Wikipedia

Black women filmmakers

Black women filmmakershave made contributions throughout thehistory of film.According to Nsenga Burton, writer forThe Root,"the film industry remains overwhelmingly white and male.[1]In 2020, 74.6 percent of movie directors of theatrical films were white, showing a small decrease from the previous year.[2]In terms of representation, 25.4 percent of film directors were of ethnic minority in 2020.[2]Of the 25.4 percent of minority filmmakers, a small percentage was female.[2]

Around 30 percent of film makers are women, and approximately 7 percent of all film makers in the film industry are African-American.[3][4]Many of the dramas by black women film makers have portrayed subjects such as racism and misogyny. Television programs, and films such asI May Destroy You,Daughters of the Dust,andMiddle of Nowhereare a few examples of audio/visual media that have portrayed issues centering Black women in the US and elsewhere.[3]

Since the early 1900s black women have used film to portray the real-life problems faced by women in the African-American community.[3][5]

History of Black women as filmmakers

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Five African-American women filmmakers helped establish the US cinema industry and better the representation of African-Americans on film. A few of the first black women filmmakers wereEloyce King Patrick Gist,Zora Neale Hurston,Tressie SoudersandMaria P. Williams,andMadame E. Touissant,[6]who produced, directed, or wrote films in the early 1900s. Souders wrote, directed and produced a feature film calledA Woman's Errorin 1922.[7]

Jacqueline Boboestablishes that black women filmmakers have been productive throughout the twentieth century.[8]Gloria J. Gibson-Hudson's essay title "The Ties That Bind: Cinematic Representations By Black Women Filmmakers"notes that these black women have developed a framework or" commonalities "that evolved from social and historical circumstances.[9]

Black women have produced and directed films during the prolific interim of Black film production from 1910 through the 1920s.[10]Archivist and film scholarPearl Bowsernotes that Black women worked behind the camera on numerous films during this time on what were known asrace films,that is, independent films produced by Black filmmakers, rather than white-controlled films about Black life.[11]Historical records show that black women were especially noteworthy in film making during the 1900s.[citation needed]

1970s

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The accomplishments in film and television that followed in the 1970s widely consisted of a string of Black women directors, such asJulie Dash(Daughters of the Dust),Alile Sharon Larkin,Fronza Woods,and Jacqueline Shearer (Eyes on the Prize). Throughout the 70s Alile Sharon Larkin had two films come out.The Kitchenfilmmaker Alile Sharon Larkin visualizes a mental ward as a possible equivalent to prison incarceration for women of color and alsoYour Children Come Back to You.[12]

Larkin's film looks at a mother, a child, a better life on the horizon, and a bond that cannot be broken. InKilling Time,Woods ironically reflects on the absurdity of existence through the story of a suicidal woman. On the other hand, inFannie's Film,she expresses the hopes, aspirations and inner feelings of a domestic worker. Jacqueline (Jackie) Sharer was an independent producer and director of documentaries about African Americans. Her films includedMinor Quarrel.

1980s

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Kathleen Collins(1942-1988) was an author, teacher, scholar, and filmmaker. Her film,Losing Ground,about a strained marriage between a teacher and her husband, a painter, was one of the first feature films directed by a Black woman.Jessie Mapleis known forTwice as Nice(1989). Maple was the first African-American woman to join the International Group of Film and Television Photographers.Euzhan Palcy(born January 13, 1958) is a director, screenwriter and producer from Martinique. Her films explore themes of race, gender, and politics, focusing on the enduring effects of colonialism. Palcy's first film,Sugar Cane Alley(1983), received numerous awards, including the César Award for Best First Feature. In 1989, she directedA Dry White Season(1989), becoming the first black female director to have a film produced.[citation needed]

1990s

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In the 1990s, black filmmakers started to break through into all-white Hollywood. In the 1990s, black film creators started showing representation in front and behind the camera. In 1991, Julie Dash became the first African-American female filmmaker to have a full-length general theatrical release in the US for her filmDaughters of the Dust.The film was recognized in 1999 by the 25th annualNewark Black Film Festivalas one of the most important cinematic achievements in black cinema in the 20th century.[13]Daughters of the Dustwas placed on the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2004, making it one of 400 other American-made films that are preserved and protected as national treasures.[13]In 1996Cheryl Dunye'sThe Watermelon Womanbecame the first film directed and written by a Black lesbian to explore Black lesbianism. Dunye's work has been influential in both Black andLGBTQfilmmaking spheres.[14]

2000s

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Gina Prince-Bythewooddeveloped her romantic dramaLove & Basketballin the 1998 Directors and Screenwriters labs.Gina Prince-Bythewoodreceived anIndependent Spirit AwardBest Screenplay for the finished film, which was released in 2000.[15]She later returned to Park City to premiere her television dramaShots Firedat the 2016 Festival.[15]Ava DuVernaybecame the first black female filmmaker to win the Directing Award in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the2012 Sundance Film Festivalfor her filmMiddle of Nowhere.[15]A trailblazer in telling stories that are socially relevant and providing distribution for stories that feature people of color, she's the first Black woman to direct a $100-million-dollar studio film, and she has receivedAcademy AwardandEmmy Awardnominations for her work. In 2010, DuVernay foundedArray,a grassroots distribution, arts, and advocacy collective focused on films by BIPOC and women.[15]

2010s

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Ava DuVernay,became the first black woman to win the US Dramatic Directing Award at the 2012Sundance Film Festival.[15]She received anOscar nominationfor her documentary13th(2016),and has also made history as the first black woman director to be nominated for aGolden Globe.[16]DuVernay continued her career in filmmaking withA Wrinkle in Time,released in 2018 with an estimated budget surpassing $100 million, making DuVernay the first black female to direct a live-action film with a budget of that size.[17]Recently, she created, co-wrote, produced and directed theNetflixdrama limited seriesWhen They See Us,based on the 1989Central Park jogger case,which has earned critical acclaim.[18][19]The series was nominated for 16 Emmy Awards including thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Seriesand won theCritics' Choice Television Award for Best Limited Series.[19]“Selma” helped Ava DuVernay become the first Black woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe for best director and the first Black female director to be nominated for best picture. In 2017, she was nominated for the Oscar for best documentary feature for her film “13th.”[20]

Issa Raeis a writer, director, producer, and actress in the hit HBO television showInsecure.She started her career as a filmmaker in her dorm room at Stanford University, where she later found the inspiration for the YouTube seriesThe Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.[21]In 2013, Rae partnered withPharrell Williamsfor season 2 ofThe Misadventures of Awkward Black Girlon the YouTube channel IamOther.[21]Since the premiere ofInsecure,Rae has received twoGolden GlobeNominations for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy as well as a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.[22]Issa Rae has partnered withColumbia Picturesto promote real stories via ColorCreative, a mentorship program in Inglewood,Calif.[23]

Mati Diop,aFrench-Senegalesedirector was the first black female filmmaker to be included in the prestigiousCannes Film Festivalcompetition, in 2019.[24]Her filmAtlanticswas up for thePalme d'Or,the top honor of the Cannes competition.

Dream Hamptonin 2019 producedSurviving R. Kelly,which received aPeabody Award,anMTV Movie Awardfor "Best Documentary,"[25]and a Rockies Award for "Program of the Year" at theBanff World Media Festival.

Chinonye Chukwuis a Nigerian-American filmmaker that in 2010, directed The Dance Lesson. She produced her first feature film Alaska-Land in 2012. She has written and directedClemencyin 2019, which she received the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at 2019Sundancefor and became the first black woman to win the biggest prize.[26]

American actress and producerMarsai Martinbecame the youngest person ever to produce a movie at the age of 14 when she was the executive producer for the movieLittle,and also the youngest to have earned a deal with any film-making studio.[27][28]

2020s

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An analysis of top films from 2007 to 2021 shows “real progress behind the camera,” according to the report released by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative; however, of the 1,542 directors over that span, "less than 2%" represented "minority female directors".[29]At theSundance Film Festival2020, three black women directors took home a prize.[30]

Maïmouna Doucouréis a French film maker. Her feature film,Cuties,first premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.[31][32]Radha Blankmade her first feature film,The 40-Year-Old Version,in 2020. Blank went on to win the Directing Award in the U.S Dramatic Competition.[31]

Regina King'sOne Night in Miami...,her feature filmdirectorial debut,premiered at theVenice Film Festivalon September 7, 2020, a first for an African-American female director.[33]

Selected black women filmmakers and filmography

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Zora Neale Hurston

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  • Zora Neal Hurston Fieldwork Footage(1928)
  • Commandment Keeper Church, Beaufort South Carolina 1940(1940)

Madeline Anderson

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  • A Tribute to Malcolm X (1967)
  • I Am Somebody (1970)
  • Being Me (1975)
  • Sesame Street(1974-1975)

Liz White

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Kathleen Collins

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Euzhan Palcy

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Zeinabu irene Davis

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  • Filmstatement(1982)
  • Re-creating Black Women's Media Image(1983)
  • Crocodile Conspiracy(1986)
  • Sweet Bird of Youth(1987)
  • Cycles(1989)
  • Trumpetistically, Clora Bryant(1989)
  • A Powerful Thang(1991)
  • Mother of the River(1995)
  • Compensation(1999)

Debbie Allen

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Maya Angelou

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Cheryl Dunye

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Julie Dash

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Kasi Lemmons

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Neema Barnette

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Mara Brock Akil

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Debra Martin Chase

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Stephanie Allain

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Darnell Martin

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Gina Prince-Bythewood

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Dee Rees

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Numa Perrier

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  • That Guy(2013)
  • Hello Cupid(2014)
  • Becoming Nia(2014)
  • Jezebel(2019)

Shola Lynch

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  • Jazz (2001)
  • Do You Believe in Miracles: The U.S. Hockey Team (2001)
  • Chisolm '72 Unbought & Unbossed (2004)
  • American Gangster(2006-2007)

Victoria Mahoney

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Mati Diop

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  • Atlantiques(2009)
  • Snow Canon(2011)
  • Big in Vietnam(2012)
  • Mille Soleils(2013)

Amma Asante

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Tina Gordon

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Stella Meghie

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Shonda Rhimes

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Issa Rae

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Ava DuVernay

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Ava DuVernay's drama “Queen Sugar” continued to fuel a pipeline of female directors of color with its most recent seasons. DuVernay launched Array Crew, a database of below-the-line talent in a bid to facilitate increased hiring of diverse crew.

Lena Waithe

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Lena Waithe has created a number of successful series. She has created complex Black characters who are connected in a variety of ways, through family ties, friendships, oppositions ad social roles.

Nia DaCosta

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2021's Candyman opened at the top of the domestic box office, making Nia DaCosta the first Black female filmmaker to have a movie debut in the No. 1 slot.

See also

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References

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  1. ^Burton, Nsenga (6 August 2010)."Black Women and the Hollywood Shuffle".The Root.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  2. ^abc"U.S.: ethnicity of movie directors 2020".Statista.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  3. ^abcBeck, Bernard (2020-10-01)."Our Kind of Town: The Chi, Lovecraft Country, and Black Lives That Matter on the Home Screen".Multicultural Perspectives.22(4): 190–193.doi:10.1080/15210960.2020.1845633.ISSN1521-0960.S2CID228085433.
  4. ^"Film Maker Demographics and Statistics in the US".Zippia- The Career Expert.September 9, 2022.RetrievedOctober 20,2022.
  5. ^"Top 100 films directed by women: What is mysoginoir?".BBC.RetrievedOctober 20,2022.
  6. ^"African-American Women in the Silent Film Industry – Women Film Pioneers Project".wfpp.columbia.edu.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  7. ^"Who was the first African-American woman director? (The answer isn't as simple as you may think)".The Philadelphia Sunday Sun.2015-04-18.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  8. ^"Black Women Film and Video Artists | Bobo, Jacqueline (editor) | download".usa1lib.org.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  9. ^Gibson-Hudson, Gloria J. (1994-07-01)."The ties that bind: Cinematic representations by black women filmmakers".Quarterly Review of Film and Video.15(2): 25–44.doi:10.1080/10509209409361431.ISSN1050-9208.
  10. ^Bobo, Jacqueline, ed.Black Women Film & Video Artists.New York: Routledge, 1998, pp. 6-7
  11. ^Garcia, Alma M. (2012-09-16).Contested Images: Women of Color in Popular Culture.AltaMira Press.ISBN978-0-7591-1963-5.
  12. ^"Your Children Come Back to You".RetrievedNovember 17,2022.
  13. ^ab"Julie Dash's Biography".The HistoryMakers.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  14. ^Jones, Monique."5 Black Women Filmmakers Who Made History".Shadow and Act.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  15. ^abcde"Celebrating Black Women Directors: 11 Filmmakers You Should Know - sundance.org".2020-02-14.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  16. ^"Artists: Ava DuVernay"(PDF).
  17. ^"Ava DuVernay First Black Woman to Direct A $100 Million Film".Time.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  18. ^"Ava DuVernay Wants You to See the So-Called Central Park Five".GQ.2019-05-30.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  19. ^abWhen They See Us,retrieved2022-05-09
  20. ^Whitten, Sarah (2021-02-19)."20 Black filmmakers who have changed Hollywood in the last century".CNBC.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  21. ^abWill Ashton (2021-04-20)."Issa Rae: 9 Things To Know About The Insecure Star And Co-Creator".CINEMABLEND.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  22. ^"Issa Rae".Television Academy.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  23. ^Galuppo, Mia (2018-12-11)."Issa Rae, Columbia Ink Production Pact to Promote Diverse Writers".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  24. ^"Mati Diop becomes first black female filmmaker to compete in Cannes".
  25. ^"dream hampton | LA Opera".www.laopera.org.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  26. ^"Chinonye Chukwu".Black Women Directors.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  27. ^"Meet Marsai Martin, The Youngest Executive Producer In Hollywood".NPR.org.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  28. ^Harriot, Michael (January 9, 2019)."#BlackGirlMagic: Black-ish Star Marsai Martin Set to Become Youngest Executive Producer in Hollywood History".The Root.RetrievedMarch 15,2024.
  29. ^"Female directors of color make up less than 2% of filmmakers, study shows".Fortune.Retrieved2022-05-09.
  30. ^"Three Black Women Directors Lead 2020 Sundance Award Winners".Shadow and Act.February 3, 2020.RetrievedOctober 10,2020.
  31. ^abNews Film TV Awards Video Shop More Search 20 Rising Women Directors You Need to Know in 2020
  32. ^‘Cuties’ Review: Netflix Coming-of-Age Tale Goes for the Supernatural When Real Life Is Enough
  33. ^"Regina King makes history at Venice film festival with One Night in Miami".the Guardian.2020-09-07.Retrieved2022-05-09.

Further reading

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