Filmmaker Ava DuVernay has seen a great year, especially after 11 exciting Emmy nominations and one win for her recent Netflix series When They See Us about the Central Park Five. Her previous achievements also include directing 2014’s Selma, for which she became the first black woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe for directing, the Academy Award-nominated Netflix documentary 13th, and A Wrinkle in Time.
DuVernay’s successful career has seen people in Hollywood congratulating her for films she hasn’t touched and, apparently, she’s not having it. She tweeted on November 26, “I’ve now been congratulated by non-black folks in Hollywood 11 different times about my direction of HARRIET and QUEEN AND SLIM. When I share that I didn’t direct those films, that they are made by black women directors who are not me? Nervous chuckles. Apologies. This place…”
Harriet came out November 1 and was directed by Kasi Lemmons starring Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn, and Janelle Monáe. To date, it’s box office earnings have reached little over $34 Million. Queen & Slim debuted on November 27 and was directed by Melina Matsoukas and written by Lena Waithe. It stars Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith, Bokeem Woodbine, Chloë Sevigny, Flea, and Indya Moore and has made $4.1 million in the few days it’s been out.
Hopefully people can recognize that there is more than just one black female filmmaker and hopefully the amount of successful black women in Hollywood will only keep growing.
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