Throughout the history of cinema, only nine women have been nominated for the Oscar for Best Director, and three of them have won: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker, Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog, and Chloé Zhao for Nomadland.
Women now represent an equal share in the film industry, yet it remains puzzling why many actively involved in major projects are overlooked for top awards.
For instance, when the 2024 Oscars nominations were announced, only one woman was nominated for Best Director: Justine Triet for Anatomy of a Fall.
And this doesn’t just happen at the Oscars, when Natalie Portman hosted Golden Globes in 2018, she had already thrown some shade saying: “And here are the all male nominees”.
Despite this, women continue to make significant contributions both on and off the screen. Greta Gerwig’s successful film Barbie dominated theaters last year, and Celine Song’s Past Lives was highly impactful, earning nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the 2024 Oscars.
MEET SOME OF THE WOMEN WHO HAVE MADE A MARK IN CINEMA:
Justine Triet
Justine Triet is the director and screenwriter of Anatomy of a Fall, one of the most talked-about films of 2023. A graduate of Fine Arts from the École Nationale Supérieure in Paris, Triet began her directorial career in 2007 with the short film Sur Place.
She is the eighth woman in history to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Director and the third to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Known for infusing her films with political and social perspectives, Triet has achieved international fame with her latest feature.
MIRA NAIR
Before becoming a filmmaker, Mira Nair was interested in acting and performed in plays written by Bengali playwright Badal Sarkar. She is an Indian-American director who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language with Salaam Bombay!.
Nair also owns Mirabai Films, a production company that focuses on Indian society for international audiences. Her notable films include Mississippi Masala, The Namesake, and the Golden Lion-winning Monsoon Wedding.
CATHY YAN
Cathy Y. Yan is a Chinese-born American film director, screenwriter, and producer. She began her career with her debut feature Dead Pigs, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won a Special Jury Prize.
Before becoming a writer and director, Yan worked as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal in New York, Hong Kong, and Beijing. In the cinematic world, Yan directed the DC Extended Universe film Birds of Prey, starring Margot Robbie.
KATHRYN BIGELOW
Kathryn Bigelow, an American director, producer, and screenwriter born in California, was the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director for The Hurt Locker (2008), a war thriller about an Iraq War Explosive Ordnance Disposal team.
Known for her stunning visuals and gripping action sequences, Bigelow has worked on several acclaimed films, including Near Dark, Strange Days, and The Weight of Water. She is truly a trailblazer in the industry.
SOFIA COPPOLA
Sofia Coppola may be recognized as part of a film dynasty, being the daughter of renowned director Francis Ford Coppola, but she stands out on her own merit. In 1999, she made her directorial debut with The Virgin Suicides.
Her second film, Lost in Translation, earned Sofia four Oscars nominations, making her the third woman ever nominated for Best Director. Although she did not win Best Director, she received the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Her recent film Priscilla offers a central perspective on the life of Priscilla Presley.
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The article above was edited by Beatriz Imagure.
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