Indie filmmakers who are women and directors from the global majority will now have access to a new level of audience — literally.
Ava DuVernay’s distribution vehicle Array Releasing has partnered with JetBlue to launch a pop-up in-flight channel that will screen a dozen Array features.
“Over the years, I’ve experienced transformative moments by watching films while flying. Something about the intimacy of being in the air as stories unfold has always appealed to me,” DuVernay said in a statement. “We launched Array Releasing in 2011 as a way to connect audiences with indie cinema made by underrepresented filmmakers. Our hope is that JetBlue travelers will sit back and enjoy the magic of these films, exploring new visions and new voices while in the majesty of mid-air.”
Available starting today Thursday, each film will be preceded by a short video featuring DuVernay giving viewers a tour of both Array’s campus in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown neighborhood as well as the arts and social impact collective’s various divisions.
“At JetBlue, we believe that to inspire humanity means you must be inclusive of all humanity, which is why we are honored to partner with Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing to debut an all-new category of diverse, independent feature films,” Mariya Stoyanova, JetBlue’s director of product development, said in a statement. “We are excited to continue to use our library of in-flight entertainment as a discovery platform to share and showcase the important voices and stories these films champion.”
The deal marks the first in-flight partnership for Array Releasing, which has acquired and distributed more than 40 indies since its inception in 2011. “We are thrilled to take Array Releasing to the skies for the first time,” Array President Tilane Jones said in a statement. “With the support of the team at JetBlue, who share our commitment to showcasing inclusive stories, we proudly present 12 critically acclaimed, award-winning Array films for millions of passengers to discover while inflight.”
The dozen Array films available on JetBlue are:
Middle of Nowhere: DuVernay won Best Director at Sundance in 2012 for this chronicle of a woman’s separation from her incarcerated husband and the journey to maintain her marriage and identity amid crisis and chaos.
I Will Follow: DuVernay’s directorial debut follows a day in the life of a woman at a crossroads, and the 12 people who help her move forward into a brave new world.
Merata: Documentarian Hepi Mita examines the life and work of his mother, filmmaker and activist Merata Mita, seeking answers about her career and experiences that intertwined family life, filmmaking and activism.
The Burial of Kojo: Samuel “Blitz” Bazawule directed this tale of two brothers as seen through the eyes of a gifted young girl, transporting the audience to Ghana as well as worlds that exist between life and death.
Roll With Me: Lisa Frank’s chronicle of recovering addict and paraplegic Gabriel Cordell’s quest to become the first person to roll an unmodified wheelchair across America.
Vaya: Taking its title from a phrase spoken in South African townships meaning “to go,” director Akin Omotoso’s film weaves together a trio of stories about the lost innocence of three young South Africans who journey away from their rural homes on a train bound for Johannesburg.
Namour: In this film, directed by Heidi Saman, a valet driver for a trendy Los Angeles restaurant is caught between his dead-end job and the demands of his Arab-American immigrant family.
Ashes and Embers: Acclaimed filmmaker Haile Gerima follows a disillusioned Vietnam War veteran attempting to come to terms with his past and his current place as a Black man in America.
Ayanda: After tragedy strikes, a young woman begins a journey of self-discovery as she struggles to save her father’s car repair shop, along with her memory of him, in this film by Sara Blecher.
Out of My Hand: Takeshi Fukunaga directed this tale of a Liberian rubber plantation worker who, after suffering severe working conditions, failed unionization and corporate corruption, leaves his family for the foreign streets of New York City, where he is forced to confront his sense of isolation and belonging.
Vanishing Pearls: Nailah Jefferson’s documentary recounts the personal and professional devastation of a close-knit Gulf Coast fishing village as a generations-old community of Black fishermen pledge to fight for justice, accountability and their way of life.
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open: Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (who also wrote and directed with Kathleen Hepburn) stars as one of two Indigenous women living very different lives who are briefly brought together by desperate circumstances.
