90th Oscar Nominations Make History for Female Filmmakers
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Greta Gerwig, ladies and gentlemen, has become the fifth woman to ever receive an Oscar nomination for Best Director. She joins the shamefully small group that includes Jane Campion (The Piano), Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation), Lina Wertmüller (Seven Beauties) and Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker). Bigelow is the only woman to win the Oscar for Best Director, while Campion and Coppola are the only two women to win a coveted Palme d’Or for Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival. Gerwig’s nomination comes as no surprise after the Directors Guild recognized her, making her the ninth woman ever nominated. Gerwig’s debut film Lady Bird received five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and a lead actress nomination for Saoirse Ronan, who took home the Golden Globe. You can view the full list of the 90th Academy Award nominations here.
Besides Gerwig’s well-earned nomination being a huge feat for women filmmakers, Mudbound’s Rachel Morrison also became the first woman ever to receive a nomination for cinematography. Currently, women make up only five percent of cinematographers in the film industry.