of Showtime 's Black Filmmaker Showcase.
How many episodes of Colin Kaepernick are there?
On June 29, 2020, Netflix announced that they will feature a six-episode series, created by Ava DuVernay and Colin Kaepernick, titled "Colin in Black & White," centering on Kaepernick's youth and various events in his life that has led him to be the activist he is today.
Where did Ava Duvernay go to high school?
In 1990, DuVernay graduated from Saint Joseph High School in Lakewood. At the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), she was a double BA major in English literature and African-American studies. Ava is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
What is the film about August 28?
DuVernay was commissioned by the Smithsonian 's National Museum of African American History and Culture to create a film about African-American history. Her August 28: A Day in the Life of a People explores six historical events that happened on the same date, August 28, in different years. It debuted at the museum's opening on September 24, 2016. The 22-minute film stars Lupita Nyong'o, Don Cheadle, Regina King, David Oyelowo, Angela Bassett, Michael Ealy, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, André Holland and Glynn Turman. Events depicted include William IV 's royal assent to the UK Slavery Abolition Act in 1833, the 1955 lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Mississippi, the release of Motown 's first number-one song, " Please Mr. Postman " by The Marvellettes, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1963 I Have a Dream speech, the landfall of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the night Senator Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Who Is Ava DuVernay?
Ava DuVernay worked in film publicity and marketing, and established her own agency, before deciding to become a filmmaker. She directed the Oscar-nominated historical drama Selma (2014), which follows a portion of Dr. Martin Luther King’s life during an urgent call for voting rights. With this critically acclaimed work, DuVernay became the first African American female director to receive a Golden Globe nomination and have a film nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. In 2016, she directed 13th, a documentary about the criminalization of African Americans and the U.S. prison system, which received an Oscar nomination for feature documentary. DuVernay followed with the 2018 adaptation of the children's fantasy novel A Wrinkle in Time, before earning more acclaim for creating the 2019 miniseries When They See Us, about the five teens who were wrongfully convicted of the 1989 rape and assault of a Central Park jogger.
What is the middle of nowhere?
The film, starring Emayatzy Corinealdi, Omari Hardwick, Lorraine Toussaint and David Oyelowo, looked at an ambitious, conflicted woman whose husband is incarcerated. DuVernay won the director’s prize at Sundance, becoming the first Black woman to do so.
What was DuVernay's first film?
She initially released shorts like 2006’s Saturday Night Life and the documentaries This Is the Life (2008), which looked at alternative hip-hop artists, and My Mic Sounds Nice: The Truth About Women in Hip Hop, which aired on BET in 2010.
What is the 13th amendment?
She directed and co-wrote the Netflix film which takes it name from the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that abolished slavery. The film focuses on the evolution of the American criminal justice system, mass incarceration and race. 13th received an Oscar nomination for in the documentary feature category.
What is the 13th film about?
In 2016, she directed 13th, a documentary about the criminalization of African Americans and the U.S. prison system, which received an Oscar nomination for feature documentary.
What is Guillermo Del Toro doing with Fox?
The deal ensures funding and distribution for all of the live-action feature films he writes, produces or directs.
Where was Duvernay born?
Early Life. DuVernay was born on August 24, 1972, in Long Beach, California. Growing up with an entrepreneurial father who owned a carpeting business, DuVernay had an interest in rhyming and hip-hop and eventually attended UCLA.
A Short History of Movies That Sat on the Shelf Forever
Ultimately, what is a trial but a competition of stories? The prosecution presents their version of events, which they corroborate with evidence gathered by the police. The defense attorney does the same. The judge presides over the court case. And the jury draws conclusions and decides which story it believes — and what they’re willing to believe.
Zaron Burnett III
Zaron Burnett is an investigative journalist and longform features writer based in Los Angeles. He covers culture, politics, race, and other perplexing mysteries for MEL.
Why did African Americans flee to different places?
During that time, Black people were subjected to criminalization without just cause, thus resulting in many African-Americans fleeing to various places throughout the country in an effort to escape the threat of wrongful criminalization by the government and law enforcement officials who aimed to keep Black communities oppressed.
How many people were freed by slavery in 1865?
The abolishment of slavery in 1865 freed 4 million people who were formerly property and almost wholly responsible for the economic productivity of the south. This left a significant void in the U.S. economy, leaving officials struggling with how to rebuild and put freed Black people back to work in the most cost-efficient, yet still “legal,” way possible.
How many people were in prison in 1970?
The U.S. prison population in 1970 was just above 327,000. The current prison population is over 2 million. Getty Images. 03. Things We Learned From Ava DuVernay’s “13th”. The 13th amendment to the U.S. constitution makes it unconstitutional for anyone to be held as a slave. There are exceptions, including criminals.
What we learned from Ava DuVernay's 13th?
Things We Learned From Ava DuVernay’s “13th”. The 1915 film ‘Birth of a Nation’ depicted the African-American male as a violent, animalistic, out of control, evil, member of society. Sitting president Woodrow Wilson held a private screening of the film at the White House that was viewed as a major cinematic event.
Why were African Americans imprisoned?
Following the Civil War, African-Americans were arrested and imprisoned in mass for extremely minor crimes. Those prisoners were tasked with providing the labor to rebuild the economy of the south after the Civil War, thus making them “slaves” yet again.
Which country has the highest rate of incarceration?
The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world.
Who was the Nixon Advisor?
Nixon Advisor John Ehlrichman allegedly admitted that the Nixon Administration intentionally encouraged the public to associate African-Americans with heroin in an effort to disrupt Black communities by vilifying them in the news and creating the false narrative that Black people were vicious criminals destroying the country through drug abuse and distribution .
Overview
Early life and education
Ava Marie DuVernay was born on August 24, 1972, in Long Beach, California. She was raised by her mother, Darlene (née Sexton), an educator, and her stepfather, Murray Maye. The surname of her biological father, Joseph Marcel DuVernay III, originates with Louisiana Creole ancestry. She grew up in Lynwood, California. She has four siblings.
During her summer vacations, she would travel to the childhood home of her stepfather, which w…
Career
Despite the acclaim DuVernay has garnered in the film and television industries, she did not pick up a camera until she was 32. DuVernay's first interest was in journalism, a choice influenced by an internship with CBS News. She was assigned to help cover the O.J. Simpson murder trial. DuVernay became disillusioned with journalism, however, and decided to move into public relatio…
Style and themes
DuVernay has two primary areas of interest: the first, exploring the intricacies of the Black American family, particularly "Black women's agency and subjectivity" within the family and within a racist, patriarchal society. The second, is exploring the injustices that have affected, and have continued to affect, Black families and communities throughout history.
A lot of her filmography works within both of these areas of interest simultaneously. For example,
Awards, nominations, honors
• In 2012, Variety featured DuVernay in its Women's Impact Report.
• In June 2013, she was invited to both the director's and writer's branches of AMPAS. DuVernay was only the second Black woman, following Kasi Lemmons, to be invited to the director's branch.
• DuVernay became the inaugural recipient of the Tribeca Film Institute's Heineken Affinity Award, receiving a $20,000 prize and industry support for future projects. DuVernay donated all the money to AFFRM, the Black artho…
Further reading
• Martin, Michael T. "Conversations with Ava DuVernay—'A Call to Action': Organizing Principles of an Activist Cinematic Practice." Black Camera 6, no. 1 (2014): 57–91. doi:10.2979/blackcamera.6.1.57.
• Smith, Marquita R. ""Don't Be a Martyr": Kinship, Intimacy, and Carceral Care in Ava DuVernay's Middle of Nowhere", The Black Scholar, 48:1, 6-19, doi:10.1080/00064246.2018.1402252.
External links
• Official website
Who Is Ava Duvernay?
Early Life
- DuVernay was born on August 24, 1972, in Long Beach, California. Growing up with an entrepreneurial father who owned a carpeting business, DuVernay had an interest in rhyming and hip-hop and eventually attended UCLA. During the 1990s, she worked in film publicity before starting the DuVernay Agency, which specialized in movie marketing for African American audie…
Directing Debut
- While on the set of the 2004 thriller Collateral, starring Jamie Foxx and Tom Cruise, DuVernay felt inspired to start making her own films. She initially released shorts like 2006’s Saturday Night Life and the documentaries This Is the Life (2008), which looked at alternative hip-hop artists, and My Mic Sounds Nice: The Truth About Women in Hip Hop, which aired on BET in 2010. That same y…
Sundance Award For 'Middle of Nowhere'
- In 2011, DuVernay co-founded the African American Film Festival Releasing Movement, a group dedicated to supporting the release and distribution of Black indie movies. In 2012, the filmmaker released her second feature, Middle of Nowhere. The film, starring Emayatzy Corinealdi, Omari Hardwick, Lorraine Toussaint and David Oyelowo, looked at an ambitious, conflicted woman wh…
Making History with 'Selma'
- A planned biopic on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the first for the big screen, had eventually ended up with director Lee Daniels, with Oyelowo cast in the lead. But when Daniels chose to helm The Butler instead, the script for the project, written by Paul Webb, was set adrift, until Oyelowo convinced the French production company Pathé to bring DuVernay on board as director. Oprah …
'13th' and 'A Wrinkle in Time'
- In 2016, DuVernay released a documentary entitled 13th. She directed and co-wrote the Netflix film which takes it name from the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that abolished slavery. The film focuses on the evolution of the American criminal justice system, mass incarceration and race. 13threceived an Oscar nomination for in the documentary feature categ…
'When They See Us'
- The following year, DuVernay made waves as the writer and director of the four-part Netflix miniseries When They See Us, based on the story of the five New York City teenagers who were wrongfully convicted of the 1989 rape and assault of a jogger in Central Park. When They See Uspicked up a slew of Emmy nominations, winning for outstanding lead actor in a limited series …