Ava DuVernay says ‘Hollywood is over’ as she calls for new ways to finance films

 The award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay discussed the future of independent filmmaking, the political urgency behind her documentary 14th, and why history helps her remain hopeful during a London Film Festival appearance.

Ava DuVernay says Hollywood’s traditional studio system is changing and filmmakers must find new ways to finance projects and connect directly with audiences. Speaking during a Screen Talk at the 70th BFI London Film Festival on Oct. 12, the director also explained how making her latest documentary, “14th,” helped her channel her anger and fear about the political climate in the United States.

“Hollywood is over,” DuVernay said, pointing to studio consolidation, changing business models, and the decline of traditional pathways for independent filmmakers to secure deals.“They’re buying each other, they’re collapsing. It’s all changed,” she continued, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

DuVernay encouraged filmmakers to consider crowdfunding and other independent financing options as alternatives to relying solely on major studios. “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,” she said. She also described the possibility of raising production funds through smaller groups of investors and recovering costs through film festivals, online distribution and sales.

For DuVernay, the larger question is how the industry can build new systems that serve a wider range of artists and stories. “What can we build now that’s new, that serves more kinds of people and kinds of stories?” she asked. Her remarks come amid continued changes in the entertainment business, including corporate consolidation and evolving distribution models. She argued that artists and audiences may increasingly connect directly, without depending on traditional intermediaries.

Ava DuVernay also discussed “14th,” her latest documentary, which examines the historical context of the 14th Amendment and contemporary debates surrounding its protections, including birthright citizenship. The filmmaker connected the documentary to her concerns about democratic and human rights in the United States, including policies pursued by President Donald Trump’s administration and the role of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“This film saved me in a lot of ways. … The rage that I feel and the fear that I feel, I was really being able to pour it into ’14th’ every day. I only finished the film two weeks ago, and so I really don’t know what I’m going to do from here.”