Quote by Ava DuVernay: “Your dreams are not too big. Your circle might be too small.”

The limitations placed on your ambitions are often about the people around you, not the size of what you want. Being in environments that cannot hold big dreams will make you shrink them. Finding or building a community that matches your vision is itself a strategic act.

DuVernay made this remark during interviews and speaking engagements in 2015, the year Selma received its Oscar nomination. She was speaking directly to aspiring filmmakers of color who faced structural barriers to entry in an industry that historically excluded them, arguing that the problem was systemic, not personal.

American filmmaker and the first Black woman to direct a film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, with Selma in 2015. She has used her production company ARRAY to distribute films by underrepresented filmmakers and is a persistent advocate for diversity in Hollywood.