Ava DuVernay to celebrate Women’s History Month with 12-hour Twitter takeover by female filmmakers
Array, Ava DuVernay’s independent film distribution collective, is poised for its third Twitter takeover. The 12-hour Rebel-a-Thon, which takes place Wednesday on the social media platform, will bring together almost 30 female filmmakers in celebration of Women’s History Month to discuss their experiences in the industry.
“We offer this year’s Rebel-a-Thon as an opportunity to highlight the important contributions made by women filmmakers,” Tilane Jones, the collective’s executive director, said in a statement Tuesday. “On March 1, we will stand together for inclusiveness in the industry.”
DuVernay, fresh off an Oscar nomination for her Netflix documentary “13th” and in the middle of shooting “A Wrinkle in Time,” is a noted voice in the industry who advocates for underrepresented filmmakers. And more than just advocating aloud, she insisted that every director of the first season of her OWN TV series “Queen Sugar” was a woman. The same will happen for the show’s second season. She will host the Twitter Q&A using the hashtag #ArrayToday in support of Array’s mission to amplify the voices of female and people-of-color filmmakers.
To date, Array has been responsible for the distribution of films including “Echo Park,” “Ayanda” and “I Will Follow.” Its latest acquisition is Heidi Saman’s “Namour,” which will debut March 15 on Netflix.
The directors joining DuVernay for the online conversation include Julie Dash (“Daughters of the Dust”), Mira Nair (“Queen of Katwe”) and Amma Asante (“A United Kingdom”). See the full list below:
Amanda Marsalis, “Echo Park”
Amma Asante, “A United Kingdom”
Aurora Guerrero, “Mosquita y Mari”
Ayoka Chenzira, “Alma’s Rainbow”
Christine Swanson, “All About Us”
DeMane Davis, “Lift”
Hanelle M. Culpepper, “Within”
Heidi Saman, “Namour”
Jennifer Brea, “Unrest”
Julie Dash, “Daughters of the Dust”
Kasi Lemmons, “Eve’s Bayou”
Kat Candler, “Hellion”
Leila Djansi, “Like Cotton Twines”
Lucy Walker, “Devil’s Playground”
Marta Cunningham, “Valentine Road”
Millicent Shelton, “Ride”
Robin Swicord, “Wakefield”
Sara Blecher, “Ayanda”
Shola Lynch, “Free Angela and All Political Prisoners”
Stella Meghie, “Everything, Everything”
Tanya Hamilton, “Night Catches Us”
Tina Gordon Chism, “Peeples”
Tina Mabry, “Mississippi Damned”
Victoria Mahoney, “Yelling to the Sky”
Get your life! Follow me on Twitter (@TrevellAnderson) or email me: trevell.anderson@latimes.com.
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