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
Director
for Director in Rising from the Shadows: The De'Angelo Wilson Story
Suggested by kamsismith
"Rising from the Shadows" takes audiences on an emotional rollercoaster through the life of De'Angelo Wilson, who emerged from humble beginnings to make a mark in Hollywood. With a powerful narrative that intertwines the challenges of pursuing a dream with the raw authenticity of the hip-hop culture, this film delves deep into De'Angelo's upbringing in Dayton, Ohio, exploring the influences that shaped his passion for acting and music. As he navigates the cutthroat entertainment industry, we witness De'Angelo's electrifying performances, his camaraderie with fellow artists, and the personal demons that haunt him. The film poignantly highlights his iconic role as DJ Iz in "8 Mile," showcasing the triumphs and pressures that come with sudden fame. "Rising from the Shadows" is not just a celebration of his contributions to film and music but a heartfelt tribute to resilience, friendship, and the relentless pursuit of dreams. The film addresses mental health, the importance of community, and the impact of loss, leaving audiences with a message of hope and the courage to embrace one's true self.
