ARRAY

Not to be confused with Array.
"AFFRM" redirects here. Not to be confused with Affirm.

ARRAY Now
FormerlyAfrican-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM)
IndustryFilm industry
Founded2011
FounderAva DuVernay
HeadquartersLos Angeles, California
Key people
Ava DuVernay
ProductsFilm distribution
ServicesFilm distribution
Film marketing
Websitearraynow.com

ARRAY is an independent distribution company launched by film maker and former publicist Ava DuVernay in 2011 under the name African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM). In 2015, the company rebranded itself as ARRAY.[1]

In 2020 the Peabody Awards honored the company with the Institutional Honor for "amplifying film and TV projects by people of color and women filmmakers".[2]

History

DuVernay launched the company in 2010 after her debut feature film I Will Follow failed to acquire distribution. ARRAY has stated that its mission is to “produce, distribute and amplify work from Black artists, filmmakers of color and women of all kinds.”

In May 2015, DuVernay held a 12-hour Rebel-a-thon on Twitter to raise funds for the company. For 12 hours black directors like Ryan Coogler, John Singleton, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Tina Mabry, Julie Dash and more answered questions from the general public in order to raise awareness for ARRAY and encourage people to donate funds.[3][4] Actors Thandiwe Newton, Kerry Washington and Jessica Chastain were among those who made substantial donations to the company.[5]

In 2016 ARRAY signed a deal partnering with Netflix to distribute their films online.[6] Since 2016 all ARRAY films have appeared exclusively on Netflix and stay on the platform for three years.[7]

In 2019, the company created the Amanda cinema, named after founder Ava DuVernay's aunt, that was exclusively dedicated to showing films by people of color.[8]

Films distributed

Year Title Director Notes Ref
2011 I Will Follow Ava DuVernay [9]
Kinyarwanda Alrick Brown Winner of the World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival [10]
2012 Restless City Andrew Dosunmu [11]
Middle of Nowhere Ava DuVernay Winner of Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival [12]
2013 Better Mus' Come Storm Saulter [13]
Big Words Neil Drumming [14]
2014 Vanishing Pearls: The Oystermen of Pointe à la Hache Nailah Jefferson [15]
2015 Mississippi Damned Tina Mabry Premiered in 2009 but not distributed until 2015 [16]
Out of My Hand Takeshi Fukunaga [17]
Ayanda Sara Blecher Special Jury Prize in the World Fiction Competition at the LA Film Festival [18]
2016 Echo Park Amanda Marsalis [19]
Honeytrap Rebecca Johnson [20]
2017 Namour Heidi Saman [21]
The House on Coco Road Damani Baker [22]
Teach Us All Sonia Lowman [23]
2018 Jewel's Catch One C. Fitz [24]
Vaya Akin Omotoso Winner of Best Director and Best Screenplay at the Africa Movie Academy Awards [25]
Roll With Me Lisa France [26]
2019 The Burial of Kojo Blitz Bazawule [27]
Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen Heperi Mita [28]
Burning Cane Phillip Youmans Winner of Best U.S. Narrative Film, Best Cinematography and Best Actor at the Tribeca Film Festival [29]
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn Winner of Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography at the Canadian Screen Awards [30]
2020 Jezebel Numa Perrier Winner of Best Feature and Best Director at the American Black Film Festival [31]
They've Gotta Have Us Simon Frederick [32]
Justine Stephanie Turner [33]
Lingua Franca Isabel Sandoval Winner of Best Performance and Best Cinematography at the Young Critics Circle [34]
Residue Merawi Gerima Winner of Best Narrative Feature, Audience Award and Acting Award at the Slamdance Film Festival [35]
Ainu Mosir Takeshi Fukunaga [36]
Funny Boy Deepa Mehta [37]
Alaska is a Drag Shaz Bennett [38]
Definition Please Sujata Day [39]
2021 In Our Mothers’ Gardens [40]
Cousins [41]
Sankofa [42]
Love and Fury [43]
2022 Donkeyhead Agam Darshi [44]
Definition Please [39]
Learn to Swim [45]
What We Leave Behind Iliana Sosa Louis Black "Lone Star" and Fandor New Voices Awards at SXSW; Gotham Best Documentary nominee [46]
2023 Mars One Gabriel Martins [47]
Frybread Face and Me Billy Luther [48]

References

  1. ^ Cunningham, Todd. "Ava DuVernay's AFFRM Rebrands as ARRAY, Acquires 2 Films". Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  2. ^ Jackson, Angelique (June 8, 2020). "Oprah Winfrey Presents Ava DuVernay's ARRAY With Peabody's Institutional Award". Variety. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  3. ^ Bernstein, Paula. "Ava DuVernay Wants You to Be a Rebel and Join the Movement for Diverse Films". Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  4. ^ Clarke, Ashley. "Ava DuVernay's Rebel-a-Thon offers symposium for black film-makers". Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  5. ^ Whipp, Glenn. "Aiming to diversify storytelling, Ava DuVernay expands scope of film distribution collective". Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  6. ^ Santos, Nix. "Ava Duvernay's Array Releasing Partners With Netflix to Unleash 'Ashes and Embers'". Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  7. ^ "List of ARRAY Movies on Netflix". What's on Netflix. December 13, 2021.
  8. ^ Day-Ramos, Dino (September 13, 2019). "Ava DuVernay Debuts Amanda Theater With Inaugural ARRAY 360 Film Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 5, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  9. ^ I Will Follow
  10. ^ Kinyarwanda
  11. ^ Restless City
  12. ^ Middle of Nowhere
  13. ^ "Better Mus' Come". Archived from the original on November 18, 2021.
  14. ^ Big Words
  15. ^ Vanishing Pearls
  16. ^ "Mississippi Damned". Archived from the original on November 27, 2021.
  17. ^ Out of My Hand
  18. ^ Ayanda
  19. ^ Echo Park
  20. ^ "Honeytrap". Archived from the original on November 22, 2021.
  21. ^ Namour
  22. ^ The House on Coco Road
  23. ^ Teach Us All
  24. ^ Jewel’s Catch One
  25. ^ Vaya
  26. ^ Roll With Me
  27. ^ The Burial of Kojo
  28. ^ ""Merata," a loving, comprehensive and inquisitive ode".
  29. ^ Burning Cane
  30. ^ The Body Remembers When The World Broke Open
  31. ^ Jezebel
  32. ^ They've Gotta Have Us
  33. ^ Justine
  34. ^ Lingua Franca
  35. ^ Residue
  36. ^ Ainu Mosir
  37. ^ Funny Boy
  38. ^ Alaska is a Drag
  39. ^ a b Definition Please
  40. ^ In Our Mothers’ Gardens
  41. ^ Cousins
  42. ^ Sankofa
  43. ^ Love and Fury
  44. ^ Donkeyhead
  45. ^ Learn to Swim
  46. ^ What We Leave Behind
  47. ^ Mars One
  48. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (November 3, 2023). "Array Acquires 'Frybread Face and Me,' Sets Limited Theatrical Run and Netflix Debut (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023.