A. V. Rockwell

Last updated
A. V. Rockwell
A.V. Rockwell in 2023.jpg
Rockwell in 2023
Born
Queens, New York City, U.S.
Education New York University
OccupationFilmmaker
Years active2016–present
Notable work A Thousand and One
Awards Sundance Grand Jury Prize - Dramatic (2023); Guggenheim Fellowship (2017)

A. V. Rockwell (born Alina Victoria Rockwell [1] ) is an American film director. In 2023, she made her directorial feature film debut with the film A Thousand and One , which gave her a Gotham Award, a Black Reel Award, an Independent Spirit Award, a Director's Guild nomination, and nominations at the NAACP Image Awards. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Rockwell was born and raised in Queens, New York, to parents from Jamaica. [2] She attended high school at Brooklyn Technical High School [3] and attended film school at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. [4] One of her early inspirations to pursue film came from studying European cinema while studying in Paris. [5]

Career

One of Rockwell's early works was the series Open City Mixtape, which followed young people's stories in New York City, and was shot in black-and-white. Subsequently, Rockwell worked with Alicia Keys on the music-focused music short film The Gospel for Keys' sixth studio album, Here. [6] [7] The work gave her a silver Clio Awards. [8]

In 2018, Rockwell released her short film Feathers, [9] which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival. [10] For Feathers, Rockwell was named the grand-prize winner of the Tribeca Film Institute and CHANEL’s Through Her Lens grant; the film was selected as part of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and was then acquired by Fox Searchlight Pictures for their Searchlight Shorts collection. [11] [12]

Rockwell (right) and actress Teyana Taylor promote A Thousand and One. The film received universal acclaim. Teyana Taylor and A.V. Rockwell (1).jpg
Rockwell (right) and actress Teyana Taylor promote A Thousand and One . The film received universal acclaim.

In 2023, Rockwell made her feature debut with A Thousand and One , starring Teyana Taylor and set in Harlem, New York, between 1994 and 2005. [14] The film debuted at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, [15] where it won the Grand Jury Prize. [16] She has cited Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee as influences, as well as the films Goodfellas , Crooklyn , Do the Right Thing , Who Framed Roger Rabbit , Z , The Battle of Algiers , and Seven Beauties . [17]

Over her career, Rockwell has been named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film, was a 2018 Young Guns award winner, [11] and has received fellowships from the Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute and the John S. Guggenheim Foundation. [18] She won the Breakthrough Director Award at the 2023 Gotham Awards for her work in her feature film directorial debut A Thousand and One . [19]

Filmography

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotes
2016The GospelYesYesNoShort film
2018FeathersYesYesYesShort film
2023 A Thousand and One YesYesExecutiveFeature directorial debut

Accolades

AssociationYearWorkCategoryResultRef.
African-American Film Critics Association 2024A Thousand and OneBest Independent FeatureWon [20]
Astra Film Awards 2024 A Thousand and OneBest First FeatureNominated [21]
Austin Film Critics Association 2023 A Thousand and OneBest First FilmNominated [22]
Black Film Critics Circle2023HerselfRising Star AwardWon [23]
Black Reel Awards 2024 A Thousand and One Outstanding Independent Film Won [24]
Outstanding Director Nominated
Outstanding Emerging Director Nominated
Outstanding Screenplay Nominated
Outstanding First Screenplay Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association 2023 A Thousand and OneBreakthrough FilmmakerNominated [25]
Clio Awards 2017Alicia Keys: The GospelMusic - Film Long Form: Music Marketingsilver [8]
Directors Guild of America Awards 2024 A Thousand and One Outstanding Directing – First-Time Feature Film Nominated [26]
Florida Film Critics Circle 2023 A Thousand and OneBest First FilmRunner-up [27]
Gotham Independent Film Awards 2023 A Thousand and One Best Feature Nominated [28]
Breakthrough Director Won
Hamptons International Film Festival 2018FeathersBest Narrative ShortNominated [29]
Independent Spirit Awards 2024 A Thousand and One Best First Feature Won [30]
NAACP Image Awards 2024 A Thousand and OneOutstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture)Nominated [31]
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture Nominated
Online Film Critics Society 2024 A Thousand and OneBest Debut FeatureNominated [32]
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2023 A Thousand and OneBest First Feature (Director)Nominated [33]
Sundance Film Festival 2019 FeathersShort Film Grand Jury PrizeNominated
2023 A Thousand and One Grand Jury Prize — U.S. Dramatic Won [34]
Toronto International Film Festival 2019 FeathersShort Cuts AwardNominated [35]
Tribeca Festival 2016Alicia Keys: The GospelBest Narrative ShortNominated [36]

References

  1. ↑ Staff, Shadow and Act. "Get to Know A.V. Rockwell: Filmmaker Tells S&A About Dark Elements of Her 'Open City Mixtape' Shorts". Shadow and Act. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  2. 1 2 Dargis, Manohla (March 30, 2023). "'A Thousand and One' Review: A New York Love Story". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  3. ↑ Antrim, Taylor (March 31, 2023). "'A Thousand and One' Director A.V. Rockwell on Her Heartbreaking New Film". Vogue . Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Six Films that Inspire A.V. Rockwell '12". tisch.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  5. ↑ Anderson, Tre’vell (September 9, 2018). "A.V. Rockwell on her short film 'Feathers' and why 'the land of the free' isn't free for all". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  6. ↑ Oretsky, Meghan (2017-02-23). "A.V. Rockwell celebrates NYC's many colors in black and white". Vimeo Blog. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  7. ↑ Petrarca, Emilia (October 28, 2016). "A.V. Rockwell, Young Filmmaker and Alicia Keys Collaborator, Just Won an $80,000 Prize from Chanel". W Magazine . Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Clio Music Winners - A.V. Rockwell". Clio Awards . Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  9. ↑ Alexander, Sonya (31 March 2023). "Telling a Multi-Layered Urban Drama: A.V. Rockwell Discusses Her First Feature 'A Thousand and One'". Script University. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  10. ↑ "SCREENINGS". FEATHERS | A SHORT FILM BY A.V. ROCKWELL. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  11. 1 2 "A.V. Rockwell". Free The Bid. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  12. ↑ McNary, Dave (2019-03-19). "Film News Roundup: Fox Searchlight Launches Searchlight Shorts". Variety. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  13. ↑ "A Thousand and One". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  14. ↑ "How A.V. Rockwell's A Thousand and One Pays Homage to A Forgotten NYC and Its Most Vulnerable Citizens" . Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  15. ↑ Sciences, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and. "A.V. Rockwell on Writing a Love Letter to Black Women With 'A Thousand and One' (Exclusive)". A.frame. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  16. ↑ Sciences, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and. "All the Winners of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival Awards". A.frame. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  17. ↑ "A.V. Rockwell breaks down her Sundance winner 'A Thousand and One,' now in theaters". WTOP News. 2023-03-31. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  18. ↑ McNary, Dave (2020-12-02). "Focus Features Backs A.V. Rockwell's Directorial Debut 'A Thousand and One'". Variety. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  19. ↑ Pedersen, Jill Goldsmith, Erik; Goldsmith, Jill; Pedersen, Erik (2023-11-28). "Gotham Awards: 'Past Lives' Wins Best Feature – Full Winners List". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-11-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. ↑ Zee, Michaela (February 21, 2024). "African American Film Critics Association Awards: 'American Fiction,' 'The Color Purple' and 'Origin' Nab Top Honors". Variety . Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  21. ↑ Feinberg, Scott (January 7, 2023). "Astra Film Awards: 'Barbie' Wins Eight Awards, Including Best Picture". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  22. ↑ Whittaker, Richard (January 10, 2024). "Austin Film Critics Association Calls 'Killers of the Flower Moon' Top Film of 2023". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  23. ↑ Complex, Valerie (December 20, 2023). "Black Film Critics Circle Winners: 'American Fiction' Takes Home Top Honors". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  24. ↑ Complex, Valerie (December 15, 2023). "Black Reel Awards Nominations: 'The Color Purple' and 'Rustin' Dominate". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  25. ↑ Jevens, Darel (December 12, 2023). "Chicago critics name 'Killers of the Flower Moon' the year's Best Film". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  26. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (January 10, 2024). "DGA Awards Film Nominations: Gerwig, Nolan, Scorsese, Lanthimos & Payne". Deadline. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  27. ↑ Neglia, Matt (December 21, 2023). "The 2023 Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  28. ↑ Davis, Clayton; Lang, Brent (October 24, 2023). "Gotham Awards Nominations: All of Us Strangers Leads with Four Nominations". Variety . Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  29. ↑ Evans, Greg (September 17, 2018). "Hamptons Fest Sets 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?', 'The Favourite' As Centerpieces; Full Line-Up Announced". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  30. ↑ Lang, Brent; Moreau, Jordan (December 5, 2023). "Spirit Awards 2024 Nominations List: 'Past Lives', 'May December', 'American Fiction' Lead with 5 Noms Each". Variety . Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  31. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (January 25, 2024). "Colman Domingo, Keke Palmer, Ayo Edebiri, Victoria Monét Lead NAACP Image Awards Nominations". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  32. ↑ "OFCS Presents: 27th Annual Nominations for 2023" (Press release). Online Film Critics Society. January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  33. ↑ Neglia, Matt (December 19, 2023). "The 2023 San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  34. ↑ "2023 Sundance Film Festival Announces Lineup of 99 Feature Films - sundance.org". 2022-12-07. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  35. ↑ "TIFF Announces Midnight Madness and Documentary Slates, Including 'Halloween' and 'Fahrenheit 11/9' World Premieres". IndieWire. 9 August 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  36. ↑ "Tribeca 2016 Announces Lineups for Competition Programs (US Narrative, International Narrative, World Documentary) & Viewpoints". Tribeca Festival . Retrieved February 21, 2024.
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