Nate Parker's blunt biographical drama "The Birth of a Nation" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, 11 days after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences came under fire for nominating only white actors for a second straight year. Parker's movie, which tells the story of Nat Turner's 1831 slave rebellion, earned a rousing standing ovation and immediate status as a front-runner for the 2017 Oscars.