Middle of Nowhere is just Ava DuVernay's second feature film, but her work scored her the best director prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival -- making her the first African-American woman to win the honor. Her feature film directorial debut, the well-received I Will Follow, was the first theatrical release from the black distribution collective African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement. DuVernay is also well-known for her behind-the-scenes work in promotions and publicity for big feature-film productions, such as Spider Man 2, Collateral and I, Robot.

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