Selma Director, Ava DuVernay Makes History as First Black Woman Nominated for Golden Globe [VIDEO]
"Selma" is one of those movies you just can't stop talking about after you see it. Now hear from the director Ava DuVernay and starring actor David Oyelowo on why it's so important to tell the story of Martin Luther King's march in Selma, AL.
Even though Ava DuVernay didn't win a Golden Globe for best director on Sunday, she's already made history.
The 42-year-old filmmaker behind "Selma" is the first black female director to ever receive a nomination in the category; an opportunity made possible after popular director Lee Daniels stepped away from the project.
Starring David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Oprah Winfrey and Cuba Gooding Jr., the period drama follows the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the challenges leading up to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Movie reviewers have praised the film, calling it "riveting," "passionate" and "moving." But it's also sparked some controversy too, with some critics raising questions overs its historical accuracy and the portrayal of President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Ava DuVernay admits the speeches you hear in the film are not the actual words uttered by MLK Jr, rather her own interpretation. The rights to his words are owned by King's estate and the family has already licensed them to another filmmaker, Steven Spielberg.
Female directors working on major Hollywood films are scarce. Women comprised 6 percent of all directors working on the top 250 films of 2013, for example, according to the Center for Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University. And it was only just five years ago that we saw the first woman director win an Academy Award -- when Kathryn Bigelow took home the best-director Oscar for "The Hurt Locker."
Will we see another female director in that Oscar category in 2015? We'll find out next Thursday when the Oscar nominees are revealed! Stay Tuned.