The Cold Pitch That Took Her From UNKNOWN To Hollywood | Ava DuVernay

Before Ava DuVernay became an Oscar-nominated director and groundbreaking force in Hollywood, she was a 32 year old publicist with a $50,000 film, no film school degree, and a dream she wasn't sure anyone would take seriously. Then Roger Ebert said yes. In this deeply personal conversation, the visionary filmmaker sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the legendary film critic who believed in her when the world had no idea who she was.

Ava opens up about the moment she cold-pitched Roger Ebert to review her debut film I Will Follow, a meditation on grief inspired by her aunt Denise. She had worked with him before as a publicist, always transactional, always professional. But this time it was different. This was her movie. She didn't tell him that at first. She just sent the pitch like she always did. He said yes. And then he wrote a review that changed everything.

Ava talks about growing up in Compton with her aunt Denise, standing outside the Oscars as a little girl getting a thumbs up from Roger Ebert himself, and never imagining she'd one day be the filmmaker he championed. She shares what it felt like to be taken seriously by the critic of a generation, how his belief gave her the confidence to keep going, and why she spoke at his funeral years later. There's also a powerful reflection on what it means to open doors all the way, not just crack them, and why she believes your presence alone is an act of resistance.

If you've ever felt unqualified, if you've ever been afraid to ask for help, or if you've ever wondered whether one person's attention could actually change the trajectory of your life, this episode will remind you that sometimes all it takes is someone willing to take you seriously. And sometimes, that's the greatest gift of all.

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Chapters ☀️
Chapters

• 00:00:00 Intro: The Girl with the Thumbs Up and Roger Ebert
• 00:07:47 The Cold Pitch: Sending the Film to Roger Ebert
• 00:07:17 The Tweet That Changed Everything
• 00:11:02 The Review: When a Critic Sees Your Soul
• 00:15:33 I Will Follow: A Film About Aunt Denise
• 00:29:34 The Power of Being Taken Seriously
• 00:44:13 From Publicist to Filmmaker: Finding Your Calling at 30
• 00:41:28 Cinema as Memory: The Power to Rewrite and Heal
• 00:54:14 Opening Doors All the Way: The Philosophy of True Mentorship
• 00:58:47 Get On a Moving Train: What It Takes to Earn Help
• 01:00:54 Leading with Kindness While Demanding Excellence
• 00:37:39 Speaking at Roger Ebert's Funeral: The Full Circle Moment

ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question.

David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning.

Host: David Begnaud

Guest: Ava DuVernay

Executive Producers: Ellen Rocamora, Olivier Delfosse

Associate Producer: Griffin Hamilton

Booker: Sully Bloch

Director of Photography: Foster Parks

Director of Social: Mariah Maull

Theme Music: Slipstream

Post-Production: Longwave Digital

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