“I intend to be making films until I'm an old lady. So, if God willing I get there, I need to create a paradigm for myself where I can make it regardless of whether or not they still like what I'm making.”

American filmmaker

Ava DuVernay is an American filmmaker. She is known for directing films and television and for founding the independent distribution company ARRAY in 2011. Her work has earned two Primetime Emmy Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, a BAFTA Film Award, and a BAFTA TV Award. DuVernay made her directorial debut with I Will Follow in 2010. Her second feature, Middle of Nowhere, won the directing award in the U.S. dramatic competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, making her the first Black woman to receive that honor. She has also been nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.