Ava Duvernay Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay will be honored by international AIDS organization amfAR with its Award of Inspiration during the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 3. The black-tie gala and dinner, taking place at La Misericordia, will include performances by singers Rita Ora and Leona Lewis.

EXCLUSIVE: Impact, the professional network for the entertainment industry founded by Oscar winning duo Brian Grazer and Ron Howard will team with Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay’s personnel database dedicated to underrepresented candidates, Array Crew, to create the number one global hiring resource for the entertainment industry.

Venice Film Festival head Alberto Barbera spoke with Deadline soon after revealing his latest stellar lineup, including movies from David Fincher, Michael Mann, Bradley Cooper, Pablo Larrain, Sofia Coppola, Yorgos Lanthimos and Ava DuVernay.

Earlier today, the full lineup of films selected for this year’s Venice Film Festival was announced. Some of the highlights include new films from David Fincher, Ava DuVernay, Wes Anderson, and Bradley Cooper.

The Venice Film Festival revealed the lineup for its 80th edition Tuesday morning, and its Official Competition featured works by five women filmmakers, including Ava DuVernay, who makes history as the first African American woman in selection.

Madonna was hospitalized after presenting a “serious bacterial infection.” The news of her health were shared by her manager, Guy Oseary, who revealed Madonna had experienced a several day stay at the ICU. “Her health is improving, however she is still under medical care,” reads his post. Madonna’s health update: Rosie O’Donell comments on her recovery processMadonna’s health scare has profoundly impacted her family: ‘Everyone believed that we may lose her’A post shared by Guy Oseary (@guyoseary)Following the statement, social media was flooded with well wishes from celebrities of all ages.

Angelique Jackson Creative Artists Agency has announced the lineup of speakers and attendees for the 2023 CAA Amplify summit, an annual convening of artists, thought-leaders and executives of color from leading organizations in entertainment, sports, media, brands and technology. Among the bold-faced names confirmed for the sixth annual summit are Chlöe and Halle Bailey — who this year expanded beyond their Grammy-nominated status as recording duo Chloe x Halle into major TV and film projects with leading roles in “Swarm” and “The Little Mermaid,” respectively. Becky G, a fellow recording artist and actor, is also slated to appear at the summit, joining a list of speakers and attendees that features Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay; Emmy-winning “Abbott Elementary” showrunner and executive producer Quinta Brunson; and “Beef” star Steven Yeun.

There will be a lot of new faces in the room at the next meeting of the Board Of Governors of the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences including actor Lou Diamond Phillips. Eleven first timers have been elected in the organizations annual election to select one third of the Board as eleven other members have termed off including Actors Branch Governor Whoopi Goldberg and Writers Branch Governor Larry Karaszewski. With AMPAS’ more stringent guidelines for service in place now two longtime Board members, Charles Bernstein (Music) and Jon Bloom (shorts and feature animation) are permanently off the Board, while others termed out can run again in two years.

Actor Lou Diamond Phillips, documentary filmmaker Simon Kilmurry and writer Dana Stevens are among the 11 film professionals who have been elected to the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy announced on Thursday.Those new governors are part of a wholesale makeover of the AMPAS board prompted by new term limits imposed last year. In 10 of the 11 branches where first-time governors were elected, the incumbent governors were unable to run again because of those new limits, which restrict governors to two consecutive three-year terms.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the newly elected Board of Governors for the 2023-2024 year. Elected to the board for the first time are acclaimed actor Lou Diamond Phillips, screenwriter Dana Stevens, executive Hannah Minghella, costume designer Daniel Orlandi and more. Among the newly elected is technology executive Wendy Aylsworth, who will represent the brand new Production and Technology Branch. Aylsworth, who also serves on the Board of Governors for the Television Academy, spent more than two decades at Warner Bros. and became the first woman president of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.

The Directors Guild of America has released a new video of associate directors and stage managers touting their support of the guild’s tentative agreement for new film and TV contract. The pact, which covers directors and members of their teams, is being put to the members for ratification.  

The Directors Guild’s tentative agreement for a new film and TV contract “is the biggest we’ve ever negotiated” and “is almost double what we got last time,” former DGA President Paris Barclay says in a new video posted on the guild’s website featuring members touting the deal.

The Directors Guild’s national board voted unanimously tonight to approve a tentative agreement for a new film and TV contract. The deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which was reached late Saturday night, goes this week to the guild’s membership for ratification with the board’s recommendation to vote “yes.”

Gayle King and Oprah Winfrey have been on many exciting adventures together, but their trip to a wellness retreat in Italy earlier this year was an especially memorable journey.In a new episode of the duo's web series, a series in which Winfrey and King answer readers' questions, chat about trends and «delightfully riff off each other» — the close friends break down their different approaches to traveling and reflect on their recent jaunt to Palazzo Fiuggi in central Italy.Winfrey shares that she invited King, King's daughter, Kirby Bumpus, close friend Ava DuVernay and their friend Urania with her to Italy. «This last vacation was so meaningful to me because it was a full-circle moment to be able to take all of my friends on vacation,» she says.King reveals that the former talk show host paid for everyone to go, which she happily accepted. And while the five-some enjoyed many aspects of their trip together, there was a significant moment that stood out to Winfrey. «So we went on a shopping spree too, and I love a good shopping spree.

The battle for gender equality in the cinema industry is gaining ground but victory is a long way off, representatives of Time’s Up! UK, L.A.-based org ReFrame, France’s Collectif 50/50 and Brazil’s Mulheres group told a panel in Cannes on Friday.

Ava DuVernay has ended her rich overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group, multiple sources confirm to Variety.

Check back for updates... What shows are the latest to be impacted by the WGA strike?

Ashley Madekwe is putting her baby bump on display!

NBC’s Today, the morning news show that launched more than 70 years ago, has received this year’s Peabody Institutional Award, the group said Wednesday.

Ms. Foundation, a Brooklyn-based organization that “works to bring attention to the real challenges facing women, especially women of color and low-income women who are living in poverty” and advocates for policy changes at both a statewide and national level.The Ms. Foundation announced that Markle will be receiving the award “for her global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls.”“We are thrilled to announce this year’s honorees for the Women of Vision Awards and to celebrate 50 years of progress and power,” Teresa C.

Meghan Markle. The 41-year-old Duchess of Sussex has been announced as one of the honorees for the 2023 Women of Vison Award.

Podcaster (and Duchess of Sussex) Meghan Markle, actors Christina Applegate and Ava DuVernay, and country music star Faith Hill are among the winners of this year’s Gracie Awards recognizing outstanding achievements of women in media.

Meghan Markle is receiving a high honor for her work amplifying women's voices. On Thursday, the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation announced the Duchess of Sussex as one of more than 100 winners of a 2023 Gracie Award. Markle -- who is being recognized for her headline-making podcast,  -- is in esteemed company, winning along with fellow stars like Christina Applegate, Ava DuVernay, Faith Hill, Amanda Seyfried and many more content creators spanning radio, television and digital. «This year's theme, 'Storytelling,' highlights and celebrates the narratives shared by the winners, which not only inform, inspire, and captivate audiences, but also enrich our collective comprehension of the world,» a press release stated.

Sophia Scorziello editor The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation has announced the winners of its 48th Annual Gracie Awards, an event that recognizes women-centered achievements and programming in media and entertainment. A gala honoring Gracie winners will be held on May 23 at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles. Local and student winners will be recognized on June 20 at a luncheon in New York City.  Winners of this year’s Gracie Awards include Christina Applegate, Meghan Markle, Ava DuVernay, Faith Hill, Amanda Seyfried, Danielle Monaro, Shelley Wade, “Abbott Elementary,” “Today,” “The Drew Barrymore Show” and “48 Hours.” Showtime’s “The First Lady” will be honored with this year’s Grand Award, an accolade that recognizes immense levels of effort and achievement in production. Rachel Lindsay of “Extra” and “The Bachelor” will return as AWMF’s social media ambassador.  

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor What better way to officially close the door on an exhausting awards season than to look ahead –blindly — to what studios and production companies could bring to the screen in 2023. As Variety‘s awards coverage transitions into the Emmy season, this annual tradition (albeit highly inaccurate due to release shifts and other varying factors) creates some fun and wonder as Cannes looms two months away. One first impression is that the streamers are back with a vengeance with an arsenal of big names and titles aiming to take the trophy from reigning best-picture champ A24 with “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Apple Original Films has a duo of master auteurs on deck.

Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, and Kristen Stewart pose together for a photo at last night’s star-studded pre-Oscars party!

CAA is kicking off Oscars weekend with a star-studded-party!

EXCLUSIVE: Marsha Stephanie Blake(When They See Us), Gabrielle Graham (Twenties), John Ortiz (Promised Land) and Tamsin Topolski (Slow Horses) have been cast opposite Colman Domingo in Netflix’s The Madness limited series. The conspiracy thriller hails from Chernin Entertainment via its first-look deal with Netflix, creator and co-showrunner Stephen Belber (O.G., The Laramie Project) and co-showrunner VJ Boyd (Justified, S.W.A.T.)

Blair Underwood (American Crime Story), Victoria Pedretti (You), Isha Blaaker (The Flight Attendant) and Finn Wittrock (Ratched) are among the final major additions to Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay’s latest film Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, based on the bestseller of the same name by Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson.

Six-time Tony winner, Audra McDonald, and Best Actor in a Musical, Myles Frost, have joined the cast of Oscar nominee Ava DuVernay’s latest film inspired by Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: The Origins of our Discontents.