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Black Female Film Directors Making Their Marks in Hollywood

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Sanaa Hamri’s ‘Just Wright’

Indiewire.com posted an article by Melissa Silverstein “What Bigelow Effect? Number of Women Directors in Hollywood Falls to 5 Percent” on Woman and Hollywood citing a study by Dr. Martha M. Lauzen, Executive Director, Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, on the fall in women directors at the helm of feature films in recent years. We can all imagine the determination it took to kick through the glass ceiling for these talented women of color film directors.

Dr.Maya Angelou (Down in the Delta), Euhzan Palcy (Sugar Cane Alley), Sanaa Hamri (Just Wright), Bridgette Davis (Naked Acts), Leslie Harris (Just Another Girl on the IRT), Darnell Martin (Cadillac Records), Dee Rees (Pariah), Gina Prince-Blythewood (Love and Basketball), Julie Dash (Daughters of the Dust), Nema Barnette (Civil Brand), and Shari Carpenter (Kali’s Vibe). Actress-directors include Kasi Lemmons (Talk to Me), Troy Byer Bailey (Love Don’t Cost a Thing) and newcomer Sallie Richardson (Eureka).

If you haven’t checked out the films of these talented women many are available on DVD, iTunes and Netflix. Surf their websites, and IMDB to keep up on upcoming projects. Director Ayoka Chenzira has teamed with New York Times bestselling author, Oprah Book Club favorite and playwright Pearl Cleage to produce feature films of her novels at The Pearl Cleage Project. First Black Woman Sundance Best Director winner Ava Du Vernay’s second feature film, Middle of Nowhere currently in theaters, is receiving critical praise and industry awards…

Read more: Yvonna Russell, Huffington Post

 

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