Biography
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…
Directed
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Selma (2014) — Director
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A Wrinkle in Time (2018) — Director
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When They See Us (2019) — Director
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13th (2016) — Director
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Queen Sugar (2016) — Director
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DMZ (2022) — Director
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Origin (2023) — Director
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Colin in Black and White (2021) — Director
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Middle of Nowhere (2012) — Director
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I Will Follow (2010) — Director
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This Is the Life (2008) — Director
- The Door (2013) — Director
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Nine for IX (2013) — Director
- Say Yes (2013) — Director
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My Mic Sounds Nice: A Truth About Women and Hip Hop (2010) — Director
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Venus VS. (2013) — Director
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Saturday Night Life (2006) — Director
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Family Feud (2018) — Director
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August 28: A Day in the Life of a People (2017) — Director
- Compton in C Minor (2009) — Director
- Heist of Benin — Director
- 14th (2026) — Director
Also appeared in
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Girls Trip (2017) — Ava DuVernay
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The Daily Show (1996) — Self
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The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014) — Self - Guest
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Life Itself (2014) — Self - Filmmaker
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The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) — Self - Guest
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Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) — Self
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The View (1997) — Self - Guest
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Oprah Winfrey Presents: When They See Us Now (2019) — Self
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Chelsea (2016) — Self
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The Kelly Clarkson Show (2019) — Self
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Adele One Night Only (2021) — Self
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A Black Lady Sketch Show (2019) — Ava DuVernay
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#blackAF (2020) — Ava DuVernay
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Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché (2018) — Self
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CBS News Sunday Morning (1979) — Self
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A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks (2021) — Self
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Finding Your Roots (2012) — Self
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Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter (2015) — Self
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Tamron Hall (2019) — Self - Guest
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13th: A Conversation with Oprah Winfrey & Ava DuVernay (2017) — Herself
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Half the Picture (2018) — Self
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Desus & Mero (2019) — Self - Illustrious Guest
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This Is the Life (2008) — Self
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Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter (2023) — Self
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Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television (2025) — Self
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Dear... (2020) — Self
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One Perfect Shot (2022) — Self - Director
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Only in Theaters (2022) — Self
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Shine On with Reese (2018) — Self
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Hollywood Black (2024) — Self
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Becoming King (2024) — Self
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Aggie (2020) — Self
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Regard Noir (2021) — Self
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Trailblazer Honors (2014) — Self - Honoree
- The Female Lead - A Selection of Portraits (2017) — Self
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Directors on Directors (2021) — Self