Ava DuVernay is a director.
Ava Marie DuVernay ( [ ˈeɪvə_ˌdjuːvərˈneɪ ] born August 24 , 1972 ) is an American director , screenwriter , film marketer , and film distributor . For her work in Selma ( 2014 ) , DuVernay was the first black female director to be nominated for a Golden Globe Award . With Selma , she was also the first black female director to have her film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture , though she was not nominated for Best Director .