Amidst the many snubs during this awards season, it’s important to clarify why other directors apart from the typical Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard actually exist in the industry. Specifically, women in the film industry whose movies are praised for everything BUT their direction. The main problem? We barely know about them. So, here are some of the women in the film industry you should know about.
Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Bigelow, academy award winning director for The Hurt Locker (beating her ex-husband’s film that year, Avatar), is one of the few female directors nominated for an academy award. And, to this day, has been the only woman to have won the Academy Award for Best Director. Her films include Point Break (1991), The Hurt Locker (2008) and Zero Dark Thirty (2012).
Greta Gerwig
Greta Gerwig is the director and writer of the highly critically acclaimed film of 2017, Lady Bird. For someone who’s just made her directorial debut, she’s done pretty well: this week, she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Director and could very well be on the road to further open the male-dominated category to other women in the industry!
Dee Rees
Dee Rees is the incredible director of yet another critically acclaimed film of 2017, Mudbound. This period drama depicts the racial tensions in rural Mississippi during World War II era. Rees’ previous work include Pariah (2011) and Bessie (2015). You can also enjoy Mudbound on Netflix!
Rachel Morrison
Rachel Morrison, badass LGBTQ+ cinematographer of films such as Cake, Mudbound and the upcoming Marvel film Black Panther. This week, Morrison made history with her Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography for her work on Mudbound. Her cinematic vision shines through different styles seen in the dark and gritty shots of Mudbound and the poppy, brilliant visuals of Black Panther. My bets are on her side with that Oscar nom!
Ava Duvernay
The definition of black girl magic, Ava Duvernay is an icon living. Not only is she one of the directors wrongfully snubbed for an Oscar nomination at #oscarssowhite 2015 for her incredible film Selma (2014), but is also a vocal activist for women in the filmmaking industry and strives for representation in her films. Catch her latest film, Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time (2018), in theaters this year.
Patty Jenkins
Last, but certainly not least, is the iconic Patty Jenkins. Known for the widely successful films Monster (2003) and Wonder Woman (2017), Jenkins is a force to be reckoned with. Boasting not only a successful repertoire but also a masters degree in directing from the American Film Institute. Patty Jenkins is truly the role model little girls who wanna make movies can look up to and study to be one of the greats.
May these women inspire us, may they forge the way for more women to bring to light new stories and perspectives in film, and may we never forget any of them.