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 Shadows of Stardom: The Rodney Harvey Story
Suggested by kamsismith
The film opens in the vibrant Los Angeles of the late 1980s, where a young Rodney Harvey, played by a rising star, dreams of making it big in the entertainment industry. With a striking presence and a natural flair for performance, Rodney quickly ascends the ranks as a sought-after model and actor, landing roles in iconic films and TV shows. The audience witnesses the thrill of his success, punctuated by his passion for dance and music, capturing the electrifying essence of the era. As Rodney’s star rises, so do the pressures and temptations of fame. The film delves into his personal struggles, showcasing the dichotomy of his public persona and private battles. Friends and colleagues, including notable figures from the era, come to life, highlighting both the camaraderie and the challenges of navigating a cutthroat industry. The narrative takes a darker turn as Rodney’s struggles with addiction emerge, leading to pivotal moments that test his resilience and relationships. Interspersed with flashbacks to his earlier successes, the film reveals the haunting reality of his life choices, ultimately portraying a complex individual fighting for redemption amidst a tumultuous environment.
