Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay is an American director born in Long Beach, California, celebrated for politically urgent films examining African American history and systemic injustice. Middle of Nowhere, an intimate drama about a woman awaiting her incarcerated husband's release, established her patient, character-focused style before Selma, a sweeping account of the 1965 civil rights marches led by Martin Luther King Jr., brought her wide critical acclaim and made her the first Black woman director nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Director. 13th, a documentary tracing the historical throughline from slavery to mass incarceration through the loophole in the Thirteenth Amendment, became one of the most acclaimed and widely discussed documentaries of its era. A Wrinkle in Time made her the first Black woman to direct a film with a budget exceeding one hundred million dollars. DuVernay's consistent engagement with African American history and systemic injustice has made her one of the most significant contemporary American directors.
Ava DuVernay
7 Directed
8 Series
Ava DuVernay is an American director born in Long Beach, California, celebrated for politically urgent films examining African American history and systemic injustice. Middle of Nowhere, an intimate drama about a woman awaiting her incarcerated husband's release, established her patient, character-focused style before Selma, a sweeping account of the 1965 civil rights marches led by Martin Luther King Jr., brought her wide critical acclaim and made her the first Black woman director nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Director. 13th, a documentary tracing the historical throughline from slavery to mass incarceration through the loophole in the Thirteenth Amendment, became one of the most acclaimed and widely discussed documentaries of its era. A Wrinkle in Time made her the first Black woman to direct a film with a budget exceeding one hundred million dollars. DuVernay's consistent engagement with African American history and systemic injustice has made her one of the most significant contemporary American directors.
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Becoming King
Full Filmography
Origin
Director
2023
Film
DMZ
Director · 1 episode
2022–
TV
Naomi
Creator
2022–
TV
Colin in Black and White
Creator
2021–
TV
And She Could Be Next
Executive Producer · 2 episodes
2020–
TV
Cherish the Day
Creator
2020–
TV
When They See Us
Creator
2019–
TV
The Red Line
Executive Producer · 8 episodes
2019–
TV
A Wrinkle in Time
Director
2018
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Ava DuVernay and where are they from?
Ava DuVernay is 53 years old, born on August 24, 1972 in Long Beach, California, USA.
What are the most famous roles of Ava DuVernay?
Ava DuVernay is best known for directing Selma, A Wrinkle in Time, 13th.
How many movies has Ava DuVernay directed?
Over a 20-year career (since 2006), Ava DuVernay has directed or written 7 films and worked on 8 TV shows.
What was Ava DuVernay's first movie?
The career of Ava DuVernay began with Heist of Benin ().
What is Ava DuVernay's most recent movie or series?
Ava DuVernay's most recent release is Origin, which premiered on December 8, 2023.
What TV shows has Ava DuVernay created or directed?
On television, Ava DuVernay has appeared in When They See Us, Queen Sugar, DMZ, Naomi.
Does Ava DuVernay have any upcoming projects?
Yes, Ava DuVernay's upcoming work includes: 14th (2026).
Ava DuVernay
1972-08-24 · Long Beach, California, USA
Ava Marie DuVernay (/ˌdjuːvərˈneɪ/; born August 24, 1972) is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer. She is a recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, a BAFTA Film Award, and a BAFTA TV Award, as well as a nominee for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. In 2011, she founded her independent distribution company ARRAY. After making her directorial debut with I Will Follow (2010), DuVernay won the directing award in the U.S. dramatic competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for her second feature film, Middle of Nowhere, becoming the first black woman to win the award.
For her work on Selma (2014), a biopic about Martin Luther King Jr., DuVernay became the first African-American woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director; the film went on to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Her other film credits include the Academy Award-nominated Netflix documentary 13th (2016) and the Disney fantasy film A Wrinkle in Time (2018), the latter making her the first African-American woman to direct a film with a $100 million budget. In 2023, she directed the biographical film Origin based on Isabel Wilkerson's book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (2020).
DuVernay's television credits include the OWN drama series Queen Sugar (2016) and two Netflix drama limited series: When They See Us (2019), based on the 1989 Central Park jogger case, and Colin in Black & White (2021), based on the teenage years of NFL player Colin Kaepernick. In 2017, DuVernay was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. In 2020, she was elected to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences board of governors as part of the directors branch.Ava DuVernay, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.