Ava DuVernay is the first Black woman to win the Sundance Film Festival’s directing award, to be nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director, to have her film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, and to direct a film with a budget of over $100 million.
With her unusual movie Origin, released this past year, she continues to blaze an uncharted path for women of color in the film industry. After it was announced in 2020 that she would be directing the film for Netflix, the streaming service backed out of the project, and other major film studios passed it over due to its heavy social critique. However, DuVernay knew better than to be discouraged by the lack of traditional financing.
Leveraging her distinct pluck and creativity, she created a new film financing model based on philanthropic donations. With help from the Ford Foundation, Melinda Gates, and the Emerson Collective, to name a few, DuVernay moved forward with Origin, now a critically acclaimed film.
DuVernay’s exceptional success across both her artistic and business accomplishments may be a key factor in pushing for change in an industry that has often proven resistant to social progress.
