
§ THE PORTRAIT
Ava DuVernay
Photo: LaShawnda Jones, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
§ THE SHORT VERSION
Ava DuVernay, born in Long Beach in 1972 and raised in Lynwood, is the director of Selma, 13th and When They See Us. Selma made her the first Black woman nominated for the Golden Globe for best director, and her company ARRAY champions films by women and filmmakers of color.
Born in Long Beach in 1972 and raised in Lynwood, next door to Compton. Worked as a film publicist before picking up a camera herself in her thirties.
Selma made her the first Black woman nominated for the Golden Globe for best director. Her documentary 13th, on the line from slavery to mass incarceration, was nominated for an Oscar. When They See Us told the story of the Exonerated Five in their own terms.
She founded ARRAY to distribute and champion films by women and filmmakers of color, and she staffs her productions with first-time directors on purpose. The door she opened stays open.
The only name in this room so far.