Biography - Ava DuVernay

Who is Ava DuVernay?

Ava DuVernay was named in "The 100 Most Influential People" in May 2014 by TIME magazine. In 2014 she became the first African–American woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe Award for directing Selma. 

Again in 2017 for the film 13^th, she was the first black woman nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Ava DuVernay – Age, Parents, Siblings

Ava DuVernay, whose full name is Ava Marie DuVernay, was born on August 24, 1972, in Long Beach, California, U.S.A. Her mother Darlene Maye worked as an educator while her father Joseph DuVernay, Jr., who is also known as Murray Maye, is yet to be reviewed.

DuVernay has four siblings. Her two younger sisters are Jina DuVernay and Tera DuVernay and her younger brothers are Kristopher Maye and Nic Maye. All were raised in Lynwood, California. 

Growing up, she used to visit the place where her father was raised. Her father’s childhood home was the influence behind the making of Selma.

Education, Ethnicity

As for education and schooling, Ava DuVernay attended Saint Joseph High School, graduating from the same in 1990. She then went on to study at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where she majored in both English literature and African-American studies.

Her ethnicity includes African-American, French, Haitian, and Belgian.

Ava DuVernay – Boyfriend, Husband, Children

Ava DuVernay was rumored to be dating actor Lonnie Corant Jaman Shuka Rashid Lynn (best known as Common). They had first met on the set of Selma and later were spotted holding hands in low-key places in LA. They even appeared together at several events. 

However, the dating rumors were never confirmed as neither of them addressed their relationship. Over time these rumors fizzled out. As of 2019, DuVernay is believed to be single without a husband or children. She is close friends with David Oyelowo and frequently collaborates with him.

In a February 2022 interview with Today, she opened up about her decision to not marry or have children.

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Ava DuVernay – Career

Early Days

Young Ava DuVernay was initially interested in Journalism. She had interned with CBS News where she was assigned to cover the infamous O.J. Simpson murder trial. However, she soon began to lose interest in journalism. So she tried working as a junior publicist at 20th Century Fox, Savoy Pictures.

She launched the Urban Beauty Collective in 2013 which now has over 10,000 African-American beauty salons and barbershops in over 16 different U.S. cities. 

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Directing and Film Making

Soon in 1999, the young entrepreneur opened her own public relations firm, The DuVernay Agency, also known as DVAPR. Her company provided marketing and PR services to both the entertainment and lifestyle industries.

Only in 2005 did Ava DuVernay decide to work in filmmaking. Her 12-minute film Saturday Night Life was broadcasted on February 6, 2007. This was followed by her documentary directing in Compton in C Minor (2007), This Is the Life (2008), I Will Follow (2011) starring Salli Richardson-Whitfield, and Middle of Nowhere.

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On September 24, 2016, DuVernay’s August 28: A Day in the Life of a People was debuted at the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s opening. 

Other films Ava DuVernay has directed include Selma (2014), 13^th (2016), A Wrinkle in Time (2018), and New Gods, among others.

In addition to all ventures, Ava DuVernay is also involved in TV series, Advertising, music videos, Film distribution, and production. She is also the founder of AFFRM, the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement. She also has a Barbie made after her.

Co-stars

The film August 28: A Day in the Life of a People starred Lupita Nyong'o, Don Cheadle, Regina King, David Oyelowo, Angela Bassett, Michael Ealy, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, André Holland, and Glynn Turman.

Ava DuVernay – Award, Nominations

Ava DuVernay has been awarded Heineken Affinity Award and the Directors Award with Dorothy Arzner. Other nominations include African-American Film Critics, Black Reel Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Sundance Film Festival, Golden Globe Award, Critics' Choice Movie Awards, Satellite Awards, Grammy Awards, Academy Awards, and the Primetime Emmy Award.

Among all the nominations the prominent ones that she has won are African-American Film Critics, NAACP Image Awards, Black Reel Awards, Academy Award, and Primetime Emmy Award.

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Ava DuVernay – Net Worth, Salary

Her net worth is estimated at $60 million while details of her annual salary have not been publicly shared.

Ava DuVernay – Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

On social media, DuVernay is active on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with millions of followers and counting. Moreover, she has an official webpage- avaduvernay.com.

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