Contents
Ava DuVernay
Directing Selma, 13th and When They See Us.
Selma · 13th
- Born
- 24 August 1972
- Birthplace
- Long Beach, California, United States
More people
Ava DuVernay
American filmmaker whose drama and documentary work examines racial injustice, institutions and personal experience.
Early life
California upbringing
Grew up in the Los Angeles area with family connections to Alabama.
University study
Studied English and African American studies at UCLA.
Career
- 1990s–2000s
Publicity career
Worked in entertainment publicity before directing films.
- 2010–2014
Feature breakthrough
Moved from independent films to the historical drama Selma.
- 2016 onward
Film and television
Developed acclaimed documentaries and dramatic series alongside distribution work.
Selected work
Selma
Dramatised the voting-rights campaign centred on the Alabama city.
13th
Examined the relationship between slavery’s constitutional abolition and mass incarceration.
When They See Us
Dramatised the wrongful prosecution of the Central Park Five.
Beyond work
Distribution work
Founded ARRAY to support films by women and people of colour.
Industry advocacy
Has worked to expand opportunities behind the camera.
Sources & photo credit
Biography and references ↗Biography and contributions ↗Photo: LaShawnda Jones. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
.jpg){kind=link}