Julie Dash, a pioneering filmmaker, made cinematic history thirty-one years ago with her groundbreaking film, Daughters of the Dust, which won the Sundance award for Best Cinematography. This remarkable achievement marked a significant milestone, as Dash became the first African American woman to have a wide theatrical release of her feature film, shattering racial and gender barriers in the process.
The significance of this accomplishment was further underscored when the Library of Congress selected both Daughters of the Dust and Dash's UCLA MFA senior thesis, Illusions, for inclusion in the National Film Registry. This prestigious honor places these two films among a select group of American films deemed worthy of preservation and protection as national treasures by the Librarian of Congress.
In addition to her impressive body of work, Dash has also made a lasting impact on the world of fashion. She recently designed two rooms for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, further solidifying her status as a visionary artist. Her design expertise was also showcased at the 2022 NYC Met Gala, where In American: An Anthology of Fashion, a collaboration with VOGUE, was featured.
