CELEBRATING BLACK FILMMAKERS
February marks Black History Month, which is something that should be celebrated more than one month out of every year. That being said, now is the perfect time to invest in Black filmmakers who strive to create art, not only as entertainment but as a lens on Black culture and Black history. The more we celebrate and invest in these films, the more studios will realize that there is an appetite and need for these films and to not merely see them as niche material. Here are some some of the best Black filmmakers working today and a selection of their work.
- Ryan Coogler – Black Panther, Creed
- Lee Daniels – Precious, The Paperboy, Lee Daniels’ The Butler, The United States vs Billie Holiday
- Nia DaCosta – Little Woods, Candyman (coming August 2021), Captain Marvel II (TBD)
- Ava DuVernay – Selma, 13th, A Wrinkle In Time, When They See Us
- Barry Jenkins – Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk
- Regina King – One Night in Miami
- Shaka King – Judas and the Black Messiah
- Spike Lee – Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, BlacKkKlansman, Da 5 Bloods
- Kasi Lemmons – Eve’s Bayou, Talk to Me, Harriet
- Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave, Widows, Small Axe
- Jordan Peele – Get Out, Us
- Tyler Perry – Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Boo! A Madea Halloween, Nobody’s Fool
- Gina Prince-Bythewood – Love & Basketball, Beyond the Lights, The Secret Life of Bees, The Old Guard
- Dee Rees – Pariah, Mudbound, The Last Thing He Wanted
- John Singleton – Boyz in the Hood, Poetic Justice, Rosewood
Only six from this list have been nominated for Best Director: Lee Daniels, Barry Jenkins, Spike Lee, Steve McQueen, Jordan Peele, and John Singleton. None of them won the directing Oscar. Spike Lee, Barry Jenkins, and Jordan Peele won for writing their screenplays while Steve McQueen won for producing.
