10 Female Directors of Color You Should Know Now

Binge-watch the work of these amazing filmmakers.

Lights, Camera, Action! - The rise of writer/director Ava DuVernay’s career, especially after the success of Selma, has really changed the game. But did you know that DuVernay comes from a long line of many female filmmakers of color who are dedicated to speaking their truth? Discover 10 other directors whose stories will, too, change your life. BY Kellee Terrell (Photo: Mark Davis/Getty Images for Women in Film)

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Lights, Camera, Action! - The rise of writer/director Ava DuVernay’s career, especially after the success of Selma, has really changed the game. But did you know that DuVernay comes from a long line of many female filmmakers of color who are dedicated to speaking their truth? Discover 10 other directors whose stories will, too, change your life. BY Kellee Terrell (Photo: Mark Davis/Getty Images for Women in Film)

Dee Rees - Her recent award-winning HBO film Bessie is just the second feature film that Dee Rees has made since she graduated from NYU under Spike Lee’s wing. But it was Pariah, a film about a Brooklyn teen coming to terms with her sexuality that put her on the map. Her next move: Teaming up with Shondra Rhimes for the new limited TV series The Warmth of Other Suns. (Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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Dee Rees - Her recent award-winning HBO film Bessie is just the second feature film that Dee Rees has made since she graduated from NYU under Spike Lee’s wing. But it was Pariah, a film about a Brooklyn teen coming to terms with her sexuality that put her on the map. Her next move: Teaming up with Shondra Rhimes for the new limited TV series The Warmth of Other Suns. (Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Mira Nair - Indian native Mira Nair has worked with some of the world’s most esteemed actors from Denzel Washington to Reese Witherspoon. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker has tackled a range of topics from poor street kids in Salaam Bombay to a post 9/11 America in The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Her next move: Disney’s Queen of Kwate with Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o.  (Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Glamour)

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Mira Nair - Indian native Mira Nair has worked with some of the world’s most esteemed actors from Denzel Washington to Reese Witherspoon. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker has tackled a range of topics from poor street kids in Salaam Bombay to a post 9/11 America in The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Her next move: Disney’s Queen of Kwate with Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o.  (Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Glamour)

Photo By Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Glamour

Kasi Lemmons - While Kasi Lemmons’s career started with being an actress on shows such as Another World and Murder She Wrote, it soon blossomed into an award-winning director with her classic Eve’s Bayou, which launched Jurnee Smollett and Meagan Good’s career. Her other films include Caveman’s Valentine, Talk to Me and the recent Black Nativity with Jennifer Hudson. Her next move: She's been linked to the Apartheid film Agaat and Zadie Smith’s On Beauty. (Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)

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Kasi Lemmons - While Kasi Lemmons’s career started with being an actress on shows such as Another World and Murder She Wrote, it soon blossomed into an award-winning director with her classic Eve’s Bayou, which launched Jurnee Smollett and Meagan Good’s career. Her other films include Caveman’s Valentine, Talk to Me and the recent Black Nativity with Jennifer Hudson. Her next move: She's been linked to the Apartheid film Agaat and Zadie Smith’s On Beauty. (Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)

Julie Dash - Julie Dash is the mother of Black female directors — back in 1982, she became the first Black female director to have a full theatrical release with her masterpiece Daughters of the Dust. In 2004, the Library of Congress named it to the National Film Registry. She has directed a few films after that including Funny Valentines and The Rosa Parks Story with Angela Bassett. Her next move: She is currently filming to documentary Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl. (Photo: Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images)

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Julie Dash - Julie Dash is the mother of Black female directors — back in 1982, she became the first Black female director to have a full theatrical release with her masterpiece Daughters of the Dust. In 2004, the Library of Congress named it to the National Film Registry. She has directed a few films after that including Funny Valentines and The Rosa Parks Story with Angela Bassett. Her next move: She is currently filming to documentary Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl. (Photo: Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images)

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Shola Lynch - Best known for her award-winning docs FREE ANGELA & All Political Prisoners and CHISHOLM ’72: Unbought & Unbossed, Shola Lynch knows how to dig deep in order to tell the stories of Black female icons. She too started off acting from the between the ages of two and six on Sesame Street and has produced shows for HBO, ESPN and PBS. Her next move: She's in pre-production of her first feature film Harriet. (Photo: Rommel Demano/Getty Images)

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Shola Lynch - Best known for her award-winning docs FREE ANGELA & All Political Prisoners and CHISHOLM ’72: Unbought & Unbossed, Shola Lynch knows how to dig deep in order to tell the stories of Black female icons. She too started off acting from the between the ages of two and six on Sesame Street and has produced shows for HBO, ESPN and PBS. Her next move: She's in pre-production of her first feature film Harriet. (Photo: Rommel Demano/Getty Images)

Gina Prince-Bythewood - Before she made the Black love classic Love & Basketball, Gina Prince-Bythewood was a staff writer for A Different World and South Central. Her other films include last year’s Beyond the Lights, The Secret Life of Bees and HBO’s Disappearing Acts. Her next move: Unknown, but we’re confident the talented writer and director has a project in the works. (Photo: Donald Bowers/Getty Images for Stellar Productions)

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Gina Prince-Bythewood - Before she made the Black love classic Love & Basketball, Gina Prince-Bythewood was a staff writer for A Different World and South Central. Her other films include last year’s Beyond the Lights, The Secret Life of Bees and HBO’s Disappearing Acts. Her next move: Unknown, but we’re confident the talented writer and director has a project in the works. (Photo: Donald Bowers/Getty Images for Stellar Productions)

Amma Asante - There’s no time period that the Brit-born director Amma Asante is afraid to tackle — her most recent film Belle starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw focused on race in England during the 1700s. The BAFTA-winning filmmaker started off her career as an actress in British TV and even wrote for a few BBC shows. Her next move: She’s in pre-production for The United Kingdom starring David Oyelowo. (Photo: Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images)

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Amma Asante - There’s no time period that the Brit-born director Amma Asante is afraid to tackle — her most recent film Belle starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw focused on race in England during the 1700s. The BAFTA-winning filmmaker started off her career as an actress in British TV and even wrote for a few BBC shows. Her next move: She’s in pre-production for The United Kingdom starring David Oyelowo. (Photo: Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images

Victoria Mahoney - Up and comer Victoria Mahoney’s debut film Yelling to the Sky starring Zoe Kravitz and Gabourey Sidibe made a splash on the film festival circuit, debuting at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival in 2011 with Filmmaker Magazine naming Mahoney one of 2010's 25 New Faces of Independent Film. Her next move: In 2014, it was reported that she was directing the film Paper Tiger. (Photo: Francois Durand/Getty Images)

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Victoria Mahoney - Up and comer Victoria Mahoney’s debut film Yelling to the Sky starring Zoe Kravitz and Gabourey Sidibe made a splash on the film festival circuit, debuting at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival in 2011 with Filmmaker Magazine naming Mahoney one of 2010's 25 New Faces of Independent Film. Her next move: In 2014, it was reported that she was directing the film Paper Tiger. (Photo: Francois Durand/Getty Images)

Marta Cunningham - This Emmy-nominated American film director, writer, producer and advocate’s first documentary film, Valentine Road, was fearless in its portrayal of the murder of birarcial 15-year-old, Lawrence King, who was gunned down in school for asking a male student to be his valentine. The HBO award-winning film screened at Sundance and countless other festivals around the world. Her next move: According to her website, she is currently working numerous projects. (Photo: Angela Weiss/Getty Images)

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Marta Cunningham - This Emmy-nominated American film director, writer, producer and advocate’s first documentary film, Valentine Road, was fearless in its portrayal of the murder of birarcial 15-year-old, Lawrence King, who was gunned down in school for asking a male student to be his valentine. The HBO award-winning film screened at Sundance and countless other festivals around the world. Her next move: According to her website, she is currently working numerous projects. (Photo: Angela Weiss/Getty Images)

Tina Mabry-Stiff - Named one of The Advocate's 40 Under 40 and Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Indie Film for her feature debut Mississippi Damned, Tina Mabry-Stiff is a force to be reckoned with. The award-winning director has also made two amazing shorts for Future TV, exploring race and the future of humanity. Her next move: Serving as Chief Operating Officer of the production company Morgan's Mark. (Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images) 

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Tina Mabry-Stiff - Named one of The Advocate's 40 Under 40 and Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Indie Film for her feature debut Mississippi Damned, Tina Mabry-Stiff is a force to be reckoned with. The award-winning director has also made two amazing shorts for Future TV, exploring race and the future of humanity. Her next move: Serving as Chief Operating Officer of the production company Morgan's Mark. (Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images)