Since 1896, when Alice Guy-Blancé was the first woman to direct a film, women film directors have been greatly underappreciated. Women have been crucial to the film industry since its early days. Production and writing were seen as “male” jobs in the early 20th century. Apart from actresses, valuable women working behind the screen tend to be forgotten. 

When researching the “best directors of all time,” endless rows of men pop up on the screen. Even when I think of amazing directors off the top of my head, I remember names like Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsce and Steven Spielberg. While these are some influential names who have transformed the film industry, women who worked alongside them to produce award-winning films are glanced over. 

Even though improvements have been made since the beginning, women are still constantly forgotten when it comes to being recognized for their work. Only two women have ever won an Oscar for “Best Director:” Kathryn Bigelow in 2009 and Chloe Zhao in 2021. Last year marked the first year multiple women were nominated for the award. So while changes are happening, women don’t have nearly the attention men have in the industry.

For the remainder of the 2022 spring semester, I hope to reiterate the importance of women in the film industry. In this blog, each post will highlight a woman who has helped shape the film industry in some way. As someone who hopes to work in film in some capacity in the near future, I hope to become educated on some important women in the industry and spread that unspoken knowledge to others.