Filmmaking
In 2008, DuVernay made her feature directorial debut with the documentary, This Is the Life. In 2010, she directed several network music documentaries, including My Mic Sounds Nice for BET Networks and the Essence Music Festival 2010 for TV One.
In 2011, DuVernay's first narrative feature film, I Will Follow, a drama starring Salli Richardson-Whitfield, was released theatrically. Roger Ebert championed the film, stating, "'I Will Follow' is one of the best films I've seen about coming to terms with the death of loved one."
I Will Follow was an official selection of AFI Fest, Pan-African Film Festival, Urbanworld and Chicago International Film Festival.
In summer of 2011, DuVernay began production on her second feature film, Middle of Nowhere. The film was acquired by AFFRM and Participant Media at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, where it played in U.S. Dramatic Competition and garnered the Best Director Award for DuVernay, the first African-American to ever win the prize. DuVernay also won the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award for her work on the film.
In 2013 DuVernay partnered with Miu Miu as part of their ad campaign Women's Tales. Her short film The Door starred actress Gabrielle Union and reunited DuVernay with her Middle of Nowhere star Emayatzy Corinealdi.
She also became the inaugural recipient of the Tribeca Film Institute's Heineken Affinity Award receiving a $20,000 prize and industry support for future projects.
A documentary directed by DuVernay commissioned by ESPN on Venus Williams fight for equal prize money entitled Venus Vs. is set to air in July, 2013.
Read more about this topic: Ava Du Vernay
Famous quotes containing the word filmmaking:
“As far as the filmmaking process is concerned, stars are essentially worthless—and absolutely essential.”
—William Goldman (b. 1931)