Entertainment · Film · 6 hrs ago
Ava DuVernay says filmmakers may need new ways to fund their work
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay spoke at the BFI London Film Festival in London about her career and her new documentary, 14th.
She said filmmakers may increasingly need crowdfunding and other ways to raise money outside traditional studios.
She also called for artists to connect directly with audiences rather than rely on companies to bring them together.
DuVernay described Hollywood as changing through studio sales, company mergers and collapses.
Her film places policies from the Trump administration, including efforts to end or restrict birthright citizenship, in historical context.
She said fear about possible losses of democratic and human rights helped drive her to make the film, and that working on it gave her a way to channel her anger and fear.
DuVernay said she draws hope from history, but had not decided what she would do next after finishing the film.
Ava DuVernay said filmmakers may need to explore crowdfunding and other direct ways to finance their work.
She made the remarks during a Screen Talk at the BFI London Film Festival.
DuVernay said that changes in Hollywood make alternative funding and connections between artists and audiences more important.
She described crowdfunding as one option, including asking groups of people to invest in a film.
She also discussed her documentary 14th, which she said helped her channel anger and fear.
- Who
- Filmmaker Ava DuVernay.
- What
- She said filmmakers may need new ways to fund films, including crowdfunding and direct connections with audiences.
- When
- Monday, during the 70th BFI London Film Festival. The article was published on 2026-10-12.
- Where
- London, at the BFI London Film Festival.
- Why
- She said Hollywood has changed, with companies buying each other and collapsing, and that artists need to consider what they can build next.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
DuVernay appeared at a Screen Talk during the BFI London Film Festival and discussed film financing and Hollywood.
DuVernay finished her documentary 14th.
- Speaker
- Ava DuVernay
- Event
- Screen Talk at the 70th BFI London Film Festival
- Funding option
- Crowdfunding and direct investment from groups of people
- Example investment
- 20 people investing $5,000 each
- Documentary
- 14th
What people are saying
You put your movie up there, and there are all kinds of apps and sites that allow people who are like-minded to do it.
Hollywood is over.
Everything has changed over the last 10 years, even since I’ve been making [movies and TV shows].
This film saved me in a lot of ways.
Sources
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