7 Movies Created by Black Women to Have fun Black History and Women’s History Months

Just nine years ago, in 2015, an awesome lack of diversity led to the #OscarsSoWhite movement — a mere 50 years after the Civil Rights Act passed. In addition, only eight women have ever been nominated for a Best Director Oscar (only two have won) and a Black woman has never been nominated within the Academy’s director category.

But simply because Black women haven’t been properly appreciated by mainstream awards ceremonies doesn’t mean they haven’t made movies more moving, funny, creative, and poignant than those with accolades. In fact, despite the shortage of representation, Black women have been at the middle of filmmaking because it began. In the Nineteen Twenties, Zora Neale Hurston, known more as an writer, was also a filmmaker. So we’ve rounded up a few of the perfect movies created by Black women to have fun Black History Month and Women’s History Month to look at all yr long.

‘Selma’ by Ava DuVernay (2014)

Many consider it a serious snub that Ava DuVernay wasn’t nominated for an Oscar for guiding Selma, but she did turn out to be the primary Black woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe in the identical category. The film follows Martin Luther King Jr. during his famous march from Selma to Montgomery, which has been celebrated for its direction. From David Oyelowo’s performance as MLK to the intimate moments highlighted between his members of the family, Selma also dives deep into the feminine perspective (adding Coretta Scott King’s story to the combo). While Selma may arguably be Ava’s most vital work, she’s also directed 2023’s Origin, 2019’s When They See Us, 2016’s thirteenth, and more must-sees.

‘Queen & Slim’ by Melina Matsoukas and Lena Waithe (2019)

Queen & Slim got here out at a time when awareness of police violence against Black people was at an all-time high. It follows a Tinder date gone unsuitable when a routine traffic stop forces “Queen” and “Slim” to go on the run together from law enforcement after Slim by accident kills an officer in self-defense. With Lena Waithe’s signature touch, humor between the 2 characters emerges as they’re forced to reckon their relationship amidst their unique situation. But it’s not a comedy. Melina’s direction allowed us to concentrate on the love story within the context of a much larger societal issue. And although Queen & Slim won Best Movie on the BET Awards, it was completely snubbed on the Oscars and Golden Globes.

‘One Night in Miami’ by Regina King (2020)

Regina King received some well-deserved attention for her directorial debut, One Night in Miami, which was based on Kemp Powers’ stage play of the identical name. The film follows a fictionalized version of a gathering between Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke to have fun Ali’s title win. Regina’s direction was specifically celebrated by adapting the story from stage to screen with overhead shots, the usage of mirrors, the casting, and intimate moments between characters. 

‘Love & Basketball’ by Gina Prince-Bythewood (2000)

In the years since Love & Basketball’s release, it’s gained a cult following of fans who consider it the most effective romances up to now. In 2023, the Library of Congress chosen Love & Basketball for preservation within the U.S. National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” It uniquely takes place in 4 quarters (like a basketball game), following the romantic leads in 4 parts of their lives, as they intertwine in other ways. Gina later said that her goal was “to do a black When Harry Met Sally.” With actors Omar Epps, Sanaa Lathan, Regina Hall, Gabrielle Union, and Tyra Banks, it’s a movie about Black love with an all-star forged of Hollywood royalty.

‘Alma’s Rainbow’ by Ayoka Chenzira (1994)

Growing up in Philadelphia, Ayoka was at all times immersed in the humanities and knew by the point she went to varsity she desired to be a filmmaker. She at all times worked outside of mainstream financing to create movies and served as this system director for the Black Filmmakers Foundation from 1981 to 1984. It was only fitting she’d create certainly one of the 75 best movies by Black directors, based on Slate. The story follows the connection between an expressive teenage girl and her stick-in-the-mud mother in Brooklyn when the girl’s cosmopolitan aunt arrives. While their complex relationships are the center of the film, Ayoka’s direction has been celebrated for showcasing the movements and emotions of Black women.

‘The Watermelon Woman’ by Cheryl Dunye (1996)

Like Love & Basketball, The Watermelon Woman has also been preserved by the Library of Congress. It was the primary film directed by a Black lesbian because it follows a young lesbian working in a video store attempting to make a documentary a couple of famous Nineteen Thirties Black actress. Cheryl has dedicated the film to Black actresses like Louise Beavers, Hattie McDaniel, and Butterfly McQueen, who inspired the film’s subject. In all of its societal importance, The Watermelon Woman can be a comedy for its tongue-and-cheek humor, similar to the name of Center for Lesbian Information and Technology, aka CLIT. Upon its release, the New York Times said it was “each stimulating and funny” while also commending Cheryl for her “talent and open-heartedness.”

‘Daughters of the Dust’ by Julie Dash (1991)

Daughters of the Dust is historic for a lot of reasons, the least of which is kicking off legendary filmmaker Julie Dash’s profession. It was the primary film directed by a Black woman to receive a large theatrical release within the United States. Its importance in American history can’t be understated because it follows three generations of Gullah women on Saint Helena Island as they resolve to maneuver North. Julie paints an image of Gullah women, creating what some critics called a “visual poem” because the minutiae of each day life stood out in a approach to add more intending to the larger picture of holding onto Black culture in America.