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Feb 1, 2022 · From Melvin Van Peebles to Spike Lee to Ava DuVernay, these Black leaders in the movie industry have and continue to make history. Ahead, you'll find just a fraction of Black directors...
- Oscar Micheaux. Hailed as the first major Black filmmaker, Oscar Micheaux directed and produced 42 feature films between 1919 and 1948. He was a writer-turned-filmmaker, using his first novel "The Homesteader" to launch his career in the film industry.
- William Greaves. An influential independent documentary filmmaker, William Greaves produced and directed more than 100 films. His films captured social issues as well as key African American figures such as Muhammad Ali and Ida B. Wells.
- Gordon Parks. Gordon Parks started his career as a prolific and famed photographer before branching out into filmmaking. He started as a consultant on various Hollywood productions in the '50s before directing a series of documentaries about Black urban life for National Educational Television.
- Melvin van Peebles. Melvin van Peebles directed more than a dozen films during his career in Hollywood, but he is most well known for the 1971 movie "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song," which he wrote, directed and acted in.
Townsend also directed Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy (2009), a comedy documentary on the history of African America Comedians from slavery to present, with interviews including such legends as Bill Cosby, Dick Gregory, Chris Rock and the Wayans. As a Hollywood Icon and humanitarian, Townsend's mission is to create quality ...
Mar 14, 2024 · Over 600 filmgoers have voted on the 30+ people on Very Best Black Directors, Ranked. Current Top 3: Spike Lee, Ryan Coogler, John Singleton vote on everything
- Oscar Micheaux
- Spike Lee
- Sidney Poitier
- Melvin Van Peebles
- Julie Dash
What is Oscar Micheaux known for? Oscar Micheaux was a pioneer for Black filmmaking and is credited for being the first African American to produce a feature-length film in 1919. Born into slavery in southern Illinois, Oscar Micheaux left home for Chicago to pursue work as a Pullman porter on railroads. This was one of the best jobs at the time for...
What is Spike Lee known for? Spike Lee splashed on the film scene with his 1986 movie, She’s Gotta Have it, which only took two weeks to shoot with a budget of $175K. The movie grossed $7 million and is considered the most profitable movie in 1986. Spike Lee went on to direct, produce, write and star in films over the past four decades and only kee...
What is Sidney Poitier known for? Sidney Poitier is the greatest American movie star, according to Times culture critic Wesley Morris. Sidney Poitier was the first Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field. It took 38 years for another Black actor to win Best Actor at the Academy Awards. Only four Black...
What is Melvin Van Peebles known for? Melvin Van Peebles is best known for his landmark films Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song and Watermelon Man. Both films introduced Black themes to audiences in the 1970s in an effort to appeal to Black urban audiences. As a Chicago native, Melvin Van Peebles had a pulse on the film and entertainment industry a...
What is Julie Dash known for? Julie Dash is a modern television tycoon who has worked in the film and TV industry for the past three decades. Julie Dash is a director, writer and producer who received her MFA from UCLA Film School. She is part of the graduating class of filmmakers known as the L.A. Rebellion, which refers to the first African and A...
1. Shonda Rhimes. Producer. Writer. Actress. Grey's Anatomy (2005–2024) Shonda Lynn Rhimes is an African-American producer, author and screenwriter.
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Dec 13, 2022 · Learn more about the top black producers and directors breaking down the status quo in the industry. Check out their extraordinary work below.
