Age: 53
female
Ava Marie DuVernay (/ˌdjuːvərˈneɪ/; born August 24, 1972) is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer. She is a recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, a BAFTA Film Award, and a BAFTA TV Award, as well as a nominee for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. In 2011, she founded her independent distribution company ARRAY. After making her directorial debut with I Will Follow (2010), DuVernay 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 (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; the film went on to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Her other film credits include the Academy Award-nominated Netflix documentary 13th (2016) and the Disney fantasy film A Wrinkle in Time (2018), the latter making her the first African-American woman to direct a film with a $100 million budget. In 2023, she directed the biographical film Origin based on Isabel Wilkerson's book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (2020). DuVernay's television credits include the OWN drama series Queen Sugar (2016) and two Netflix drama limited series: When They See Us (2019), based on the 1989 Central Park jogger case, and Colin in Black & White (2021), based on the teenage years of NFL player Colin Kaepernick. In 2017, DuVernay was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. In 2020, she was elected to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences board of governors as part of the directors branch. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ava DuVernay, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Dive into the heart of Houston's underground rap scene with "Fat Pat: The Voice of Houston", a biopic chronicling the meteoric rise, cultural impact, and untimely death of Patrick Lamark Hawkins, better known as Fat Pat. Set against the backdrop of the 1990s, the film explores the story of a visionary artist whose influence helped shape the sound and legacy of Southern hip-hop. The narrative follows Fat Pat’s journey from the gritty streets of Houston’s Southside to becoming one of the most iconic members of the Screwed Up Click (S.U.C.). We see him navigate the highs of newfound fame, his close bond with his brother Big Hawk, and his collaboration with DJ Screw as they pioneered the “chopped and screwed” sound that redefined the genre. The film doesn’t shy away from the struggles Fat Pat faced, including the systemic challenges of the music industry and the personal trials that came with his rapid success. The movie also celebrates the culture of Houston, portraying the vibrant car scene, the influence of mixtapes, and the birth of a sound that would inspire a generation. With electrifying performances, heartfelt drama, and a soundtrack featuring Fat Pat’s iconic hits like Tops Drop and Ghetto Dreams, the film immerses audiences in a time and place where raw talent and community forged a musical revolution.
