Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised May 27, 2026

ARRAY

ARRAY is an independent distribution company launched by filmmaker and former publicist Ava DuVernay in 2011 under the name African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM). In 2015, the company rebranded as ARRAY.

Last revised
May 27, 2026
Read time
≈ 4 min
Length
989 w
Citations
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Source
Wikipedia ↗
ARRAY Now
FormerlyAfrican-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM)
IndustryFilm industry
Founded2011
FounderAva DuVernay
HeadquartersLos Angeles, California
Key people
Ava DuVernay
ProductsFilm distribution
ServicesFilm distribution
Film marketing
Websitearraynow.com

ARRAY is an independent distribution company launched by filmmaker and former publicist Ava DuVernay in 2011 under the name African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM). In 2015, the company rebranded as ARRAY.1

In 2020 the Peabody Awards honored the company with the Institutional Honor for "amplifying film and TV projects by people of color and women filmmakers".2

History

DuVernay launched the company in 2010 after her debut feature film I Will Follow failed to acquire distribution. ARRAY has stated that its mission is to “produce, distribute and amplify work from Black artists, filmmakers of color and women of all kinds.”

In May 2015, DuVernay held a 12-hour Rebel-a-thon on Twitter to raise funds for the company. For 12 hours black directors like Ryan Coogler, John Singleton, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Tina Mabry, Julie Dash and more answered questions from the general public in order to raise awareness for ARRAY and encourage people to donate funds.34 Actors Thandiwe Newton, Kerry Washington and Jessica Chastain were among those who made substantial donations to the company.5

In 2016 ARRAY signed a deal partnering with Netflix to distribute their films online.6 Since 2016 all ARRAY films have appeared exclusively on Netflix and stay on the platform for three years.7

In 2019, the company created the Amanda cinema, named after founder Ava DuVernay's aunt, that was exclusively dedicated to showing films by people of color.8

Films distributed

Year Title Director Notes Ref
2011 I Will Follow Ava DuVernay 9
Kinyarwanda Alrick Brown Winner of the World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival 10
2012 Restless City Andrew Dosunmu 11
Middle of Nowhere Ava DuVernay Winner of Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival 12
2013 Better Mus' Come Storm Saulter 13
Big Words Neil Drumming 14
2014 Vanishing Pearls: The Oystermen of Pointe à la Hache Nailah Jefferson 15
2015 Mississippi Damned Tina Mabry Premiered in 2009 but not distributed until 2015 16
Out of My Hand Takeshi Fukunaga 17
Ayanda Sara Blecher Special Jury Prize in the World Fiction Competition at the LA Film Festival 18
2016 Echo Park Amanda Marsalis 19
Honeytrap Rebecca Johnson 20
2017 Namour Heidi Saman 21
The House on Coco Road Damani Baker 22
Teach Us All Sonia Lowman 23
2018 Jewel's Catch One C. Fitz 24
Vaya Akin Omotoso Winner of Best Director and Best Screenplay at the Africa Movie Academy Awards 25
Roll With Me Lisa France 26
2019 The Burial of Kojo Blitz Bazawule 27
Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen Heperi Mita 28
Burning Cane Phillip Youmans Winner of Best U.S. Narrative Film, Best Cinematography and Best Actor at the Tribeca Film Festival 29
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn Winner of Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography at the Canadian Screen Awards 30
2020 Jezebel Numa Perrier Winner of Best Feature and Best Director at the American Black Film Festival 31
They've Gotta Have Us Simon Frederick 32
Justine Stephanie Turner 33
Lingua Franca Isabel Sandoval Winner of Best Performance and Best Cinematography at the Young Critics Circle 34
Residue Merawi Gerima Winner of Best Narrative Feature, Audience Award and Acting Award at the Slamdance Film Festival 35
Ainu Mosir Takeshi Fukunaga 36
Funny Boy Deepa Mehta 37
Alaska is a Drag Shaz Bennett 38
Definition Please Sujata Day 39
2021 In Our Mothers’ Gardens 40
Cousins 41
Sankofa 42
Love and Fury 43
2022 Donkeyhead Agam Darshi 44
Definition Please 39
Learn to Swim 45
What We Leave Behind Iliana Sosa Louis Black "Lone Star" and Fandor New Voices Awards at SXSW; Gotham Best Documentary nominee 46
2023 Mars One Gabriel Martins 47
Frybread Face and Me Billy Luther 48
References

References

  1. Cunningham, Todd (September 9, 2015). "Ava DuVernay's AFFRM Rebrands as ARRAY, Acquires 2 Films". Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  2. Jackson, Angelique (June 8, 2020). "Oprah Winfrey Presents Ava DuVernay's ARRAY With Peabody's Institutional Award". Variety. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  3. Bernstein, Paula (May 27, 2015). "Ava DuVernay Wants You to Be a Rebel and Join the Movement for Diverse Films". Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  4. Clarke, Ashley (May 28, 2015). "Ava DuVernay's Rebel-a-Thon offers symposium for black film-makers". The Guardian. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  5. Whipp, Glenn (September 8, 2015). "Aiming to diversify storytelling, Ava DuVernay expands scope of film distribution collective". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  6. Santos, Nix (March 2016). "Ava Duvernay's Array Releasing Partners With Netflix to Unleash 'Ashes and Embers'". Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  7. "List of ARRAY Movies on Netflix". What's on Netflix. December 13, 2021.
  8. Day-Ramos, Dino (September 13, 2019). "Ava DuVernay Debuts Amanda Theater With Inaugural ARRAY 360 Film Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 5, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  9. I Will Follow
  10. Kinyarwanda
  11. Restless City
  12. Middle of Nowhere
  13. "Better Mus' Come". Archived from the original on November 18, 2021.
  14. Big Words
  15. Vanishing Pearls
  16. "Mississippi Damned". Archived from the original on November 27, 2021.
  17. Out of My Hand
  18. Ayanda
  19. Echo Park
  20. "Honeytrap". Archived from the original on November 22, 2021.
  21. Namour
  22. The House on Coco Road
  23. Teach Us All
  24. Jewel’s Catch One
  25. Vaya
  26. Roll With Me
  27. The Burial of Kojo
  28. ""Merata," a loving, comprehensive and inquisitive ode". May 9, 2019.
  29. Burning Cane
  30. The Body Remembers When The World Broke Open
  31. Jezebel
  32. They've Gotta Have Us
  33. Justine
  34. Lingua Franca
  35. Residue
  36. Ainu Mosir
  37. Funny Boy
  38. Alaska is a Drag
  39. Definition Please
  40. In Our Mothers’ Gardens
  41. Cousins
  42. Sankofa
  43. Love and Fury
  44. Donkeyhead
  45. Learn to Swim
  46. What We Leave Behind
  47. Mars One
  48. Tangcay, Jazz (November 3, 2023). "Array Acquires 'Frybread Face and Me,' Sets Limited Theatrical Run and Netflix Debut (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
External links