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.
Ava DuVernay
Writer
for Writer in Mic Check: The Rise of Gangsta Rap
Suggested by kamsismith
"Mic Check" is a compelling TV series that delves into the explosive world of gangsta rap, tracing its roots from the gritty streets of Compton to its global dominance today. With unprecedented access to key players and untold stories, each episode unfolds like a lyrical journey through the evolution of a cultural revolution. From the pioneering days of N.W.A. and Ice-T to the iconic figures like Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., "Mic Check" takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride through the highs and lows of an era that redefined music, politics, and identity. Through exclusive interviews, archival footage, and groundbreaking visuals, we explore the social, economic, and political backdrop that birthed gangsta rap and its lasting impact on society. From the East Coast-West Coast rivalry to the tragic deaths that shook the industry, no stone is left unturned in this comprehensive examination of a genre that continues to shape the cultural landscape.
