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Extraordinary Black Women Filmmakers

Extraordinary Black Women Filmmakers

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The U.S. film industry is populated by frighteningly few black women directors. Their work, however, has stood the test of time and raked in box office dollars. From Zora Neale Hurston and Maya Angelou to Kasi Lemmons, here are some mostly-independent black women filmmakers who blazed trails for future generations.

Sources: pajiba.com, nytimes.com, cleveland,com, filmclique.com, columbia.edu, imdb.com

http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/la-rebellion/julie-dash
http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/la-rebellion/julie-dash

Julie Dash

A New Yorker who made a series of short films in the late ’80s, Dash made history by becoming the first black woman to direct a full-length, theatrically-released American film, “Daughters of the Dust” (1992). She has also directed music videos of singers like Tracy Chapman and Keb ‘Mo, and TV films including “The Rosa Parks Story” (2002) with Angela Bassett.

commons.wikimedia.org
commons.wikimedia.org

Euzhan Palcy

Roger Ebert said Euzhan Palcy is proof that great directors can come from anywhere — but they must know they are great directors and trust they are great. (Imdb.com). This Martinique-born talent made history twice while making the same film, “A Dry White Season” (1989). She was the first black woman whose film was produced by a Hollywood studio, and also the only woman ever to direct Marlon Brando (in a role for which he was nominated for an Oscar). Mentored by French auteur Francois Truffaut, Palcy also made “Sugar Cane Alley” (1983), which won the César Award–France’s highest film honor–for Best First Feature.

cy.wikipedia.org
cy.wikipedia.org

Maya Angelou

Besides making a cameo appearance in the film “Poetic Justice” (1993) and writing the teleplays for “Sister, Sister” (1982) and “I Know why the Caged Bird Sings” (1979), she directed a major motion picture, “Down in the Delta” in 1998. Starring Alfre Woodard, it received the two thumbs up from Siskel and Ebert.

en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org

Gina Prince-Bythewood

A UCLA graduate, Prince-Bythewood’s first film, “Love and Basketball” (2000) was produced by Spike Lee. It was a smashing independent success, and won her Best First Screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards. “The Secret Life of Bees” (2008) featured an all-star cast including Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, and Jennifer Hudson, and won her Best Director at the Black Reel Awards. “Beyond the Lights,” to be released in November, already is generating buzz for award potential.

en.wikipedia.org
Sofia Sondervan and Martin at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival en.wikipedia.org

Darnell Martin

A contributing director to some great TV series over the years including “E.R.” and “Oz,” Martin broke through with the Oprah Winfrey-backed TV movie adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes were Watching God” in 2005 starring Halle Berry. The next stop was Hollywood, and the incredibly lively, crowd-pleasing Motown biography, “Cadillac Records” (2008) saw her the boss of Beyoncé, Adrien Brody, and Jeffrey Wright. We’re waiting for her next silver screen hit. Meanwhile Martin has been busy with more TV hits, including “Grimm” and “Law and Order: Criminal Intent.”

en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org

Angela Robinson

Virtually unheard of, but still a boundary-breaking filmmaker, Robinson has channeled her experiences as a black lesbian into her films. Her 2003 short film, “D.E.B.S.” was a parody of “Charlie’s Angels.” A wickedly feminist piece, it won some major film festival awards. Robinson expanded it into a full-length film the following year, featuring actresses Jordana Brewster and Meagan Good. The 2005 Lindsay Lohan vehicle, “Herbie: Fully Loaded” was famous for Lohan’s on-set antics, but Robinson managed to make a crowd pleaser. She also created the TV series, “Girltrash” and writes for the hit show, “True Blood.”

en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org

Ava DuVernay

Deeply immersed for years in the film industry, Ava DuVernay worked on the sets of blockbusters like “Spider Man” and “Monster-in-Law.” Her first major feature was a hip hip documentary, “This is the Life” (2008). In 2012 her feature film, “Middle of Nowhere” burst onto the scene, generating critics’ awards, soaring reviews, and some Oscar buzz. Her original screenplay was not nominated. Its success also re-posed the question that should be constantly asked: “Where are the black female directors?” DuVernay’s next film, Civil Rights drama “Selma,” is pending a 2014 release. The cast includes Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Common.

en.wikipedai.org
en.wikipedai.org

Sanaa Hamri

A Moroccan-born, African-American success in the film industry, the Sarah Lawrence graduate has gone from being a receptionist in a post-production office to making some major films. She became successful editing and directing music videos for big names like Nicki Minaj, Common, and Alicia Keys. Her debut romantic comedy film about the trials of an interracial couple, “Something New” (2005) was an indie gem, and put her on the map. She directed “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2)” in 2008, a film that grossed more than $44 million internationally, and followed with the smaller film, “Just Wright” (2010), with Queen Latifah and Common.

commons.wikimedia.org
commons.wikimedia.org

Zora Neale Hurston

The canonized author who kicked open the door for many subsequent black writers can be considered a filmmaker of her day–an ethnographer, if you will. In the late 1920s, Hurston traveled around the American South capturing small silent-film clips of moments in black people’s lives. The short pieces were titled “Children’s Games” (1928), “Logging” (1928), and “Baptism” (1929). She used these mostly as research to fuel later stage and literary works. Hurston could be considered the first black woman filmmaker.

en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org

Kasi Lemmons

A smart and precise filmmaker, Lemmons started out acting in films including “The Silence of the Lambs.” A graduate of the film program at the New School for Social Research, Lemmons’ first major movie, “Eve’s Bayou” (1997), was an original work widely considered a masterpiece. Roger Ebert named it the best film of the year, and it won lots of critics awards. Her follow-up film, “The Caveman’s Valentine” (2001) with Samuel L. Jackson did not fare as well, but was still indicative of her perseverance as an artist. She won an Image Award as Best Director for the 2007 movie, “Talk to Me” with Don Cheadle. She has many projects in the works, including adapting Zadie Smith’s hit novel “On Beauty.”