“There was a time when I was knocking on doors and concerned with being recognized in dominant culture. I've found a space where the terrain is different, where I'm embraced by people like me, and where I'm building new ways of doing things, as opposed to trying to insert myself in a place that might not be welcoming.”

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.