On 31 January, The Guardian published an article titled “Why are there so few female filmmakers?” Less than a month later, Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win the director’s prize at the 62nd Directors’ Guild of America Awards. Then, in March, she repeated that feat at the 82nd Oscars, where only three women (Lina Wertmüller, Jane Campion and Sofia Coppola) have previously even been nominated. Although membership of the Academy remains secret, it’s probably fair to assume that it’s disproportionatly male. What is known is that, when it was founded in 1927, there were 33 male members and three females (Mary Pickford, Jeanie MacPherson and Bess Meredyth) – or 8%.
The money-makers: Vicky Jenson, Nancy Meyers, Catherine Hardwicke, Anne Fletcher and Phyllida Lloyd
Although women make up a large percentage of directing students enrolled in film schools, as of 2008, they made up only 9% of Hollywood feature directors. Of the 241 films that have grossed over $100 million in the US in the last decade, only five female directors made the list, Vicky Jenson, Nancy Meyers, Catherine Hardwicke, Anne Fletcher and Phyllida Lloyd. None of them enjoy the fame or recognition of most of their counterparts who appear in front of the camera.
Amoeba’s female directors with sections: Doris Wishman, Enid Baxter Blader, Johanna Vaude, Maya Deren and Su Friedrich
Here at Amoeba Hollywood, of the 97 directors with their own sections, only five are female — Doris Wishman, Enid Baxter Blader, Johanna Vaude, Maya Deren and Su Friedrich.
There are of course other female directors out there — some are responsible for some of the greatest films in film history. So in honor of Women’s History Month (and given my completist’s need to make long lists), here are a few more (click here for Female Experimental Filmmakers: A Noncomprehensive A-Z):
Anne Mungai, Cheryl Dunye, and Cindy Magara
Fanta Régina Nacro, Gurinder Chadha, and Khady Sylla
Ngozi Onwurah, Peace Anyiam-Fiberesima, and Pratibha Parmar
Safi Faye, Sarah Bouyain, and Sarah Maldoror
Ann Hui, Aparna Sen, and Byambasuren Davaa
Dalia Hager, Deepa Mehta, and Hana Makhmalbaf
Ivy Ho, Jiayin Liu, and Joan Chen
Kaori Momoi, Kinuyo Tanaka, and Lee Suk-Gyung
Mehreen Jabbar, Mira Nair, and Nadine Labaki
Naomi Kawase, Niki Karimi, and Pouran Derakhshandeh
Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, Sabiha Sumar, and Samira Makhmalbaf
Sepideh Farsi, Shamim Ara, and Shashwati Talukdar
Suma Josson, Sylvia Chang, and Tahmineh Milani
Trịnh Thị Minh Hà, Ying Ning , and Yu Li
Zero Chou
Not Pictured: Indu Krishnan, Mahin Oskouei, Mona Zandi-Haqiqi, Parisa Bakhtavar, Vidi Bilu and Yasman Malek-Nasr.
EUROPE
Agnès Jaoui, Agnès Varda, and Agnieszka Holland
Asia Argento, Beeban Kidron, Caroline Link
Catherine Breilla, Chantal Akerman, and Claire Denis
Coline Serreau, Doris Dörrie, and Elfi Mikesch
Floria Sigismondi, Germaine Dulac, and Helke Sander
Icíar Bollaín, Jacqueline Audry, and Leni Riefenstahl
Liliana Cavani, Lindy Heymann, and Lucile Hadzihalilovic
Marleen Gorris, Márta Mészáros, and Martha Fiennes
Monika Treut, Sally Potter, and Sharon Maguire
Susanne Bier, Ulrike Ottinger, and Vera Chytilová
Zana Briski
Not pictured: Birgit Hein, Christine Edzard, Helma Sanders-Brahms, Johanna Vaude, Phyllida Lloyd, Shona Auerbach (Already pictured: Lina Wertmüller)
NORTH AMERICA
Alison Maclean, Allison Anders, and Amy Heckerling
Barbara Loden, Barbara Peters, and Barbra Streisand
Betty Thomas, Christine Choy, and Colette Burson
Connie Field, Darnell Martin, and Dennie Gordon
Diane Keaton, Dianne Houston, and Dorothy Arzner
Drew Barrymore, Eisha Marjara, and Elaine May
Frances-Anne Solomon, Grace Lee, and Ida Lupino
Jamie Babbit, Jennifer Chambers Lynch, and Jennifer Jason Leigh
Jessica Yu, Joan Darling, and Joan Micklin Silver
Julie Taymor, Jürgen Vsych, and Kasi Lemmons
Kelly Reichardt, Kimberly Peirce, and Lesli Linka Glatter
Lizzie Borden, Loni Ding, and Louise Alaimo
Madonna, Maggie Greenwald, and Maria Maggenti
Mary Lambert, Maya Angelou, and Maya Santos
Melissa Yu, Mimi Leder, and Miranda July
Nicole Holofcener, Nisha Ganatra, and Nnegest Likké
Nora Ephron, Patricia Rozema, and Patty Jenkins
Sarah Polley, Scarlet Perez, and Shirley Clarke
Tamara Jenkins, Tiffany Huang, and Tita Poe
Valerie Faris, Zahra Dowlatabadi, and Zoe Cassavetes
Not pictured: Caroline Thompson, Hilary Birmingham, Judy Smith, Karen Arthur, Kate Davis, Monika Treut, and Yunah Hong
(Already pictured: Anne Fletcher, Catherine Hardwicke, Doris Wishman, Enid Baxter Blader, Katherine Bigelow, Martha Coolidge, Maya Deren, Nancy Meyers, Sofia Coppola, Su Friedrich and Vicky Jenson)
OCEANIA
Cate Shortland, Gillian Armstrong, and Jocelyn Moorhouse
(already pictured: Jane Campion)
SOUTH AMERICA
Carla Camurati, Eliane Caffé, and Helena Solberg
Lúcia Murat, Lucrecia Martel, and Nelly Kaplan
Sandra Kogut, Suzana Amaral, and Tata Amaral
Not pictured: Ana Carolina, Betse De Paula and Marta Rodríguez
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I know there are a lot more, so please hit me with some additions!
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Eric Brightwell is an adventurer, writer, rambler, explorer, cartographer, and guerrilla gardener who is always seeking writing, speaking, traveling, and art opportunities — or salaried work. He is not interested in writing advertorials, clickbait, listicles, or other 21st century variations of spam. Brightwell’s written work has appeared in Amoeblog, diaCRITICS, and KCET Departures. His work has been featured by the American Institute of Architects, the Architecture & Design Museum, the Craft & Folk Art Museum, Form Follows Function, Los Angeles County Store, Skid Row Housing Trust, and 1650 Gallery. Brightwell has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, Los Angeles Magazine, LAist, Eastsider LA, Boing Boing, Los Angeles, I’m Yours, and on Notebook on Cities and Culture. He has been a guest speaker on KCRW‘s Which Way, LA? and at Emerson College. Art prints of his maps are available from 1650 Gallery and on other products from Cal31. He is currently writing a book about Los Angeles and you can follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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