Celebrities Ava DuVernay, Birthday: 24 August 1972, Long Beach, California, USA

All the films I do, I write the scripts, I direct.

You know, often films that are deemed positive, nobody wants to see them.

I've been to Sundance eight times as a publicist and thought I was very prepared. I mean, who could'...Show more »

I've been to Sundance eight times as a publicist and thought I was very prepared. I mean, who could've been more prepared for me? A publicist who's been there eight times. Getting there as a filmmaker was a completely surreal, different, unexpected experience. Show less «

I didn't go to film school. I got my education on the set as a niche publicist in the film industry.

I'm a prison abolitionist because the prison system as it is set up is just not working. It's horrib...Show more »

I'm a prison abolitionist because the prison system as it is set up is just not working. It's horrible. Show less «

When I'm marketing a film, whether its mine or someone else's, I work with a great deal of strategy ...Show more »

When I'm marketing a film, whether its mine or someone else's, I work with a great deal of strategy and elbow grease until the job is done. Show less «

If you're doing something outside of dominant culture, there's not an easy place for you. You will h...Show more »

If you're doing something outside of dominant culture, there's not an easy place for you. You will have to do it yourself. Show less «

I think for female filmmakers a big issue is making their second and third films.

As long as you're in an environment where the worth of the project isn't based on the project but wh...Show more »

As long as you're in an environment where the worth of the project isn't based on the project but what its predecessors did, it's not truly inclusive. Show less «

Positive characterizations are complex characterizations. That's all we need to know. They shouldn't...Show more »

Positive characterizations are complex characterizations. That's all we need to know. They shouldn't be saccharine. They shouldn't feel like medicine. Show less «

I think that if we really want to break it down, that non-black filmmakers have had many, many years...Show more »

I think that if we really want to break it down, that non-black filmmakers have had many, many years and many, many opportunities to tell many, many stories about themselves, and black filmmakers have not had as many years, as many opportunities, as many films to explore the nuances of our reality. Show less «

Be passionate and move forward with gusto every single hour of every single day until you reach your...Show more »

Be passionate and move forward with gusto every single hour of every single day until you reach your goal. Show less «

I think good publicists are just like good mommies - always looking out, making sure folks are comfo...Show more »

I think good publicists are just like good mommies - always looking out, making sure folks are comfortable and making sure that folks are on time and making sure that folks are getting what they need and know what they need to do. Show less «

I don't understand the iPhone. I just don't get it. Don't ya'll have to write serious emails through...Show more »

I don't understand the iPhone. I just don't get it. Don't ya'll have to write serious emails throughout the day? How can you possibly manage detailed missives on a phone with no keys? Show less «

Filmmakers need to realize that their job isn't done when they lock picture. We must see our films t...Show more »

Filmmakers need to realize that their job isn't done when they lock picture. We must see our films through. Show less «

I think that women definitely have a special bond as friends that is hard to describe to men, and we...Show more »

I think that women definitely have a special bond as friends that is hard to describe to men, and we don't often see that portrayed narratively. Show less «

I wish I could be the black woman Soderbergh, and put the camera on my shoulder and shoot beautifull...Show more »

I wish I could be the black woman Soderbergh, and put the camera on my shoulder and shoot beautifully while I directed. Show less «

All the traditional models for doing things are collapsing; from music to publishing to film, and it...Show more »

All the traditional models for doing things are collapsing; from music to publishing to film, and it's a wide open door for people who are creative to do what they need to do without having institutions block their art. Show less «

We're told that independent film lovers... folks that are used to watching art house films, won't co...Show more »

We're told that independent film lovers... folks that are used to watching art house films, won't come out and see a film with black people in it - I've been told that in rooms, big rooms, studio rooms, and I know that's not true. Show less «

[on filming 'Selma' in the same area of Alabama where she grew up] I never approached it as, 'Oh my ...Show more »

[on filming 'Selma' in the same area of Alabama where she grew up] I never approached it as, 'Oh my God, I'm making a film about Mr. King'. I just focused on making a film about an ordinary man doing extraordinary things in a place I know very well. Show less «

I make films about black women and it doesn't mean that you can't see them as a black man, doesn't m...Show more »

I make films about black women and it doesn't mean that you can't see them as a black man, doesn't mean that he can't see them as a white man or she can't see them as a white woman. Show less «

I tell the stories that are of interest to me.

I really admire Werner Herzog and Spike Lee. They're amazing documentarians. If you took away all th...Show more »

I really admire Werner Herzog and Spike Lee. They're amazing documentarians. If you took away all the narratives, they'd just be amazing documentarians. Show less «

I didn't start out thinking that I could ever make films. I started out being a film lover, loving f...Show more »

I didn't start out thinking that I could ever make films. I started out being a film lover, loving films, and wanting to have a job that put me close to them and close to filmmakers and close to film sets. Show less «

In documentaries, there's a truth that unfolds unnaturally, and you get to chronicle it. In narrativ...Show more »

In documentaries, there's a truth that unfolds unnaturally, and you get to chronicle it. In narratives, you have to create the situations so that the truth will come out. Show less «

Film school was a privilege I could not afford.

I think I am a little jealous of women who have great girlfriends as adults.

I just don't think there's a lot of support for the woman's voice in cinema, and it becomes really d...Show more »

I just don't think there's a lot of support for the woman's voice in cinema, and it becomes really difficult to raise that money and start again every time. Show less «

Ava DuVernay

Ava DuVernay's FILMOGRAPHY

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