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Chinonye Chukwu Becomes First Black Woman To Win Sundance’s Top Prize
Nigerian filmmaker, Chinonye Chukwu, has been named as the first Black woman to win the Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Dramatic entry, Clemency.
According to Indiewire, Chukwu emerged the winner of the festival’s highest honours after she was voted for by individual juries of her category.
Chukwu wrote and directed the death row drama, starring Alfre Woodard as a prison warden struggling with the emotional demands of her job.
The filmmaker after winning took to her Instagram and wrote, “I am so thankful and can’t wait to share this film with the world!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtaJCTjlXkw/?utm_source=ig_embed
Ava DuVernay, who became the first Black woman to win a directing award at the annual festival in 2012, celebrated Chukwu in a tweet, saying, “Congrats to [Chinonye Chukwu] and the cast and crew of her film.”
Congrats to @ChinonyeC and the cast and crew of her film. And all the casts and crews of every film at Sundance this year. Beautiful fest lineup with many gems. Brava, @KimYutani and the whole Sundance team! https://t.co/ETDfPdl7fR
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) February 3, 2019