From a publicist to an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and producer, Ava DuVernay has grown in leaps and bounds to established herself as one of the most influential African-American filmmakers in contemporary cinema. She started out as a journalist and switched to showbiz as a PR before eventually establishing her own public relations firm, The DuVernay Agency, in 1999.

After being associated as a publicity consultant with over 75 films in the course of a decade, DuVernay ventured into direction in 2010 with the indie drama I Will Follow, which opened to positive reviews. This was followed by Middle of Nowhere (2012), yet another well-received drama which recounted the story of a woman`s struggles to come to terms with the incarceration of her husband. In 2014, DuVernay directed the historical drama Selma, which was set against the backdrop of the civil rights movement. The film, which opened to near-universal critical acclaim, catapulted her to international fame, ultimately earning DuVernay a Golden Globes nomination for Best Director.

Two years later, the filmmaker took America by storm yet again with the documentary 13th (2016), which won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Documentary besides earning an Oscar nomination in the same category. In 2018, DuVernay helmed the sci-fi fantasy adventure A Wrinkle in Time, which starred Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling in the lead roles.