Ava DuVernay, an award-winning filmmaker and founder of ARRAY, shares her inspiring journey from publicist to pioneer in Hollywood. She reflects on how her roots in Compton and experiences in the hip hop scene shaped her storytelling. Ava discusses the importance of representation in film and the impact of social issues on her work. She recounts her triumphant moment at Sundance, revealing how her commitment to diverse voices reshaped her filmmaking path and continues to influence future generations.
Ava DuVernay self-funded her early films and utilized personal savings, investments, and profits from previous projects to finance her subsequent ones.
Ava DuVernay formed ARRAY, an organization that supports marginalized voices in the film industry through self-distribution and collaborations with theaters and festivals.
Ava DuVernay emphasizes the importance of creative control and the ability to tell stories without compromise, preferring to work on smaller projects where she can have greater artistic freedom and make a more personal impact.
Deep dives
Discovering a Passion for Filmmaking
Ava DuVernay recounts how her journey into filmmaking began while working as a publicist. She recalls being inspired by the film "Collateral" and realizing her desire to tell stories through film. Her first 12-minute film, "Saturday Night Life," was funded with her own savings. She later created a self-distribution company, the African American Film Festival Releasing Movement (later renamed ARRAY), to get her films shown in theaters and festivals. Through personal investments and support from others, Ava continued to finance her films, including "Middle of Nowhere." She also shares the serendipitous story of how actor David Oyelowo reached out to her wanting to be a part of her film project.
Self-Distribution and Building ARRAY
Ava DeVernay explains the process of self-distribution for her early films. She talks about reaching out to black film festivals to gain support for her films, leading to partnerships and marketing collaborations. In order to expand her film's reach, Ava discovered alternative screening venues like museums, universities, and cultural organizations. She created the African American Film Festival Releasing Movement (ARRAY) to distribute independent black films, collaborating with theaters and festivals to showcase black voices in cinema. Ava's dedication to creating opportunities for black filmmakers evolved into ARRAY, a multi-faceted organization supporting marginalized voices in the film industry.
The Path to Success and Collaboration
Ava DuVernay shares her experiences financing her films and collaborating with actors such as David Oyelowo. Ava explains how she used personal savings, investments, and profits from previous films to fund her projects. She emphasizes the importance of building relationships and being willing to take risks to achieve her goals. Ava recalls how David Oyelowo reached out to her after reading her screenplay and ended up being a key collaborator on her film projects. Their successful partnership helped propel her career and enhance her visibility as a filmmaker.
Summary of Ava DuVernay's Filmmaking Journey
Ava DuVernay's journey as a filmmaker began during her time as a publicist, where she learned the importance of storytelling. She self-financed her early films and used the profits to fund subsequent projects. Emphasizing the value of self-distribution, Ava formed ARRAY, an organization that helps distribute independent films by black creators. Through her collaborations with actors like David Oyelowo, Ava has established herself as a prominent filmmaker, focusing on amplifying underrepresented voices in the industry.
Ava DuVernay's Journey as a Filmmaker and Entrepreneur
Ava DuVernay shares her journey in the film industry, from submitting films to Sundance and facing rejection to winning Best Director at the festival. She reflects on the transition from being a successful publicist to becoming a full-time filmmaker and how her experience in publicity prepared her for working with actors. DuVernay discusses the challenges she faced in making Selma, a period piece, with a limited budget and the need to recreate the historical setting. She also addresses the lack of recognition and opportunities for black women directors in the industry and her efforts to reform and rebuild the system through her company, array.
The Importance of Filmmakers having Creative Autonomy
DuVernay emphasizes the significance of filmmakers having creative control and the ability to tell their stories without compromise. She reflects on her experience working on a big-budget film like 'A Wrinkle in Time' and the challenges of group filmmaking where multiple opinions and compromises can dilute the director's vision. DuVernay expresses her preference for working on smaller projects where she can have greater creative freedom and make a more personal impact. She discusses the impact of her work with array, a platform that not only focuses on distribution and production but also on community outreach, education, and supporting underrepresented voices in the industry.
By her early thirties, Ava DuVernay was already a successful entrepreneur, having founded her own film publicity agency in Los Angeles. But after years of watching other people make films, she started to get an itch to tell her own stories onscreen. Ava's first films were rooted in deeply personal experiences: growing up with her sisters in Compton, performing Hip Hop at Open Mic Night at the Good Life Café in L.A. Her self-funded and self-distributed projects began to draw attention, and in 2012, Ava won the award for best directing at the Sundance Film Festival. She went on to direct powerful projects like Selma, 13th, and When They See Us; and through her production and distribution company ARRAY, she's created a movement that is helping change how movies are made—and who gets to make them.
This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.
Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Liz Metzger.
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