To many, Ava DuVernay seemed to come out of nowhere last year with the Oscar-nominated film Selma, her powerful and incredibly timely look at Martin Luther King, Jr.’s efforts to secure voting rights for black people in 1965. DuVernay was a rarity in two distinct ways: she’s a woman filmmaker, and she’s a black woman filmmaker. Taking Hollywood by storm, DuVernay ascended to the movie industry’s first-tier seemingly overnight.

To anyone who’s even semi-knowledgeable about the independent film scene, however, her late-2014 rise was a case of “It’s about time!” rather than “Who’s that girl?” Having steadily worked in cinema’s do-it-yourself world since 2008, the Los Angeles native has long been a critical darling. Simply put, she’s paid her dues, and now she’s ready to share those seven years’ worth of stories, and then some, with New York City. This Wednesday, April 22, the Tribeca Talks Directors Series will welcome DuVernay for an hour-long conversation with prolific rapper/actor Q-Tip, inside the SVA Theater.

Expect a thought-provoking and wide-ranging chat, covering, among other topics, DuVernay’s trials and tribulations navigating the film industry as a black woman and the impact Selma had on viewers seeing it in a post-Ferguson America.

To buy tickets to this can’t-miss event, visit the official page here.