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Ava DuVernay

Ava DuVernay Quotes

Filmmaker

Ava DuVernay is an American filmmaker recognized for her contributions to independent cinema, particularly for her films that delve into African American history and culture. Born on August 24, 1972, DuVernay has directed several significant films, including 'Middle of Nowhere' and '13th', which have been praised for their narrative depth and social commentary.

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All Film Filmmaker People Thinking Black Knows Ifs Feels Done Needs Want Art Black Women Color Kind Long Prison Trump Way Age

Famous Ava DuVernay Quotes

“As a Black woman filmmaker I feel that’s my job: visibility. And my preference within that job is Black subjectivity. Meaning I’m interested in the lives of Black folk as the subject. Not the predicate, not the tangent.[These stories] deserve to be told. Not as sociology, not as spectacle, not as a singular event that happens every so often, but regularly and purposefully as truth and as art on an ongoing basis, as do the stories of all the women you love.”

Feels Art Stories Happens Jobs Black Subjects Events Deserve Bases Folks Filmmaker Black Women Sociology Preference Ongoing Subjectivity Visibility

Author:Ava DuVernay

“Time will tell ... whether folks want to point and stare at the black woman filmmaker who made a certain kind of film, and pat her on the back, or if they want to actually roll up the sleeves and do a little bit of work so that there can be more of me coming through.”

Ifs Want Kind Littles Made Film Certain Bits Black Little Bit Folks Staring Filmmaker Black Women Sleeves Time Will Tell

Author:Ava DuVernay

“I love making films. I'm happiest when I'm doing it. For me, the fear is not being able to make the next thing and not being able, as a woman filmmaker and as a filmmaker of color, to put together the resources to make another thing.”

Able Together Film Next Color Resources Filmmaker Love Making

Author:Ava DuVernay

“Some black filmmakers will say, "I don't want to be considered a black filmmaker, I'm a filmmaker." I don't think that. I'm a black woman filmmaker.”

Thinking Want Black Filmmaker Black Women

Author:Ava DuVernay

“Roger Ebert was such a champion of underrepresented filmmakers. He was a very big deal to me. It shows the power of critics. People who write about film, like you, can really affect the confidence of a young filmmaker. He did that for me, so it was such a pleasure to have an opportunity to talk about Roger in the movie.”

People Writing Shows Bigs Film Young Opportunity Pleasure Deals Like You Critics Champion Filmmaker Big Deal Roger

Author:Ava DuVernay

“It sounds kind of flighty, filmmaker-y, but I believe films are a piece of art. They are meant to be what they're meant to be, and sometimes the artist is informed by the film of what it needs to be.”

Needs Believe Kind Art Sometimes Film Artist I Believe Sound Pieces Filmmaker Meant To Be

Author:Ava DuVernay

“To pretend like Hollywood is anything other than that is disingenuous. #OscarsSoWhite is trendy, but for women filmmakers and filmmakers of color, it's not a trend. This is our reality, and it's important that we do something to change it.”

Important Reality Color Hollywood Filmmaker Trends Trendy Disingenuous

Author:Ava DuVernay

“True change is a long game, and it remains to be seen if this is change. We've had years before where there have been great years for filmmakers and performers of color, LGBTQ filmmakers and performers, women.”

Ifs Years Long Has Beens Games Color Remains Filmmaker Performers Great Year

Author:Ava DuVernay

“Is there deeply embedded change within our industry? And I would say, as a black filmmaker, it's easy for me to focus my attention on black work, but true change would include brown work, and it would include work by Asian-Americans, and it would include natives, and it would include women, and it would include more LGBTQ voices.”

Easy Black Voice Attention Focus Industry Filmmaker Brown Asian Embedded Asian American

Author:Ava DuVernay

“There's no reason not to employ, seek out and take a chance on a woman filmmaker that you might not have been looking at her direction. She's not done it before because you've not given her the opportunity to do it before, and I'm just happy that folks like Jessica Jones' Melissa Rosenberg and folks like Ryan Murphy are also embracing this idea.”

Has Beens Ideas Reason Done Might Opportunity Given Chance Folks Filmmaker No Reason Take A Chance Murphy Jessica Melissa Jessica Jones

Author:Ava DuVernay

“I know how to make films and now I'm able to make films with the resources and the tools that match my imagination, and what filmmaker doesn't want to do that? I feel very fortunate to have that. I don't take it for granted.”

Knows Want Feels Able Film Imagination Know How Resources Tools Granted Fortunate Filmmaker My Imagination

Author:Ava DuVernay

“Working full-time as a filmmaker has been a dream come true.”

Dream Filmmaker Dreams Come True

Author:Ava DuVernay

“I think it's a wonderful time to be a black woman who makes films. It's a good time to be an artist period. Traditional models of making and consuming art are breaking down and being rebuilt. I find that to be incredibly exciting as a filmmaker and film marketer.”

Thinking Art Film Artist Black Wonderful Exciting Filmmaker Good Times Black Women Breaking Down

Author:Ava DuVernay

“Filmmakers need to realize that their job isn't done when they lock picture. We must see our films through. Studios no longer do this for a large percentage of films. The odds that your film will get a major campaign are dim these days. So you must find and nurture your own audience and make sure your film has a life.”

Done Film Realizing Audience Filmmaker Nurture

Author:Ava DuVernay

“I always find it fascinating to ask people, why they've chosen to live their life as an artist? Why be an actor, a singer, an author, a filmmaker? I've heard such inspiring answers to that question.”

People Artist Chosen Filmmaker

Author:Ava DuVernay

“I thing for female filmmakers a big issue is making their second and third films. You see the statistics, and the dropoff on the second and third [films] , are dire.”

Bigs Film Issues Female Thirds Filmmaker Statistics

Author:Ava DuVernay

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

Needs Done Jobs Film Realizing Filmmaker Locks

Author:Ava DuVernay

“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.”

Thinking Jobs Film Lovers Filmmaker Film Set

Author:Ava DuVernay

“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.”

Mean Different Prepared Eight Filmmaker Unexpected Surreal Publicists Sundance

Author:Ava DuVernay

About the Author

Born: August 24, 1972
Known for: Filmmaker
Quotes: 112

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