On March 14 , 2015 , DuVernay gave a keynote address at the 2015 SXSW Film Festival . In the speech , she shared that she was the seventh choice of people asked to direct '' Selma '' and described her experience at the 2015 Oscars , while being an honor to be able to attend , it was just " a room in L.A. " In February 2018 it was announced that DuVernay , along with producer Dan Lin and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti , had launched the Evolve Entertainment Fund . The fund 's mission is to promote inclusion and provide an opportunity for under-served communities to pursue a dream in the entertainment industry
2015 Oscars
87th Academy Awards
Ava DuVernay