First Black Filmmaker
Oscar Micheaux may not be the namesake of the Oscar award, but he is a legend in the film world. Upon producing The Homesteader in 1919, Micheaux became the first black in America to produce a feature film. Not only was he the first black to produce a feature film, but he was also the first to produce a film to be shown in white-only movie theaters. He used his status as producer to create films to attack the overt racism of other films during his time (such as The Birth of a Nation). During his lifetime, 44 feature-length films were written, produced, and directed by Micheaux. In addition, he authored a national best selling novel, along with 6 other novels. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in 2010 a commemorative stamp was issued in his honor [1, 2].Other Black Filmmakers
Julie Dash made history in 1991 when she became the first black woman to produce a full-length film--Daughters of the Dust--with a general theatrical release. The movie was filmed in the Gullah dialect and contains some subtitles [3, 4]. Steve McQueen, along with Lee Daniels and John Singleton are currently the only blacks to be nominated for the Best Director Oscar [5]. Unfortunately, no one has snagged that award yet. Steve McQueen may not have broken that record, but he did make history when his film, 12 Years a Slave, won Best Picture, making it the first black-directed film to win the award [6].A Little Extra History on Minorities & The Oscars
Latinos and Hispanics have been breaking records at the Oscars recently, and I thought I'd take a minute to give them a spotlight. For starters, the Oscar might actually be modeled after Emilio Fernandéz, a Mexican director [7, 8]. Last year (2014), Alfonso Cuarón became the first Mexican to win an Oscar for Best Director (beating out Steve McQueen--but I'm just happy it went to another minority) for Gravity. This year, Birdman, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, became the first movie directed by a Latino to win Best Picture. [9].Ang Lee became the first Asian (and the first non-European) to win Best Director in 2005 for Brokeback Mountain. He won the award again in 2012 for Life of Pi [10].
References
[1] Oscar Micheaux Biography[2] Notable Black Directors
[3] Julie Dash Biography
[4] Daughters of the Dust
[5] Will Steve McQueen Win the Oscar for Best Director?
[6] 12 Years A Slave Makes Oscar History
[7] Oscar's Real Name is Emilio
[8] Latin Pride Swells For Mystery Model Behind Oscar Statuette
[9] Birdman: A Proud Mexican's Spot-On Take On Hollywood Sweeps Oscars
[10] Ang Lee Biography
