Ava DuVernay Says Hollywood Is Over and Wants Filmmakers to Crowdfund Instead

Ava DuVernay had a message for filmmakers at the BFI London Film Festival on Sunday, and it wasn’t subtle: Hollywood is over. She pointed to years of corporate consolidation and the collapse of the independent pipeline that once launched new voices. Instead of waiting on a studio green light, she’s telling artists to crowdfund, build small investor groups and release directly to their audience.

Her advice carries weight because she’s lived on both sides of the system. DuVernay has made studio films and independent projects, and now she’s betting on the direct-to-audience route as the way forward. It’s a blueprint more creators are already testing, from documentary filmmakers to musicians to podcasters.

She also opened up about her new documentary“14th,”which examines the 14th Amendment and birthright citizenship. DuVernay said the film“saved me in a lot of ways,”giving her a place to channel her fear and anger about the current political climate. She finished it just two weeks ago, so this conversation is only getting started. Do you think filmmakers are better off without the studios?