Actor-director-writer Jordan Peele, who became the first African-American screenwriter to win an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for "Get Out", says the best films in every genre are being made by black directors.
"It's a renaissance. I almost never became a director because there's such a shortage of role models. We had Spike Lee. We had John Singleton. We had the Peebleses. We had the Hughes brothers. But they felt like the exception to the rule," eonline.com quoted Peele as saying.
"I'm so proud to be a part of a time -- the beginning of a movement, where you -- where I feel like the best films in every genre are being brought to me by my fellow black directors. It's very special, and I think that goes for all areas of inclusion, but it's quite clear with the work that Ava (DuVernay) is doing, that Ryan (Coogler) is doing, F. Gary Gray, Barry (Jenkins), that this is a very special time," he added.
Peele is aware of the influence he has in the entertainment industry.
"When the nominations came out, I had this amazing feeling of looking at the 12-year-old that had this burning in my guts for this type of validation... I instantly realised that an award like this is much bigger than me. This is about paying it forward to the young people who might not believe that they could achieve the highest honour in whatever craft they want to push toward."
"Get Out", a horror film centred on an inter-racial relationship between a black American man and his white partner, was a satire on racism and it was critically lauded.
After his Oscar win, Peele tweeted: "When Whoopi Goldberg won her Oscar for 'Ghost', she practically reached through my TV screen and told young me to follow my dreams. I did, and it worked. Thanks Whoopi."
His film will soon premiere on the small screen in India on Sony PIX.
--IANS
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