An Appendix to the list of Female Directors!

[Above: Chloe Zhao became the second woman, and first woman of colour, to win the Best Directing OSCAR in 2021. Photo credit: POOL / Reuters]

  Today is International Women's Day. Back in 2020, I celebrated this day by compiling a list of female directors, naming all the ones I could think of and giving them a shout-out in the process. It was such an exhaustive list (and so much bigger than when I previously attempted to make a list in 2015), that it gave me hope that the film industry was moving in a positive direction, and I thought I might never need to make a similar list again.

  But since then, two things have happened. Firstly, I've become aware of some more fantastic female directors, as well as meeting a few in person, and their work deserves showcasing. Secondly, in spite of the fact that women won the Best Director OSCAR in both 2021 and 2022, NO women have been nominated for that award this year - and only one was nominated for Best Director at this year's BAFTAs. 

  Some might say "maybe the men were the best directors this year?" Well, some years that might've been the case - but this year, there were some phenomenal examples of directing from women, such as Marie Kreutzer and Charlotte Wells, and I don't think all the male nominees did match the standard of their work (not to take away from the efforts of phenomenal filmmakers such as Park Chan-wook, who did a masterful job on Decision To Leave).

  So, as it seems we still need to be amplifying the voices of female directors, here's a new list of brilliant filmmakers who have come to my attention in the last three years - in addition to the 'classic' names such as Agnes Varda, Jane Campion, Maya Deren, and Sofia Coppola on my previous list.

Please note: this list is in no particular order!

1. Chloe Zhao

Chloe Zhao became a hero pretty much overnight when she became only the second woman - and the FIRST ever woman of colour - to win the Best Directing OSCAR, which she won for the beautiful road trip movie Nomadland in 2021. Her earlier work includes The Rider, Songs My Brothers Taught Me, and most recently she brought a new approach to Marvel with The Eternals.

2. Sam Taylor-Johnson

Sam Taylor-Johnson is perhaps best known for directing Fifty Shades of Grey, but before then she did the gentle John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy. I wanted to put her quite high up this list, because I forgot to include her in my last list (and nearly forgot to mention her in my 2015 attempt, as well!).

3. Emerald Fennell

Also nominated for Best Director at the 2021 OSCARs, Emerald Fennel started her career as an actor (she played Camilla Parker Bowles on The Crown), and she wrote the incredible series Killing Eve, before creating her striking directorial debut A Promising Young Woman. Her next directorial film will be Saltburn, starring Barry Keoghan and Carey Mulligan.

4. Julia Ducournau 

Julia Ducournau caused a stir with the unforgettable Titane in 2021; that film may not be for everyone, but it's impeccably made, and definitely an experience to watch! Titane won her the Palme D'or at Cannes, and she was nominated for Best Director at the BAFTAs, but criminally overlooked at the OSCARs that year. Titane features one of the best one-take scenes in recent memory.

5. Alice Lowe

Perhaps best known for her razor-sharp writing talents (she wrote and starred in the black comedy Sightseers), Alice Lowe also directed the brilliant Prevenge, and her next film, Timestalker, is in post-production now. I've chatted with Alice on Twitter a few times now, and as well as being a great filmmaker, I can attest that she's also a very lovely person!

6. Lynne Ramsay

Another director I meant to include on my previous lists, but foolishly forgot, Lynne Ramsay wrote and directed the harrowing We Need To Talk About Kevin, as well as You Were Never Really Here. She's one of the first names that springs to mind when most people are asked to list female directors, so I'm sorry for not thinking to give her a shout-out sooner!

7. Céline Sciamma 

The only reason I didn't include Céline Sciamma on my previous list was because I hadn't actually seen any of her films; I have since rectified that mistake, and I can now say that the films she makes are beautiful, emotive and poetic to watch. It blows my mind that Portrait of a Lady on Fire wasn't up for any OSCARs, or Best Director at the BAFTAs, but it was nominated for the Palme D'Or at Cannes (it also won Best Screenplay and the Queer Palm award there). Other tender, notable works of Céline's include Tomboy and Petite Maman, which I loved.

8. Lina Wuertmüller 

Lina Wuertmüller made history by becoming the first woman ever nominated for Best Director at the OSCARs - and that didn't happen until 1977!! She was nominated for her work on Seven Beauties (she lost to John G. Avildsen for Rocky), but Lina directed thirty-three films and TV movies throughout her career. She sadly died only a couple of years ago, in 2021, and I'm sorry that her inclusion on this list is posthumous.

9. Gina Prince-Bythewood

From first-nominated directors to latest-nominated directors: Gina Prince-Bythewood was the ONLY woman nominated for Best Director at this year's BAFTAs, for her work on the epic and powerful The Woman King, and she was snubbed completely by this year's OSCARs! Before The Woman King, Gina had already built up an incredible credits list, working in both films and television since the early nineties, with notable credits including Beyond the Lights, Love & Basketball, and The Secret Life Of Bees.

10.  Jennifer Kent 

Another director I've been aware of for a while, but foolishly missed off my last list! Jennifer Kent had one of the most memorable feature debuts in years, with the instant cult-favourite psychological horror film The Babadook. She followed that with the atmospheric period film The Nightingale in 2018, and mostly recently directed the (surprisingly emotional) closing episode of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, entitled The Murmuring.

11. Charlotte Wells 

One of my recent discoveries - but one which instantly impressed me beyond words. Charlotte Wells debut film Aftersun was released last year, and it was a film which spoke to so many people on so many levels, filled to brim with humanity, nostalgia, heartbreak and stunning performances. It also featured some of the cleverest framing choices I've ever seen. I don't understand why she wasn't nominated for Best Director at the BAFTAs or OSCARs, but she did win Outstanding Debut at the BAFTAs, and I can't wait to see what she does next. A mega talent.

12. Sian Heder

How does a film win Best Picture at the OSCARs when it isn't even nominated for Best Director? That's a question a few of us asked when CODA took home the biggest award in 2022. Its director (and also screenwriter) was the wonderful Sian Heder, who hopefully won't be overlooked in the future, off the back of CODA's success. Sian Heder's previous work included episodes of the fantastic television series Orange Is The New Black and GLOW.

13. Ana Lily Amirpour 

Another name I meant to include on my 2020 list! Ana Lily Amirpour became a definite 'one to watch' when she released her debut feature A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, another instant cult horror classic, and she also directed one of the most memorable episodes in series one of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (The Outside).

14. Josephine Decker

Josephine Decker is a director whose work I still need to discover properly, but Madeline's Madeline is firmly on my 'to watch' list, as it looks like a beautiful, nostalgic film, and she has a further 19 film and television credits to explore.

15. Deniz Gamze Ergüven

One of two directors from The Handmaid's Tale on this list, Deniz Gamze Ergüven first came to my attention when I saw her beautiful but cutting 2015 debut, Mustang - a film about five young girls who are gradually being paired up for marriage by their guardians. It's less Pride and Prejudice than it sounds, as the film is closer to The Virgin Suicides in tone, but it holds no punches.

16. Mia Hansen-Løve

Another director who I've been slow to learn about; I recently saw Mia Hansen-Løve's Bergman Island, a steady piece which is part naturalist relationship study, part cinephile pilgrimage, and her latest film, One Fine Morning (starring Léa Seydoux) has drawn great reviews from festivals such as Telluride, Toronto, New York and Cannes.

17. Rose Glass 

One of many filmmakers on this list who had an incredible debut, Rose Glass' Saint Maud was one of the few films that was lucky enough to make it to the big screen in 2020, and thank goodness for that, as her bold, sometimes shocking, directorial choices deserved that platform. She has another film in post-production now - Love Lies Bleeding - and I expect that'll be another one to watch!

18. Chinoye Chukwu

Till was another of the big snubs at this year's OSCARs, and it only had one nomination (Lead Actress, Danielle Deadwyler) at this year's BAFTAs - with nothing for its director, Chinoye Chukwu. As well as Till, her previous credits include AlaskaLand, Clemency, and an episode of Sorry For Your Loss, starring Elizabeth Olsen.

19. Alice Diop

With Saint Omer currently receiving rave reviews, as well as festival selections from places such as Venice and Toronto, you might want to consider rushing out to your local cinema to catch the film while it's still available to watch! Before this, Alice Diop's previous film and television credits include We and La permanence.

20. Marie Kreutzer 

Another recent discovery for me, as I only saw Marie Kreutzer's work for the first time two months ago, when I watched Corsage in a near-empty cinema; the latter fact is inconceivable, as it was an extraordinary film, and more people need to see it. Corsage takes so many creative risks, blending historical epic with a punky spirit and dashes of modern soundtrack choices, and even displaying expressionist production design at times (with the set appearing to shrink around its main subject to suggest her state of mind). It takes a director of incredible skill to juggle all those aspects and still deliver something consistent and considered for the viewer. Marie Kreutzer has that skill, and if it were up to me, she wouldn't have just been nominated for Best Director at the BAFTAs and OSCARs - she'd be winning the darn trophies!

21. Maria Shrader

As with a few of the filmmakers on this list, Maria Shrader is an actor-turned-director - which may explain some of the subtle creative decisions she made on last year's She Said, an incredibly hard-hitting film which boasted a brilliant ensemble cast. Those performances were given the space to shine (even small parts were given a platform; Samantha Morton only had one scene, but temporarily stole the whole film!), and I have to give Maria Shrader kudos for enabling her actors in this way, whilst also creating a film which was incredibly thrilling and heartbreaking for audiences to watch. Her other directorial credits include I'm Your Man and the television series Unorthodox.

22. Joanna Hogg

A director of poetically personal work, with a strong use of improvisation, and a champion of the 'Golden Aspect Ratio' within her films, Joanna Hogg is perhaps best known for her two-part The Souvenir saga, but she most recently directed The Eternal Daughter (also starring her long-term friend Tilda Swinton), and she has numerous British TV credits to her name, such as London's Burning and an Eastenders TV movie.

23. Nia DaCosta 

The most recent director to take on the iconic Candyman franchise. I'll admit that I haven't been brave enough to watch the film yet, but I will make myself at some point soon! From what I have seen, there is an incredibly fresh creative flare on display (the film's teaser trailer alone was breathtaking), as well as an ability to balance important messages along the way. Nia DaCosta's next film, The Marvels, continues the story of Captain Marvel, a fantastically feminist figure within the saga, and it's firmly on my 'to watch' list for later this year!

24. Sarah Gavron

Rocks was the 'it' film of the 2021 BAFTA awards, with six nominations - including one for its director - and a further two wins. Everyone involved in the film seemed so excited about the work they were presenting, and it was impossible to not get excited with them. Before then, Sarah Gavron had already built up a fantastic credits list over twenty years, with films including Suffragette and Brick Lane.

25. Alice Seabright

A director whose star is on the rise (multiple people have now recommended her work to me), Alice Seabright was one of the writers and directors on the deservedly-popular series Sex Education (she also wrote and directed a short film called Sex Ed!), and she recently worked as the showrunner and director on the TV series Chloe. Her short film End-O, starring the excellent Sophia Di Martino, screened at multiple BAFTA and OSCAR-qualifying festivals, and she was named as a 2019 Screen International Star of Tomorrow.

26. Prano Bailey-Bond 

One of the names on everyone's lips in 2021 and 2022, following the success of her bold, sumptuous, and beautifully-brutal debut film Censor, Prano Bailey-Bond was listed as a 'Director to Watch' by Variety in 2021, as well as being one of the 2018 Screen International Stars of Tomorrow. Her next film, Things We Lost In The Fire, is in development now - and the film world awaits it with baited breath!

27. Runyararo Mapfumo

Another of the fantastic Sex Education directors on this list, Runyararo Mapfumo was also one of twenty filmmakers to have their work funded by the original 'The Uncertain Kingdom' program, following a strong track record of short filmmaking. Runyararo Mapfumo was nominated for a BAFTA for her work on Sex Education, and was then named as one of the 2022 Screen International Stars of Tomorrow.

28. Laura Scrivano

A director who has a wonderfully generous spirit as well as heaps of talent (she's kindly taken the time to give me advice on a couple of occasions), Laura Scrivano's television work on The Lazarus Project and Wedding Season has very much brought her into the limelight, following an established career in commercials and short film productions. Her debut feature, Ring Road, was shortlisted for the Sundance Screenwriter's Lab in 2021 and was awarded early development funding by BFI NETWORK.

29. Reed Morano 

The director of the first three episodes of The Handmaid's Tale, and often credited with creating the show's signature 'look' alongside her cinematographer, Reed Morano can bring art into dystopia, and beauty into tension. She applied these skills to her feature film I Think We're Alone Now, an apocalyptic road-movie starring Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning. Before becoming a director, Reed Morano was an established cinematographer - one of the reasons she can master visuals so well in her directorial work - and she previously lensed music videos for Beyonce, including the music-video-turned-short-film Lemonade.

30. Georgia Oakley

Alongside Charlotte Wells, Georgia Oakley was another filmmaker honoured with a nomination for Outstanding Debut at this year's BAFTAs, as well as receiving a range of nominations and one award win at the BIFAs, off the back of her first feature film Blue Jean. Before then, Georgia Oakley had been steadily creating a name for herself with multiple award-winning short films, such as Little Bird (starring Imelda Staunton), and she was selected for Berlinale Talents as well a Creative England's iFeatures scheme. I was lucky enough to take part in a round table discussion with Georgia Oakley at BAFTA Guru Live a few years back, and it's wonderful to see her receiving so much praise now.

31. Sarah Polley

In a similar situation to CODA, this year's OSCAR nominations included a Best Picture nod for Women Talking, as well as one for Best Adapted Screenplay, but no Best Director nomination for Sarah Polley. As with Maria Shrader, Sarah Polley's career started in front of the camera - and she in turn has nurtured some incredible performances out of her cast in Women Talking. Her previous directorial credits include Take This Waltz and Stories We Tell. 

32. Claire McCarthy

As well as being a filmmaker, Claire McCarthy is also a fantastic artist (I recommend you check out her paintings on Instagram), and her keen eye for colour pours through into her cinematic work. This is particularly visible in her debut feature film Ophelia, starring Daisy Ridley and Clive Owen, which is as much a tribute to the John Everett Millais painting as it is to William Shakespeare. Claire McCarthy's other noteable credits include The Luminaries and The Colour Room, and she's currently working towards her second feature, The Personal History of Rachel Dupree, starring Viola Davies.

33. Frances O'Connor 

Time for a quick trio of directors who are best known for their acting work - first up, Frances O'Connor, a favourite in my household when I was growing up, due to her work in period dramas. Because of her past credits, it wasn't surprising when she decided to tackle Bronte for her debut film, with the 'biographical' Emily, which came out last year. Even if I took issue with the accuracy of the script and the characters, the film showed some interesting directorial choices and assured use of atmosphere.

34. Maggie Gyllenhaal

For Maggie Gyllenhaal's directorial debut, she also harnessed her experience in independent dramas by delivering the raw and honest film The Lost Daughter, featuring some brilliant performances from Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley and Dakota Johnson. Gyllenaal has always pursued interesting projects (such as Frank and Secretary), and although she doesn't have another feature announced at this stage, I'll be interested in seeing what she does next.

35. Elizabeth Banks

Following an acting career that predominantly included comedy titles (as well as a scene-stealing role in the Hunger Games saga), Elizabeth Banks brought her talents to the crowd-pleasing Pitch Perfect series, for which she produced every entry into the franchise, and directed one. After a an original approach to Charlies Angels fell a little flat with critics, Elizabeth Banks had a 'and now for something completely different...' moment, and directed the joyously barmy 'Cocaine Bear', which is currently being enjoyed in cinemas (at the time of writing this blog post, it's the number 3 film at the UK box office).

36. Alice Guy Blaché 

And finally, a director I should've included on this list years ago, because she was the first-known female director. Alice Guy Blaché started her career in 1896 as a secretary at Gaumont, before going on to direct a whopping 457(!) productions (at one point she was said to have averaged at turning out two films a week!), as well as founding her own production company, the Solax Film Company, with her husband in 1910. Filmmaking was a new medium at the time, but Alice Guy Blaché clearly wasted no time in embracing this technology, and I don't know why more film students aren't taught more about her pioneering work.

At the turn of the twentieth century, she made a statement which many female directors can still relate to today: "My youth, lack of experience, my sex all conspired against me." But that didn't stop her from directing 457 films!

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   So that's my main list over for another year - and if there's a director I've missed on this or either of my previous lists, who you think I should know about, please leave a comment below so we can all learn about their work!

  But before I end this post, as with my 2020 list, I want to give a shout-out to female directors I've met, worked with, or connected with personally in recent years. All of these women are grafting away making incredible work that you may not be aware of yet (you will be, soon!), and I was lucky enough to mentor three of them earlier this year:

   Katie Smith, Jo Lewis, Jo Southwell, Milda Baginskaite, Haley Muraleedharan, Emmalie El Fadli, Abbie Lucas, Jayne Slater, Cassiah Joski-Jethi, Leanne Davis, Ana Pio, Jessica Hynes, Marie Jamora, Mingyu Lin, Aella Jordan-Edge, Mari Eesmaa, Siobhan Cannon-Brownlie, Georgie Levers, and Lara Peake. You're all smashing it; happy International Women's Day to you all!

Sophie

P.s. If anyone reading this post would like to discover the work of more female directors, I recommend Mark Cousins' in-depth documentary Women Make Film as a great starting point!