PETA Campaign
Ava DuVernay might not have pets herself, but she’s still a champion for animal rights. In 2018, she teamed up with Benedict Cumberbatch for a PETA campaign and made a shift to veganism. This move put them in the spotlight as PETA named them among the ‘Most Beautiful’ Vegans of the year, a list that also featured musicians like Swizz Beatz, Jason Derulo, Ne-Yo, and will.i.am, as well as actors Zac Efron and Ellen Pompeo. This award, previously known as the “Sexiest Vegan Celebrities,” has acknowledged various stars over the years, including Jhené Aiko, André 3000, Russell Brand, Jessica Chastain, Miley Cyrus, Jenna Dewan, Liam Hemsworth, Jared Leto, Leona Lewis, Tobey Maguire, Elliot Page, Natalie Portman, Maggie Q, Ruby Rose, Alicia Silverstone, Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood, and Kristen Wiig for their commitment to veganism and animal rights.
Ava DuVernay
Birthday
August 24, 1972 (52)
Links (Tags)
Ava DuVernay is an American filmmaker and film distributor known for her work in both documentary and feature films. She became the first African American woman to win the directing award in the U.S. dramatic competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for her second feature film, “Middle of Nowhere.” DuVernay’s 2014 film, “Selma,” about Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches, received critical acclaim and earned her a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Director. Additionally, her documentary “13th” (2016) garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature.
DuVernay’s career spans various genres and formats, with her work extending into television through series like “Queen Sugar,” which she created and executive produced for the Oprah Winfrey Network. Her direction of the Disney fantasy film “A Wrinkle in Time” (2018) made her the first African American woman to direct a live-action film with a production budget of over $100 million. “When They See Us,” a miniseries she wrote and directed for Netflix, was released in 2019 to critical acclaim, showcasing her skill in dramatizing real-life events and injustices.
Throughout her career, DuVernay has collaborated with numerous notable figures, enhancing the depth and reach of her projects. These collaborations include working with Oprah Winfrey on both “Selma” and “Queen Sugar,” rapper and businessman Jay-Z on the music video for “Family Feud,” actor David Oyelowo who starred in “Selma” and appeared in “Queen Sugar,” cinematographer Bradford Young who worked on “Selma” and “Middle of Nowhere,” writer and co-producer Spencer Averick on “13th” and “Selma,” and composer Terence Blanchard who scored several of her projects.
