5 Black Female Directors That Deserve Your Attention
In the age of offensive Best Picture wins and the haunting realities of the #MeToo movement, it can be hard to see the entertainment industry in a positive light these days.
Even with momentous strides like the incoming class of Academy voters, a lack of diversity is still very apparent and not just with actors; it’s seen with directors, producers, and other members of the crew. In fact, 3.6% of all directors of the top 100 films last year were women, and only 1 out of 112 was a Black woman. However, as a young Black woman who hopes to make strides in the entertainment industry herself one day, I look to the Black women who paved the way for me to even dream of living lives like theirs and having careers like theirs. Here are some of those women who are defying these troubling statistics to bring us some of our most recent and beloved media:
1. Karena Evans
No matter what your opinion on Drake is (and we’ve all got one), there is no denying that the string of music videos he released last year were nothing short of incredible and that is all due to the work of the Karena Evans. The 23-year old (Yes that’s right! 23!) was the apprentice to Director X, frequent Drake collaborator amongst many A-list others, before becoming a director herself. Besides doing the beautifully serene Garden video for SZA, she is also set to direct the premier episode for Starz’s new drama, P-Valley.
2. Stella Meghie
With numerous award-wining feature films already under her belt, if you don’t know Stella Meghie’s name yet, you definitely will. Director of 2017’s Everything, Everything, Meghie is no amateur when it comes to portraying romance on the silver screen. This is probably why she’s the director of one of 2020’s most anticipated films, The Photograph. The film features an ensemble cast of formidable Black talent including Issa Rae, Lakeith Stanfield, Lil Rel, Teyonah Parris, Jasmine Cephas-Jones, Y’lan Noel, and Courtney B. Vance. I’m sure most movie-goers agree with me when I say I cannot wait to see this film.
3. Janet Mock
Janet Mock, queen of red carpet fashion and directing, has been making waves for her outstanding work on the outstanding television program, Pose. More recently, the producer, writer, and activist made history in June for being the first out Black transgender woman to be offered an overall deal at a major studio. Mock is also set to work with collaborator Ryan Murphy on another Netflix series so basically, she’s booked and busy and we love to see it.
4. Ava Duvernay
Publicist turned filmmaker at 32 needs little introduction. Widely known for directing the Oscar-nominated film, Selma and for making headlines in 2016 by being the first Black woman to to direct a live-action film with a production budget over $100 million with A Wrinkle in Time, Duvernay is currently reaping the success of Netflix’s harrowing limited series, When They See Us. The recently released 4-episode show has been met with critical acclaim and is expected to sweep many accolades during this upcoming awards season.
5. Melina Matsoukas
From several episodes of Insecure to the iconic and award-winning Formation video, Matsoukas is no veteran to the directorial game. The talented 38-year old is currently gearing up for the release of the highly anticipated thriller, Queen & Slim featuring Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya, Pose’s Indya Moore, and newcomer Jodie Turner-Smith. The project was written with frequent collaborator, Lena Waithe, and has already have advanced screeners stunned by the first 12 minutes.
As you can imagine, I am more than prepared to support the upcoming projects of these amazing women.
