I just remember not having access to films as a young person who loved films but living in Compton. In order to see the film, I had to get on the bus and travel quite a ways to get to an arthouse theater - none of which you're gonna find in black and brown communities - to see anything that was outside of what the studios fed me, and that's not the case anymore.
Ava DuVernayI 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.
Ava DuVernayI'm making and marketing my films, by any means necessary, and enjoying life while I do so.
Ava DuVernayI 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.
Ava DuVernayRoger 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.
Ava DuVernay