Ben & Jerry's is lifting the curtain on its newest production – a partnership with Ava DuVernay. Yes, "Queen Sugar" is no longer simply a show by Ava DuVernay, it may be a moniker befitting of the award-winning director, filmmaker and TV producer herself.
Ben & Jerry's presents "Lights! Caramel! Action! directed by Ava DuVernay," featuring an ensemble cast of vanilla ice cream with salted caramel swirls, graham cracker swirls and gobs of chocolate chip cookie dough. The flavor, in both ice cream and almond milk based Non-Dairy versions, will begin shipping across the country in January 2023.
DuVernay's proceeds of Lights! Caramel! Action! will benefit her non-profit ARRAY Alliance. Through the social impact work of ARRAY Alliance, DuVernay's mission is to amplify and elevate the work of artists of color and women directors, create inclusive film sets, provide grants, mentorship and education for people from underrepresented communities who want to work in the film industry. Founded in 2011 by DuVernay, ARRAY is a Peabody Award-winning multi-platform arts and social impact collective dedicated to narrative change. The organization catalyzes its work through a quartet of mission-driven entities: the film distribution arm ARRAY Releasing, the content company ARRAY Filmworks, the programming and production hub ARRAY Creative Campus and the non-profit group ARRAY Alliance.
The Lights! Caramel! Action! flavor is no limited run! It is a full-time addition to Ben & Jerry's flavor line-up and will be featured across the United States at its franchised Scoop Shops as well as on shelves in pints at an SRP of $6.49.
DuVernay is the first African-American woman to be nominated for an Academy Award as a director in any feature category. DuVernay is currently writing, directing and producing the narrative film adaptation of Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson's bestseller "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent
