Nomadland
Number of Female Directors Working on Top-Grossing Films Decreased in 2021
The number of female directors who worked on top-grossing films decreased in 2021, a new report by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University reveals. According to the study, women accounted for 17% of the directors of 2021’s top 250 films, down from 18% in 2020. Zeroing in on last year’s top 100, the number gets even smaller, with 12% of directors being women. In 2020, women directors comprised 16% of the year’s top 100 films. Dr. Martha Lauzen, Founder and Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, said that in light of the success of directors like Chloe Zhao and Nia DaCosta, studying the numbers was integral to gaining a more realistic understanding of women’s progress in the male-dominated film industry. ...
Chloe Zhao Becomes First Woman of Color to Win Best Director at the Oscars
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-04-26T00:59:56+00:00“>April 25, 2021 | 8:59pm ET Chloe Zhao has made Oscar history by becoming the first woman of color to ever to win Best Director. The 39-year-old Zhao, who hails from Beijing, took home the award for her stunning film Nomadland, which follows a woman (played by Frances McDormand) as she embarks on a new life as a van-dwelling nomad, traveling the American West. Zhao’s Oscar nomination alone was historic, as she was the first woman of color ever up for Best Director. In winning the award, she enters the history books alongside Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) as the only two women to win in the category. Zhao was a heavy favorite entering the night, as she had pr...
