In anticipation of Palm Springs Film Festival, Variety announced its annual "10 Directors to Watch," which honors talent that has either stood out in the recent festival circuit or whose notable films will be hitting screens in the upcoming year.
The roster represents storytellers across five continents, spanning a range of styles, genres, and languages, who are chosen based on the shared strength and originality of their voices.
Janicza was recognized for her film Zola, which is based on the viral 2015 Twitter story in which a Detroit waitress recounts her trip to Florida with a sex worker named Jessica. The tweets contain details of murder, prostitution and attempted suicide, garnering the attention of Solange Knowles, Ava DuVernay, and Missy Elliot. Rolling Stone's David Kushner published an article interviewing those involved in the story, and after David reported several inconsistencies, Zola revealed that she had embellished some details.
To read the full article in Variety, click here.
