Terry Pheto. Picture: Supplied
As the writer and director of Selma (2014), the acclaimed biopic of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, DuVernay is the first female African American director to have a film nominated for the Academy award for Best Picture.
“Ava DuVernay has long been a promoter and distributor of black independent films,” says actress and producer Terry Pheto, who co-produced Ayanda. “DuVernay herself recognises this and is proving to be a force to help bring about needed change. She is not only a savvy film marketer and acclaimed director, but also a black woman entrepreneur who is deeply committed to increasing the representation of black people on the big screen.”
Ayanda, the latest film by award-winning director Sara Blecher, is a tale of love, friendship and growth in contemporary South Africa. It opens nationwide in local cinemas on 2 October 2015, and is set for release in the US shortly after, in mid-November.