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Oscar Micheaux (1885-1951) -

Considered as the first major black filmmaker, Oscar Micheaux directed and produced 42 feature films between 1919 and 1948. Many of his films featured all-black casts, and tackled subjects such as racial violence, sexual assault, economic oppression, and discrimination.

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Spike Lee -

Spike Lee first emerged in the late '80s with 'She’s Gotta Have It' (1986), a film about the love life of a contemporary black woman. Since then, he's released a movie almost every year. In 2019, Lee won his first Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for 'BlacKkKlansman' (2018).

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Steve McQueen -

The British filmmaker is best known for his Academy Award-winning film '12 Years a Slave' (2013), which earned him the prize for Best Picture. He became the first black filmmaker to ever win the award.

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Ava DuVernay -

Ava DuVernay won the directing award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for her second feature film, 'Middle of Nowhere' (2012), becoming the first black woman to win the award. She is also known for her films 'Selma' (2014) and '13th' (2017), which both received Oscar nominations.

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Jordan Peele -

Jordan Peele first became known as a comedian on the sketch shows 'Mad TV' and 'Key & Peel' alongside Keegan-Michael Key. But in 2017, Peele delivered the Oscar-winning feature film 'Get Out.' The film was nominated for four Oscars, and Peele won the award for Best Screenplay.

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Tyler Perry -

Tyler Perry built an empire by creating content for an audience that was often ignored by Hollywood. Perry operates one major studio in Georgia, where he films his movie and television projects and rents out space to other filmmakers.

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Barry Jenkins -

Barry Jenkins directed two short films before debuting the critically acclaimed 'Medicine for Melancholy' in 2008. Following an eight-year hiatus from feature filmmaking, Jenkins returned with 'Moonlight' (2016), which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

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John Singleton (1968-2019) -

At the age of 24, John Singleton became the youngest person ever to be nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards and the first African American. He was nominated for his 1991 film 'Boyz n the Hood,' which also received a nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

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Ryan Coogler -

'Black Panther' (2018) director Ryan Coogler has become a household name since releasing his first feature film 'Fruitvale Station' (2013), which won the top audience and grand jury awards at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. He has also co-wrote and directed the seventh film in the Rocky series, 'Creed' (2015).

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Dee Rees -

A student of director Spike Lee, Dee Rees graduated from New York University and immediately went to work, interning for several of Lee's projects. Her third directorial film, 'Mudbound' (2017), was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Screenplay.

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Melvin van Peebles (1932-2021) -

Melvin van Peebles directed many films during is career in Hollywood, but his most noted work is the 1971 film 'Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song,' which he wrote, directed, and starred in.

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Debbie Allen -

The actress, dancer, singer, producer, and director is best known for her work as a director-producer on the popular '90s sitcom 'A Different World.' Debbie Allen is also known for producing Steven Spielberg's award-winning historical drama 'Amistad' (1997).

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Tim Story -

Tim Story is one of the most successful black filmmakers around. He directed 'Barbershop' in 2002, a comedy that resulted in two other films. He also directed 'Fantastic Four' (2005) and its sequel 'Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer' (2007), which together earned US$600 million at the global box office.

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Gordon Parks (1912-2006) -

Gordon Parks started his career as a successful photographer before branching out to filmmaking. He became Hollywood’s first major black director with his iconic film 'Shaft' premiering in 1971.

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Gina Prince-Bythewood -

Gina Prince-Bythewood wrote and directed the widely acclaimed feature film 'Love & Basketball' (2000), which premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. She has also directed films like 'Disappearing Acts' (2000) and 'The Old Guard' (2020).

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Antoine Fuqua -

Antoine Fuqua got his start in the industry directing music videos for artists such as Toni Braxton, Prince, and Stevie Wonder. Fuqua is known for directing action and thriller films, and his 2001 film 'Training Day' earned Denzel Washington an Academy Award.

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Julie Dash -

Julie Dash's 'Daughters of the Dust' (1991) became the first full-length film directed by an African-American woman to get a wide theatrical release in the US. She was nominated for a Directors Guild Award for 'The Rosa Parks Story,' which was released in 2002.

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Reginald Hudlin -

Hudlin got his breakout with the 1990 film 'House Party.' He has also worked a producer on Quentin Tarantino's 'Django Unchained' (2012), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

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F. Gary Gray -

F. Gary Gray began his career directing critically acclaimed music videos for artists such as Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Outkast. But in the mid '90s, he started to venture out to film and has since released blockbuster hits like 'The Italian Job' (2003) and 'Law Abiding Citizen' (2009).

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Carl Franklin -

Carl Franklin is an American actor and filmmaker who made his directorial breakthrough with the crime drama 'One False Move' (1992). He also wrote and directed Denzel Washington in 'Devil in a Blue Dress' (1995).

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Amma Asante -

Amma Asante is a British actress and filmmaker who first became known for her having written and produced the 1998 BBC series 'Brothers and Sisters.' She also received critical acclaim for her films 'A Way of Life' (2004) and 'Belle' (2013).

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Robert Townsend -

Townsend is best known for directing the films 'Hollywood Shuffle' (1987), 'Eddie Murphy Raw' (1987), 'The Meteor Man' (1993), and various other films and stand-up specials.

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Kasi Lemmons -

Kasi Lemmons made her directorial debut with 'Eve's Bayou' (1997). She then went on to direct films like 'Dr. Hugo' (1998), 'Black Nativity' (2013), and her highest-grossing film 'Harriet' (2019), about abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

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William Greaves (1926-2014) -

William Greaves was an influential independent documentary filmmaker, who produced and directed over 100 films. His films focused on social issues, as well as key African-American figures like Muhammad Ali.

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Haile Gerima -

The Ethiopian filmmaker has received wide international acclaim for his films 'Ashes and Embers' (1982) and 'Sankofa' (1993). Since 1975, Haile has been an influential film professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

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Michael Schultz -

Michael Schultz is an American director and producer, who is best known for his films 'Cooley High' (1975), 'Car Wash' (1976), and 'Krush Groove' (1985).

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Victoria Mahoney -

Victoria Mahoney has predominantly worked in television, having directed shows like 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'American Crime,' and 'You.' She was also picked by J.J. Abrams to direct the second unit of 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' (2019), which made her the first woman to direct a Star Wars film.

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Ousmane Sembène (1923-2007) -

Ousmane Sembène was a Senegalese film director, producer and writer. The Los Angeles Times considered him one of the greatest authors of Africa and he has often been called the "father of African film." He is known for his 1966 film 'Black Girl.'

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Darnell Martin -

Darnell Martin's debut feature, 'I Like It Like That' (1994), made her the first African-American woman to write and direct a film for a major Hollywood studio. Martin has since directed episodes of TV shows such as 'Law & Order,' 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'The Walking Dead.'

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Ernest Dickerson -

Ernest Dickerson is best known for his frequent collaborations with Spike Lee. As a director, he is known for action and horror films such as 'Juice' (1992) and 'Demon Knight (1995). He has also directed several episodes of TV series, including 'Once Upon a Time' and 'The Wire.'

Sources: (CNBC) (WNYC Studios) (Good Housekeeping) 

See also: Black history movies you need to watch

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