Ava DuVernay
Film director · 4 films (2014–2023)
Ava DuVernay is a director whose work here spans Selma (2014) to Origin (2023), across drama and history. The work runs wide — 31% of frames across the 4 films indexed here, against 20% library-wide. All 217 frames from 4 films are indexed here, searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, colour and mood.
Ava Marie DuVernay is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer. She is a recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, a BAFTA Film Award, and a BAFTA TV Award, as well as a nominee for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.
Born 24 August 1972 · Long Beach, California, USA
Directing style
DuVernay anchors her visual storytelling in eye-level medium shots and wide compositions, utilizing a shallow depth of field to isolate characters within a balanced mix of day and night, interior and exterior settings. Her lighting relies heavily on natural sunlight, supplemented by practical fixtures and window sources, which illuminates a palette dominated by earthy browns, muted grays, and deep slate blues, with occasional accents of rich crimson and soft green. This naturalistic approach is punctuated by cool, desaturated color grades and stark black-and-white sequences that evoke quiet undertones of tension, loneliness, and ominous gravity.
Awards
- Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award · 2013
- International Emmy Founders Award · 2022
- VH1 Trailblazer Honors · 2019
- Time 100 · 2017
- Dorothy Arzner Directors Award · 2015
- Sundance U.S. Directing Award: Dramatic · 2012
Films directed by Ava DuVernay
About Ava DuVernay
When was Ava DuVernay born?
Ava DuVernay was born on 24 August 1972 in Long Beach, California, USA.
What films has Ava DuVernay directed?
FrameThrower holds stills from 4 of them: Selma (2014), 13th (2016), A Wrinkle In Time (2018) and Origin (2023).
What awards has Ava DuVernay won?
Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award (2013), International Emmy Founders Award (2022), VH1 Trailblazer Honors (2019) and Time 100 (2017).
Search every frame of Ava DuVernay’s films
All 217 indexed frames from 4 films directed by Ava DuVernay — searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, mood or plain language.