Notable black filmmakers who changed Hollywood forever

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.

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.

Barry Jenkins - Barry Jenkins directed two short films before debuting the critically acclaimed 'Medicine for Melancholy' in 2008.

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.

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.

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.'

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.

Antoine Fuqua - Antoine Fuqua got his start in the industry directing music videos for artists such as Toni Braxton, Prince, and Stevie Wonder.

Carl Franklin - Carl Franklin is an American actor and filmmaker who made his directorial breakthrough with the crime drama 'One False Move' (1992).

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.'

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.

Haile Gerima - The Ethiopian filmmaker has received wide international acclaim for his films 'Ashes and Embers' (1982) and 'Sankofa' (1993).

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).

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.