There have only been 9 women nominated for Best Director at the Oscars since the first Academy Awards in 1929.
On January 23rd, Coralie Fargeat became that 9th woman nominated for Best Director for The Substance, starring Demi Moore. Her story of a woman’s twisted journey to finally seeing herself in a world that makes you feel disposable, was unique and jarring. And while that will be celebrated as we head towards the 97th Oscars, it’s a firm reminder that we still have work to do.
According to a 2023 Annenberg Inclusion Initiative survey of “Inclusion in the Director’s Chair” from Stacy L. Smith, over the past 17 years, just 6 percent of the 1,769 directors behind the 1,700-movie sample were women. The study also examined race/ethnicity and found no significant improvement for inclusion of directors of color, which was 22.4 percent in 2023 and 15.7 percent across the past 17 years, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
So as you celebrate the 9 women below, please share their work with your friends, families, and colleagues. At the same time, make sure to invest a little more in diversifying your movie choices. Because while there might not be many women being nominated for big categories like Best Directing at the Oscars, women directors are everywhere. They’re just waiting for you to give them a chance.
1. Coralie Fargeat for The Substance in 2025
Bio: Coralie Fargeat is a director and writer known for other other films such as the 2017 film Revenge and the 2014 short film Reality+. Born in Paris, France, her work focuses on gender, perceptions, sensory experiences, and the ruthless of the human experience.
When speaking to Euronews about The Substance, Fargeat said, “We should let women do whatever they want with their bodies! They should be able to use it the way they want. Be sexy if they want to be. Choose not to be sexy if they don’t want to be. Cover it, not cover it, do whatever the f**k they want! The fact that we are still so much commenting it, criticizing it, scrutinizing it, restricting it… It’s the whole thing for me that we have to blow out.
MORE: Loved Coralie’s work? Read our review for The Substance.
2. Justine Triet for Anatomy of a Fall in 2024
Justine Triet is a director, writer, and editor known for directing movies like the 2019 film Sibyl, the 2016 film Victoria, and the 2013 film Age of Panic. Born in Fécamp, Seine-Maritime, France, her work focuses on individuality, group consciousness, moral dilemmas, and family.
When speaking to Deadline about Anatomy of a Fall, Triet spoke about the multiple Oscar nominations the film received and said, “It’s so beautiful and it means a lot, of course. It means that when a movie touches somebody. It can overcome everything, so it’s a really beautiful story for Anatomy of a Fall.“
Triet won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay but not for Directing.
3. Chloé Zhao for Nomadland in 2021
Chloé Zhao is a director, screenwriter, and producer known for directing movies like the 2021 film Eternals, the 2017 film The Rider, and the upcoming film Hamnet. Born in Beijing, China, her work focuses on self-discovery, uncovering truths, and the human experience. She’s the first Asian woman to be nominated for and win the Oscar for Directing. And she’s also the first woman of color ever nominated and win in that category.
During her acceptance speech at the Academy Awards, Zhao said, “This is for anyone who has the faith and courage to hold on to the goodness in themselves and to hold onto the goodness in each other.”
Summary: Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad.
4. Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Women in 2021
Emerald Fennell is a director, writer, and actress known for directing movies like the 2023 film Saltburn and the upcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation. She was also a producer on Killing Eve. Born in London, England, her work focuses on gender issues, revenge, and social class.
Fennell won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay but not for Directing. During her acceptance speech, Fennell said, “They said write a speech, and I didn’t cause I just didn’t think this would ever happen.”
5. Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird in 2018
Greta Gerwig is a director, writer, and actress known for directing movies like the 2023 film Barbie and the 2019 film Little Women. Born in Sacramento, California, her work focuses on coming-of-age themes, vulnerabilities, and often has memorable dialogue.
When speaking to Entertainment Weekly about the Lady Bird nomination, Gerwig said, “I’ve been in various states of laughing and crying and yelling with joy, and you’re the next person I’m doing that to!”
6. Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker in 2010
Kathryn Bigelow is a director, producer, and painter known for directing movies like first woman to win an academy award for best director the 2012 film Zero Dark Thirty and the 2017 film Detroit. Born in San Carlos, California, her work focuses on social issues, violence, and throwing the viewer right in.
Bigelow is the first woman to win an Oscar for Directing. The same year she also won an Oscar for Best Motion Picture for the same movie. And during her acceptance speech, Bigelow said, “There’s no other way to describe it, it’s the moment of a lifetime.”
7. Sofia Coppola for Lost in Translation in 2004
Sofia Coppola is a director, writer, and actress known for directing films like the 1999 film The Virgin Suicides and the 2023 film Priscilla. Born in New York City, New York, her work focuses on the experiences of women, isolation, and universal struggles.
Coppola is the first woman to be nominated for an Oscar in directing, writing, and producing in the same year. She didn’t win for Directing but she did win for Best Original Screenplay. And during her acceptance speech Coppola thanked her father Francis Ford Coppola, her brother Roman Coppola, and “the filmmakers whose movies inspired me when I was writing this script.”
8. Jane Campion for The Piano in 1994 & The Power of the Dog in 2022
Jane Campion is a director, writer, and producer known for directing films like the 2009 film Bright Star and the 1999 film Holy Smoke. Born in Wellington, New Zealand, her work focuses on intimacy, the contradictory experiences of women, and social conventions.
Campion didn’t win the Oscar for Directing for The Piano but she did win for Best Original Screenplay. In 2022 she did win for Directing for The Power of the Dog. And during that acceptance speech, Campion said, “I love directing because it’s a deep dive into story, yet the task of manifesting a world can be overwhelming. The sweet thing is I’m not alone. On The Power of the Dog I worked with actors I’m moved to call my friends. They met the challenge of the story with the depth of their gifts.”
9. Lina Wertmüller for Seven Beauties in 1977
Lina Wertmüller is a director and writer known for directing films like the 1974 film Swept Away and the 1985 film Carmona. Born in Rome, Lazio, Italy, her work focuses on sexism, racism, and political and social issues.
Wertmüller is the first woman to be nominated for an Oscar for Directing. In the same year she was nominated for Best Original Screenplay. And when speaking to Variety, Wertmüller reflected on the nomination and said, “Someone told me that news reports were trumpeting the nomination as though it were a historic event. Actually, in hindsight, it was, especially for women all over the world. To this day I get thank-you letters from directors who say they have been inspired by my experience.”
Tune in to the 97th Oscars at the new time of 7:00pm EDT / 4:00pm PDT / 11:00pm GMT / 7:00am CST.
What other women directors do you think deserve an Oscar nomination? Let us know in the comments below!
Photo Credits: WikiCommons images of Justine Triet Cannes Film Festival by Canal22, Coralie Fargeat at 2024 Cannes Film Festival by Kevin Payravi, and Chloe Zhao at San Diego Comic Con by Gage Skidmore.
