MasterClass Teams Up With Ava DuVernay To Teach How To Direct Your Life

Ava DuVernay's new MasterClass provides an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at directing her latest film "Origin."

MasterClass has announced an exciting new course taught by acclaimed filmmaker Ava DuVernay.

According to a press release, the class, “Directing the Life You Want,” provides an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at DuVernay’s latest film project, ORIGIN, over a six-month period.

As DuVernay guides members through the process of making ORIGIN, she shares invaluable directing skills that can be applied more broadly to “direct the life you want.” Her interactive teaching style drops MasterClass subscribers directly into the filmmaking journey to show firsthand how to find motivation, build a team, lead with empathy, and turn vision into reality. “My goal was to make the viewer feel embedded in the action, intention and energy of directing a film—with all the discipline that requires,” DuVernay said. “Only MasterClass could provide this kind of teaching experience.”

The Emmy winner teaches critical leadership skills like reframing mindsets, unlocking potential, and taking action daily. She said, “I’m taking MasterClass members on a journey of self-discovery to unleash their full potential in everyday life.”

DuVernay also amplifies diverse voices through her ARRAY collective and advocates for inclusion by serving on various prestigious boards. She has partnered with MasterClass and ARRAY’s Seat16 initiative to provide underserved youth tickets to see ORIGIN and free MasterClass access.

On Mar. 7, the Casting Society will present the acclaimed director with the prestigious Lynn Stalmaster Award at this year’s Artios Awards. “Ava DuVernay is a visionary storyteller…a huge champion for casting professionals and an incredible collaborator,” CSA President Destiny Lilly shared, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She commended DuVernay’s “passion for inclusive and representative casting throughout her impactful career,” which has established the filmmaker as an industry leader.

“In my film ORIGIN, the process of casting became the primary brushstroke on the canvas,” DuVernay said. “Working with my casting director Aisha Coley to surround our leading lady Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor was a joy and a thrill. Each of the actors in the ORIGIN ensemble are stellar…They are the latest in a series of extraordinary casts that I’ve had the…honor of guiding.”

She expressed gratitude for the recognition from the Casting Society.