Golden Globe-nominated director Ava DuVernay announced a new collaboration between ARRAY, an LA-based film collective dedicated to amplify works by people of color and women that she founded in 2010, and Indiegogo, the largest international crowdfunding organization that so far has helped over 40,000 films getting made. "On behalf of ARRAY's Maverick and Rebel members and our Founding Leaders, I'm thrilled to hold hands with our friends at Indiegogo on this intimate gathering of film artists and advocates focused on community and change," explained DuVernay. "Indiegogo has proven to be the perfect, like-minded partner in this experiential endeavor at Sundance to asset the importance and beauty of filmmakers of color and women filmmakers."

The collaboration could not come at a more important moment, and the discussion turned immediately to the disadvantages of minority and female filmmakers in the industry. DuVernay has always been vocal about Sundance Fest’s leading role in featuring talent from a wide spectrum of filmmakers. Being the first African-American woman to ever win the best director prize for her second feature Middle of Nowhere, she has been involved in numerous projects and panel discussions at the festival ever since. She calls female directors “a small sorority in a big industry”. She started ARRAY because – as she says “I just don't think there's a lot of support for the woman's voice in cinema, and it becomes really difficult to raise that money and start again every time. I think for female filmmakers a big issue is making their second and third films.”

The former journalist turned publicist came to Sundance eight times handling other filmmakers’ projects before she returned with her own work. After the panel she also turned to social media to comment on the Oscar debate. See her tweets here: @AVATEC.

ARRAY also announced that it would release two new films on Netflix, Ayanda and Out of My Hand.

Elisabeth Sereda