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A. V. Rockwell (born Alina Victoria Rockwell) 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.
A.V. Rockwell's films are of New York, by New York, and for New York. Born and raised in Queens, the filmmaker studied at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and cut her teeth helming short films with titles like Gotham F—king City and El Train, exploring race, identity and systemic oppression within vignettes of the city.
A.V. Rockwell is known for A Thousand and One (2023), Feathers (2018) and The Gospel (2016).
- Director, Writer, Producer
- 3 min
- A.V. Rockwell
- Where Did Your Love For Writing and Directing Come from?
- What’s The First Play You Remember Directing?
- Who Would You Like to Collaborate with?
- Who Are The Filmmakers You’Re A Fan of?
- Movies You Love?
- What Drives Your Work as A Writer-Director?
- Tell Me About Growing Up in Jamaica Queens?
- What Matters The Most to You Outside of Work?
- Where Do You Feel The Most Creative?
- Is That Also Where You Feel The Most Yourself?
I think it was actually an evolution. Growing up I just loved to express myself creatively in all forms, directing school plays in particular. I was also involved in nonprofit performing arts programs that gave me the space to flex my creativity, and just doing performance pieces that allowed me to to guide my peers and create original creative wor...
We had this competition at a lot of the the city high schools in New York, the grades compete against each other. They give us a theme and we build off of that theme and create original works. That was so exciting for me because I worked in collaboration with my peers, but I got to lead the production as the director. That was my first real experie...
Writers. There’s so much untapped talent when it comes to writing talent. So I’m open, but I think that me taking ownership of writing, I do embrace the freedom. I have to keep doing what I’ve been doing, but with a lot more self awareness and continuing to write all the original ideas or projects that I want to adapt next. For directing, the sky’s...
The directors I’m mostly a fan or the directors I admire the most would have to be Spike Lee and Martin Scorsese. Not only did I admire them as a child but in film, amongst the filmmakers, their bodies of work were great examples for me. Even before I knew I was a filmmaker, I might not have had the language to express it, I appreciated their voice...
I love “Goodfellas” the most. I love “Casino,” “Mean Streets.” It’s amazing. There’s so many by him [Scorsese]. He continues to add, and that’s what’s important to seeing the longevity of these people and seeing them build a life’s work. I’ve gained so many new people that I’m a fan of that I didn’t have access to when I was younger. Euzhan Palcy, ...
I try to write from the heart. I try to tell stories that will heal, inform, entertain and hopefully bring people together. I try to tell stories that have some level of urgency, and that if people are experiencing them they can come out of it. As a person they can somehow see the world differently, even if it’s just how they see themselves differe...
I grew up in Jamaica Queens, New York. I appreciate where I come from. I love being able to run around St. Albans, Hollis and all these other local areas, Jamaica Avenue, my stomping grounds. That definitely shaped who I am today. In addition to being in that environment and able to appreciate it, I always loved New York as a whole. I grew up in a ...
Doing things that keep me grounded, staying connected with my friends, staying connected with my family. Working in entertainment, it can keep you in a bit of a bubble. It’s always important to me to make sure that I’m staying true to myself and really know who I am so I can appreciate all that is happening for me, but not let go of that. In my pri...
I feel the most creative at home because when I’m home I’m alone and I can concentrate, especially when I’m trying to write. I want to be my most centered. I’m trying to avoid being distracted. I need to write somewhere isolated. It really doesn’t matter where I’m at, physically, as much as having the space to be able to isolate.
Maybe. The private part of me is important to protect. I try to move through the world as myself at the same time. Of course, depending on the setting I might be a different version of myself, but I’m not hiding anything either. I don’t apologize for any part of me. I tried to really show up into every room that I had to in a way that is authentic ...
Apr 21, 2023 · A. V. Rockwell is an award-winning screenwriter and director. Named one of Filmmaker magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film,” she has been celebrated for addressing issues of race, identity, and systemic oppression with her distinctive voice.
Mar 30, 2023 · For A.V. Rockwell, A Thousand and One was the result of a lifetime of heartbreak. The movie — her debut feature — is the filmmaker's response to feeling pushed out, to being overlooked, to never seeing Black women like herself or those around her represented in the breadth of their humanity on-screen.
Mar 29, 2023 · How A.V. Rockwell's A Thousand and One Pays Homage to A Forgotten NYC and Its Most Vulnerable Citizens. The writer-director talks about creating a vibrant '90s New York and tackling issues of...
