The only three ‘Best Picture’ nominees to feature solely female directors, writers and producers
In 1929, the first Academy Awards ceremony was held two years after the creation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences by MGM co-founder Louis B. Meyer. The private dinner ceremony, which took place at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, was host to 270 people, with the award-giving portion of the night lasting just 15 minutes. Since then, the Academy Awards, otherwise known as the Oscars, has become the film industry’s most anticipated night of the year.
Winning a gold statuette is a lifelong goal for some filmmakers and actors, representing the ultimate cinematic achievement. However, it is no secret that the Academy Awards possess a history of privileging nominees that look a certain way. White male filmmakers make up the majority of nominees every year, continuously marginalising women, people of colour, disabled and LGBTQ+ filmmakers. The Academy’s prioritising of hegemonic male voices reflects the film industry’s broader problem of representation and inclusion, ultimately rooted in an even more significant widespread issue of prejudice against anyone that doesn’t fit the patriarchal mould.
For example, just three women have won ‘Best Director’ in the Oscars’ almost 100-year history. Kathryn Bigelow became the first female director to scoop up the award in 2010 for The Hurt Locker. However, it took another 11 years for a woman to win again, with Chloé Zhao taking home the prize for Nomadland, also making her the first woman of colour to win. The following year, Jane Campion won the award for The Power of the Dog, suggesting that the Academy were finally starting to recognise more women directors. Yet, 2022’s nomination list proved otherwise, which featured an all-male ‘Best Director’ category.
As for ‘Best Picture’, which honours the producer, not the director, 12 women have claimed victory, all of whom share the award with other male producers. Men so highly dominate the film industry that only three films have ever been nominated for ‘Best Picture’ that contain exclusively female directors, writers and producers, and none have won.
First up is Campion’s The Piano, a beautiful period drama starring Holly Hunter as Ada, a mute woman forced into marriage with Harvey Kietal’s Alisdair, a frontiersman living in New Zealand. Campion, who also wrote the film, was nominated for ‘Best Director’, although she lost to Steven Spielberg for Schindler’s List. The Piano was produced by Jan Chapman, earning her first ‘Best Picture’ nomination. Luckily, Campion’s writing was honoured by her win for ‘Best Original Screenplay’.
Jennifer Lawrence received her first ‘Best Actress’ nomination when she was 20 years old for her role in Winter’s Bone, an overlooked ‘Best Picture’ nominee. It was produced by Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin and directed by Debra Granik, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rosellini. The pair were also nominated for ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’. The film gave Lawrence her breakthrough role, playing a young girl who searches for her father while caring for her ill mother and dealing with poverty.
Finally, Greta Gerwig’s Little Women is the third ‘Best Picture’ nominee exclusively featuring women in leading production roles. Gerwig wrote and directed the film, based on Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel, which starred Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Laura Dern, Bob Odenkirk and Timothée Chalamet. It was produced by Amy Pascal, Denise Di Novi and Robin Swicord, all of whom have enjoyed successful careers as screenwriters, directors or producers.
Although it is long overdue, we can only hope that the Academy will continue to move towards spotlighting more female creatives in the film industry in the near future. Sadly, the lack of accessibility for women to enter the film industry in the first place is the main root of the issue that can only be fixed by rigid systemic change.
