Ava DuVernay
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Netflix's Colin in Black & White Finds Its Kaepernick
In July, we reported that Colin Kaepernick and Ava DuVernay were combining superpowers to develop Colin in Black & White, a new Netflix limited series which “will focus on Kaepernick’s formative high school years, lending meaningful insight into the acts and experiences that led him to become the activist he is today.” And today comes…
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Academy Dialogues Exclusive Clip: Ava DuVernay Has a Rare Discussion About Craft With Julie Dash and Euzhan Palcy
If you’ve been keeping up with our ongoing coverage so far, you may know that The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has been releasing regular panel sessions called Academy Dialogues as part of its equity and inclusion initiative Academy Aperture 2025. Next up, we have an all-Black female filmmaker panel titled Academy Dialogues:…
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Perfect Pairings: Ava DuVernay to Direct Adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste for Netflix
Ava DuVernay is back in the director’s chair once again, this time for a feature film adaptation based on Isabel Wilkerson’s New York Times bestseller, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. The film will use a multiple-story structure to depict how racial hierarchies have shaped life for generations of Americans. It also marks her first…
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Dwayne Wade, Cedric the Entertainer, Wayne Brady, and Lala Milan to Feature in Next 'Zoom Where It Happens' Directed By Sanaa Lathan
The next episode of “Zoom Where it Happens,” the online live table reading series launched by Black women to entertain viewers and encourage them to vote this year, will feature Black entertainers from the fields of sports and comedy portraying characters from the iconic Black sitcom Sanford and Son. Award-winning actress Sanaa Lathan will direct…
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Urbanworld 2020’s Virtual Festival Packs Cinematic Treats—and Some Scares—in Must-Watch Lineup
Urbanworld Film Festival will be virtual this year—much like everything else—but it won’t lack for sizzle or star power. The film festival announced its much-anticipated 2020 lineup on Thursday, starting with African British actor David Oyelowo’s feature directorial debut, The Water Man. The fantasy-adventure film will open the festival, now in its 24th year, on…
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First Look Clip: Ava DuVernay Reveals to Oprah What She Felt Right After Kamala Harris Was Announced as VP Candidate
August 28 is an important date. 2020 is an important year. That’s why Oprah Winfrey has decided to launch OWN Spotlight: Culture Connection & August 28th, featuring separate conversations with Ava DuVernay and Rev. Al Sharpton with regard to the historical context of this date as well as the significance of the Black vote and…
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Toronto International Film Festival Taps Denzel Washington, Ava DuVernay and Barry Jenkins for Virtual Conversations
Like many other hallowed Hollywood events, the 20th anniversary of the Toronto International Film Festival will look very different this year. The popular festival is expected to be held virtually from Sept. 10-19 and will hold several virtual conversations with industry heavyweights. According to The Hollywood Reporter, TIFF booked Denzel Washington, Ava DuVernay and Barry…
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'We Still Live in Katrina': This New Orleans Resident Lived in Life-Threatening Conditions Before the Storm
It’s been 15 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans, but resident Shannon Rainey lived in a state of disaster decades before the storm ever made landfall. “We see Katrina every day. So the only thing that’s going on with us [is] we just get a new year every year. Nothing has…
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Ava DuVernay Talks to The Root Institute on How She Creates Art that Makes A Difference
“Art is the foundation of any movement,” is how director Ava DuVernay began our interview as we unpacked the transformative power of art—both in its ability to uplift and destroy. DuVernay, personally, has been driven from the beginning of her film career to create art that uplifts and moves the culture forward with creativity, sensitivity…