15 Female Directors You Should Know About
I know today it feels like the film industry is entirely dominated by men, but did you know that when the film industry was just beginning, it was actually run by women? It was only when men started to realize that the film industry was worth their time that they decided to take over and push the women who started it to the sidelines. So let’s celebrate the women who continue to fight to make their voices heard in the film industry.
1. Alice Guy Blaché
You likely won’t recognize this name and you’ve certainly never seen any of her work, but Alice Guy Blaché’s influence on the film industry is immeasurable. She was the first female director and also the first director to create a narrative film. She was working in the film industry in the 1890s and made hundreds of silent films.
What to watch (not a film of hers, but a documentary about her): Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alive Guy-Blaché (Amazon)
2. Greta Gerwig
An actress turned screenwriter and director, Greta Gerwig has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for her work on Lady Bird, a movie that explores the complex relationships between a mother and daughter. She cares so much for the craft of filmmaking and the tiny details that go into it and that love comes across in every single one of her projects.
What to watch: Lady Bird (Netflix)
3. Regina King
If 2020 blessed us with one thing, it’s Regina King’s directorial debut. You know and love her from all of her acting roles, but watch One Night In Miami and you’ll find that she has so much more talent to share. One Night in Miami is an adaptation of a play and I cannot wait to see what projects she directs in the future.
What to watch: One Night in Miami (Amazon Prime)
4. Chloe Zhao
Chloe Zhao directed a film that will invite you to slow down and take a deep breath. On the surface, Nomadland is about the life of modern day nomads. But if you give this film your full attention, you will be overwhelmed with its understanding of grief and healing.
What to watch: Nomadland (Hulu)
5. Lulu Wang
2019 was an incredible year for film, partly because Lulu Wang released her film The Farewell. Based on her own personal experience, Lulu was determined to share her story her way and was firm about that the whole way through. The result is a beautiful film about family, grief, and being an Asian American woman.
What to watch: The Farewell (Amazon Prime)
6. Emerald Fennell
You hated her as Camilla Parker Bowles in the latest season of The Crown, but you’ll love her as a director. Emerald previously directed a short film, but in 2020 she directed the popular feature film Promising Young Woman. You can read more about it here.
What to watch: Promising Young Woman (Amazon)
7. Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay has a talent like no other. Her film Selma was nominated for an Academy Award and her more recent series When They See Us, about the Central Park 5, was showered in nominations and awards. She uses her voice to educate as well, particularly through her 2016 documentary 13th.
What to watch: Selma (Amazon)
8. Gina Prince-Bythewood
Gina was making her voice heard as a filmmaker back in 2000 with the iconic Love & Basketball, which she won an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay (don’t you just love when the right people get the awards recognition?) She’s also known for her work in writing and directing the 2014 drama Beyond the Lights. My favorite fact about that project is that her production team was mostly women.
What to watch: Love & Basketball (Hulu or HBO MAX)
9. Agnès Varda
Agnès Varda’s films were an important part of the French New Wave and brought a female perspective on women’s issues to the film screen. She initially was a photographer and later brought that experience to her films, always focusing on realism and always experimenting with style.
What to watch: Cléo from 5 to 7 (HBO MAX)
10. Dee Rees
Dee’s Mudbound was one of the greatest movies of 2017 and earned her a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars. This accomplishment made her the first Black woman to ever be nominated in that category. She has also shared her directing talents in the world of television. Notably, she directed many episodes of the show Empire.
What to watch: Mudbound (Netflix)
11. Lorene Scafaria
Lorene is a producer, writer, director, and actress. She notably wrote the screenplay for Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist as well as Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. Her most recent work was directing the film Hustlers, which is based on a true story about New York City strippers stealing money from the men who come to their club.
What to watch: Hustlers (Amazon)
12. Melina Matsoukas
Known for her work as a director of music videos, Melina has worked with artists like Solange, Rihanna, and Keri Hilson. She directed the music video for Beyoncé’s “Formation,” which as we all know is a true work of art. Recently, she had her directorial debut with the 2019 feature film Queen & Slim, which was written by Lena Waithe.
What to watch: Queen & Slim (HBO MAX)
13. Marielle Heller
You may recognize her face from her performance in the recent Netflix hit show The Queen’s Gambit, but she is actually a powerhouse writer and director too. Both Can You Ever Forgive Me? and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood were recognized by the Academy, but she herself was snubbed for multiple awards. She has said that becoming a mother is one of the biggest influences on how she tells stories.
What to watch: Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Amazon)
14. Mati Diop
Mati Diop is an incredibly talented director who notably was honored with the Grand Prix award at Cannes for her work in directing the film Atlantics. The Academy failed to recognize Mati’s film the same year and you can spot her name on Natalie Portman’s cape from the evening of the ceremony, among other names of female directors that were snubbed in a year where so many women directed incredible films and only men were nominated.
What to watch: Atlantics (Netflix)
15. Alma Har’el
Alma began her career as a photographer and working on live visual performances. From there, she entered the world of music videos and in 2019 she had her directorial debut with the feature film Honey Boy, which she earned an award from the Directors Guild of America for.
What to watch: Honey Boy (Amazon Prime)
Do you have a favorite female director? Share on social media and tag me @tyalexander on Instagram and @lovetyalexander on Twitter.
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