Ava DuVernay

Ava Marie DuVernay (born August 24, 1972) is an American director, screenwriter, producer, and former rapper. In the 1990s, DuVernay was active in the Los Angeles underground hip hop scene, performing under the names AvA and Eve, and as one half of the duo Figures of Speech with fellow female MC Ronda Ross (aka Jyant). DuVernay's debut film, music documentary "This Is the Life" (2008), chronicled the rise and enduring influence of the scene of which she had been a part, focusing on its epicenter at the famous open mic nights in the Good Life Cafe, where many major west coast underground hip hop artists got their starts. At the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, DuVernay won the Best Director Prize for her second feature film "Middle of Nowhere", becoming the first African-American woman to win the award. For her work on "Selma" (2014), DuVernay was the first black female director to be nominated for a Golden Globe Award and also the first to have her film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, though she was not nominated for Best Director. In 2017, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for her political documentary "13th" (2016).

Works

Becoming King

An emotional portrait of David Oyelowo’s journey to play legendary civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Featuring behind-the-scenes footage and intimate home videos, Becoming King is a story of faith, friendship and a destiny fulfilled.

Release Date:2024-02-19

Character:Self

Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter

THR’s famed Roundtables are reimagined for broadcast and offer a fresh perspective on a classic, showcasing the collective brilliance of the entertainment industry's finest and funniest minds as never before.

Release Date:2023-12-31

Character:Self

Episode Count:1

Vote Count:1

Origin

While investigating the global phenomenon of caste and its dark influence on society, a journalist faces unfathomable personal loss and uncovers the beauty of human resilience.

Release Date:2023-12-08

Department:Writing

Job:Writer

Vote Count:53

Only in Theaters

ONLY IN THEATERS, a film by actor/director Raphael Sbarge, is an intimate and moving journey taken with the Laemmle family, spanning nearly three years of challenges, losses, and personal triumphs. Laemmle Theatres, the beloved 84-year-old arthouse cinema chain 3rd generation family business in Los Angeles, is facing seismic change and financial pressure. Yet the family behind this multigenerational business – whose sole mission has been to support the art of film – is determined to survive.

Release Date:2022-11-18

Character:Self

Vote Count:3

One Perfect Shot

This docuseries celebrates some of the most iconic moments in filmmaking with each episode featuring one acclaimed director pulling back the curtain on their most iconic shots. Inspired by the popular Twitter account of the same name.

Release Date:2022-03-24

Department:Production

Job:Executive Producer

Character:Self - Director

Episode Count:6

Vote Count:7

DMZ

In the near future after a bitter civil war leaves Manhattan a demilitarized zone (DMZ), destroyed and isolated from the rest of the world, fierce medic Alma Ortega sets out on a harrowing journey to find the son she lost in the evacuation of New York City at the onset of the conflict. Standing in her way are gangs, militias, demagogues and warlords, including Parco Delgado, the popular — and deadly — leader of one of the most powerful gangs in the DMZ.

Release Date:2022-03-17

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Episode Count:1

Vote Count:84

Naomi

Follow a teen girl’s journey from her small northwestern town to the heights of the multiverse. When a supernatural event shakes her hometown to the core, Naomi sets out to uncover its origins, and what she discovers will challenge everything we believe about our heroes

Release Date:2022-01-11

Department:Production

Job:Executive Producer

Episode Count:13

Vote Count:94

Adele One Night Only

A primetime special with performances from the superstar including Adele’s first new material in six years plus her chart-topping hits. The special will also feature an exclusive interview with Adele by Oprah Winfrey from her rose garden, in Adele’s first televised wide-ranging conversation.

Release Date:2021-11-14

Character:Self

Vote Count:56

Colin in Black and White

The life of athlete Colin Kaepernick and his adoptive parents as they navigate the challenges of raising a black son in a white family and community.

Release Date:2021-10-29

Department:Production

Job:Executive Producer

Episode Count:6

Vote Count:51

Home Sweet Home

A social experiment focusing on real families of different backgrounds who experience a new way of life when they trade homes. The participants boldly step out of their comfort zones, taking part in each other's daily routines. Afterward, the families come together to share stories as well as their new perspectives and learnings.

Release Date:2021-10-15

Department:Creator

Job:Creator

A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks

This documentary chronicles renaissance man Gordon Parks’ stellar career from staff photographer for LIFE magazine, through his artistic development photographing everyday Americans, through his evolution as a novelist and groundbreaking filmmaker.

Release Date:2021-06-18

Character:Self

Vote Count:19

Regard Noir

Release Date:2021-03-21

Character:Herself

Vote Count:2

Variety Studio: Directors on Directors

PBS SoCal and Variety take you inside the biggest movies and T.V. shows of the past year through candid conversations with today's hottest actors. Hosted by Variety Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis and Variety Chief Correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister, each episode brings together pairs of directors engaging in intimate one-on-one discussions about their craft and work.

Release Date:2021-03-03

Character:Self

Episode Count:1

The White Tiger

An ambitious Indian driver uses his wit and cunning to escape from poverty and rise to the top. An epic journey based on the New York Times bestseller.

Release Date:2021-01-13

Department:Production

Job:Producer

Vote Count:895

A Concerto Is a Conversation

A virtuoso jazz pianist and film composer tracks his family's lineage through his 91-year-old grandfather from Jim Crow Florida to the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Release Date:2020-11-24

Department:Production

Job:Executive Producer

Vote Count:34

Aggie

An exploration of the nexus of art, race, and justice through the story of art collector and philanthropist Agnes Gund who sold Roy Lichtenstein’s painting “Masterpiece” in 2017 for $165 million to start the Art for Justice Fund to end mass incarceration.

Release Date:2020-10-07

Character:Self

Vote Count:1

Dear...

An inventive and cinematic approach to biographies of the most iconic figures in society today by using letters written by those whose lives have been changed through their work.

Release Date:2020-06-05

Character:Self

Episode Count:1

Vote Count:7

And She Could Be Next

The story of a defiant movement of women of color transforming American politics from the ground up. Filmed during the historic 2018 midterm elections, the series follows organizers and candidates as they fight on behalf of black, brown, immigrant and poor communities–long neglected by politicians and pundits alike.

Release Date:2020-05-31

Department:Production

Job:Executive Producer

#blackAF

A father takes an irreverent and honest approach to parenting and relationships.

Release Date:2020-04-17

Character:Ava DuVernay

Episode Count:1

Vote Count:32

Cherish the Day

A chronicle of the stirring relationship of one couple, with each episode spanning a single day. The narrative will unfold to reveal significant moments in a relationship that compel us to hold true to the ones we love, from the extraordinary to the everyday.

Release Date:2020-02-11

Department:Production

Job:Executive Producer

Episode Count:8

Vote Count:9

Tamron Hall

Former news host and journalist Tamron Hall discusses all things topical and engages those she interviews in thorough meaningful and entertaining conversations.

Release Date:2019-09-09

Character:Self - Guest

Episode Count:1

Vote Count:16

The Kelly Clarkson Show

Kelly Clarkson presents the biggest newsmakers and names in film, television and music; as well as emerging new talent and everyday people who are beacons of hope in their communities.

Release Date:2019-09-09

Episode Count:1

Vote Count:58

A Black Lady Sketch Show

A narrative series set in a limitless magical reality full of dynamic, hilarious characters and celebrity guests presenting sketches performed by a core cast of black women.

Release Date:2019-08-02

Character:Ava DuVernay

Episode Count:1

Vote Count:37

Oprah Winfrey Presents: When They See Us Now

Oprah Winfrey talks with the exonerated men once known as the Central Park Five, plus the cast and producers who tell their story in "When They See Us."

Release Date:2019-06-13

Character:Self

Vote Count:77

When They See Us

Five teens from Harlem become trapped in a nightmare when they're falsely accused of a brutal attack in Central Park.

Release Date:2019-05-31

Department:Writing

Job:Story

Episode Count:4

Vote Count:872

The Red Line

A heart-in-your-throat drama, Red Line begins with the mistaken shooting of a black doctor at the hands of a white cop and unfolds from the perspective of each of the families connected to the tragedy. It's a then-and-now meets us-and-them tale about the often-personal politics of crime.

Release Date:2019-04-28

Department:Production

Job:Executive Producer

Episode Count:8

Vote Count:27

Desus & Mero

The first ever weekly late-night talk show on Showtime features popular TV and podcast personalities Desus and Mero speaking off the cuff and chatting with guests at the intersection of pop culture, sports, music, politics and more.

Release Date:2019-02-21

Character:Self - Illustrious Guest

Episode Count:1

Vote Count:12

Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché

The epic life story of Alice Guy-Blaché (1873–1968), a French screenwriter, director and producer, true pioneer of cinema, the first person who made a narrative fiction film; author of hundreds of movies, but banished from history books. Ignored and forgotten. At last remembered.

Release Date:2018-12-07

Character:Self

Vote Count:37

Shine On with Reese

Join Reese Witherspoon for some real talk and laughs with female trailblazers.

Release Date:2018-07-17

Character:Self

Episode Count:1

Vote Count:5

A Wrinkle in Time

After the disappearance of her scientist father, three peculiar beings send Meg, her brother, and her friend to space in order to find him.

Release Date:2018-03-08

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:1795

Half the Picture

At a pivotal moment for gender equality in Hollywood, successful women directors talk about their art, lives and careers.

Release Date:2018-01-23

Character:Self

Vote Count:11

Family Feud

Jay-Z aims to unite the new and older generations of rap fans, while also reflecting on his own infidelity.

Release Date:2018-01-04

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:2

August 28: A Day in the Life of a People

Documentary film on events that happened on August 28th in African-American history, shown at the Smithsonian African-American History Museum.

Release Date:2017-08-26

Department:Writing

Job:Writer

Vote Count:1

Girls Trip

Four girlfriends take a trip to New Orleans for an annual festival and, along the way, rediscover their wild sides and strengthen the bonds of sisterhood.

Release Date:2017-07-21

Character:Ava DuVernay

Vote Count:1504

The Female Lead - A Selection of Portraits

The interviews show these extraordinary women sharing their diverse journeys, personal stories, and perspectives, and the effect is both inspiring and empowering. The Female Lead is an initiative founded by data pioneer and entrepreneur Edwina Dunn to make women’s stories more visible, offering alternative role models with the goal of fostering ambition and self-belief in young women.

Release Date:2017-03-05

Character:Self

Vote Count:1

13th: A Conversation with Oprah Winfrey & Ava DuVernay

In this 30-minute interview, Oprah Winfrey sits down with director Ava DuVernay to discuss her Oscar-nominated film, historical cycles of oppression and the broken prison system.

Release Date:2017-01-26

Character:Herself

Vote Count:14

Black America Again

A visual celebration of the beauty, strength, perseverance and spirit of the Black community in these troubling times.

Release Date:2016-10-21

Department:Production

Job:Executive Producer

Vote Count:2

13th

An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.

Release Date:2016-10-07

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:746

Queen Sugar

Two sisters, Nova Bordelon and Charley Bordelon, with her teenage son Micah moves to the heart of Louisiana to claim an inheritance from her recently departed father - an 800-acre sugarcane farm.

Release Date:2016-09-06

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Episode Count:2

Vote Count:114

Chelsea

It's not her first talk show, but it is a first of its kind. Ideas, people and places that fascinate her, all in her unique style.

Release Date:2016-05-11

Character:Self

Episode Count:1

Vote Count:68

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert brings his signature satire and comedy to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the #1 show in late night, where he talks with an eclectic mix of guests about what is new and relevant in the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, music, technology, and more. Featuring bandleader Jon Batiste with his band Stay Human, the Emmy Award-nominated show is broadcast from the historic Ed Sullivan Theater. Stephen Colbert, Chris Licht, Tom Purcell, and Jon Stewart are executive producers. Barry Julien and Denise Rehrig serve as co-executive producers.must watch

Release Date:2015-09-08

Character:Self

Episode Count:2

Vote Count:283

Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

Some of this year's most talked about talent open up about the challenges and triumphs of creating critically acclaimed series and performances.

Release Date:2015-08-02

Character:Self

Episode Count:2

Vote Count:17

Selma

"Selma," as in Alabama, the place where segregation in the South was at its worst, leading to a march that ended in violence, forcing a famous statement by President Lyndon B. Johnson that ultimately led to the signing of the Voting Rights Act.

Release Date:2014-12-25

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:2203

Life Itself

The surprising and entertaining life of renowned film critic and social commentator Roger Ebert (1942-2013): his early days as a freewheeling bachelor and Pulitzer Prize winner, his famously contentious partnership with Gene Siskel, his life-altering marriage, and his brave and transcendent battle with cancer.

Release Date:2014-07-04

Character:Self - Filmmaker

Vote Count:347

Trailblazer Honors

One-hour annual event that celebrates leaders at the forefront of LGBTQ equality.

Release Date:2014-06-27

Character:Self - Honoree

Episode Count:1

Vote Count:2

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

After Jay Leno's second retirement from the program, Jimmy Fallon stepped in as his permanent replacement. After 42 years in Los Angeles the program was brought back to New York.

Release Date:2014-02-17

Character:Self - Guest

Episode Count:1

Vote Count:320

99%: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film

This award winning documentary, narrated by Lou Reed, explores the breadth and depth of Occupy Wall Street and how it quickly grew from a small park in lower Manhattan to an international movement. The film highlights why people from diverse age, ethnic and financial backgrounds support the movement and its focus of removing money from politics in order to reclaim democracy from entrenched corporate interests so that critical issues including job creation, affordable access to health and education, protecting the environment and gun safety can be fully addressed. Featuring interviews with a wide range of subjects including Occupiers, economist Jeffrey Sachs and business magnate Russell Simmons.

Release Date:2013-09-06

Department:Production

Job:Associate Producer

Vote Count:7

Say Yes

This short film by Ava DuVernay celebrates a love of African-American culture, camaraderie, love and romance.

Release Date:2013-08-14

Department:Writing

Job:Writer

Vote Count:2

The Door

The Door, by Ava DuVernay, is a celebration of the transformative power of feminine bonds, and a symbolic story of life change.

Release Date:2013-07-02

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:3

Venus VS.

We know about the swing. We know about the swagger. But what most Americans don't know about Venus Williams is how she changed the course of her sport. In a stunning case that captured the European public beginning in 2005, Williams challenged the long-held practice of paying women tennis players less than their male counterparts at Wimbledon. With a deep sense of obligation to the legacy of Billie Jean King, Williams lobbied British Parliament, UNESCO and Fleet Street for financial parity. And it was her poignant op-ed piece in The London Times that convinced many people that the Wimbledon tournament organizers were "on the wrong side of history." Roland Garros and Wimbledon finally relented in 2007. That year at Wimbledon, Venus became the first women's champion to earn as much as the men's singles winner (Roger Federer). VENUS VS. chronicles Williams' fight for pay equality.

Release Date:2013-07-02

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:2

Nine for IX

Nine for IX is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Title IX. The documentaries are being produced by ESPN Films in conjunction with espnW, and are intended to have the same creative, story-driven aspect that ESPN Films' other series, 30 for 30, has, with the series focusing on captivating stories of women in sports told through the lens of female filmmakers. The first film, Venus Vs., premiered on July 2, 2013.

Release Date:2013-07-02

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Episode Count:9

Vote Count:3

Middle of Nowhere

When her husband is sentenced to eight years in prison, Ruby drops out of medical school in order to focus on her husband's well-being while he's incarcerated - leading her on a journey of self-discovery in the process.

Release Date:2012-10-12

Department:Writing

Job:Writer

Vote Count:27

Finding Your Roots

Noted Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has been helping people discover long-lost relatives hidden for generations within the branches of their family trees. Professor Gates utilizes a team of genealogists to reconstruct the paper trail left behind by our ancestors and the world’s leading geneticists to decode our DNA and help us travel thousands of years into the past to discover the origins of our earliest forebears.

Release Date:2012-03-24

Character:Self

Episode Count:2

Vote Count:12

I Will Follow

Chronicles a day in the life of a grieving woman, and the twelve visitors who help her move forward.

Release Date:2010-09-18

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:18

My Mic Sounds Nice: A Truth About Women and Hip Hop

Ava DuVernay focuses on the history of female MCs in the hip hop industry in this short documentary that features Missy Elliott, Salt-N-Pepa, Eve, Jean Grae, Roxanne Shante, Trina, The Lady of Rage, and many more.

Release Date:2010-08-30

Department:Production

Job:Executive Producer

Vote Count:2

Compton in C Minor

'Compton in C Minor' is a meditation on the gang capital of the world from a hometown girl's point of view. Frustrated by negative portrayals of the inner-city, director Ava DuVernay challenged herself to capture Compton in only two hours and present whatever she found. The results touch on everything from unemployment to entrepreneurship, from graffiti to pride of ownership. The short documentary ends with an inspiring spectacle that will cause you to rethink your stereotypes of this community.

Release Date:2009-01-01

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:1

This Is the Life

In 1989, a collective of young hip hop artists gathered at a health food café in South Central Los Angeles. Their mandate? To reject gang culture and expand the musical boundaries of hip hop. DuVernay's documentary chronicles the historic legacy of the Good Life Cafe — the open mic nights that became an L.A. institution, the eclectic array of talented young MCs that emerged there, the alternative hip hop movement they developed, and their worldwide influence on the artform.

Release Date:2008-02-08

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Character:Self

Vote Count:8

Saturday Night Life

Writer-director Ava DuVernay's short drama concerns a poor, struggling single mother whose trip with her three children to a 99-cent store in Los Angeles becomes an unexpectedly uplifting family experience. Melissa DeSousa ("The Best Man") stars.

Release Date:2006-06-22

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:2

The View

ABC Daytime's morning chatfest, currently featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro discussing the most exciting events of the day. Hot topics in the news, the best experts in their field, celebrity interviews and general entertainment are all part of The View.

Release Date:1997-08-11

Character:Self - Guest

Episode Count:1

Vote Count:96

The Daily Show

The World's Fakest News Team tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and pop culture.

Release Date:1996-07-22

Character:Self

Episode Count:1

Vote Count:551

CBS News Sunday Morning

The sparkling notes of a trumpet fanfare and the familiar logo of the sun alert viewers that it's time for CBS's Sunday morning staple. Journalist Jane Pauley helms the show, taking over hosting duties from Charles Osgood, who spent 22 years on the job. A morning talk show, this program airs at a different pace and focuses much of its attention on the performing arts. After a quick update of the day's news and national weather, correspondents offer longer-length segments on a variety of topics, from architecture to ballet to music to pop culture to politics.

Release Date:1979-01-28

Character:Self

Episode Count:1

Vote Count:19