“We know there needs to be diversity in storytellers telling their own stories. I think there's a beautiful forward movement in that direction with McQueen telling '12 Years A Slave,' with Coogler telling 'Fruitvale,' and with Daniels telling 'The Butler.'”

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.