Ava DuVernay and Ryan Coogler to attend Flint benefit instead of Oscars

Directors Ava DuVernay (Selma) and Ryan Coogler (Creed) have not officially boycotted this year’s Oscars ceremony on 28 February as a result of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy – but the pair will not be attending.
The duo, along with actor/activist Jesse Williams, comedian Hannibal Buress and singer Janelle Monáe are instead slated to participate in a concurrent free live event to raise awareness for the mostly black and impoverished residents of Flint, Michigan affected by the water crisis.
The gathering, dubbed #JUSTICEFORFLINT, is open to the public and presented by Blackout for Human Rights, an activist collective founded by Coogler which is devoted to addressing human rights violations in the US. In November, the group boycotted Black Friday by hosting a number of events in different cities across the US to protest against race-based and class-based acts of hate.
Coogler told Buzzfeed that the date of #JUSTICEFORFLINT is just a coincidence – despite the fact that he is largely considered snubbed for his work on Creed. The film’s sole Oscar nomination went to Sylvester Stallone, who is tipped to win the best supporting actor Oscar for his performance. DuVernay was similarly ignored by the Academy last year for directing Selma. Coogler stressed that #JUSTICEFORFLINT is occurring on Oscar night to coincide with the last weekend of Black History month.
“With the #JUSTICEFORFLINT benefit event we will give a voice to the members of the community who were the victims of the choices of people in power who are paid to protect them, as well as provide them with a night of entertainment, unity, and emotional healing,” Coogler said in a statement.
The event will also be live-streamed on revolt.tv – donations will be collected at the event and via text. Coogler has also invited the Flint community to share their stories with the audience.
Coogler is next set to direct Marvel’s Black Panther, while DuVernay has just been announced as the director of Disney’s big-budget adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time.