Ahead of Oscars 2025, shedding light on five women directors who deserved an Oscar nod¡ªGreta Gerwig, Celine Sciamma & more

Women directors have always struggled for recognition at the Academy despite their significant contribution to cinema. Throughout the Oscars' 96 years, only ten women have ever been nominated for their directing, with only three of them¡ªJane Campion, Chlo¨¦ Zhao, and Kathryn Bigelow¡ªwinning the award.

The Academy has often been lambasted for its issues with diversity, and while there are still miles to go, it has been taking baby steps towards change. This year, The Substance director Coralie Fargeat is up against Sean Baker (Anora), Brady Corbet (The Brutalist), James Mangold (A Complete Known), and Jacques Audiard (Emilia P¨¦rez) for the Best Director honor. This comes as a welcoming change, especially after Greta Gerwig was snubbed in the category despite her groundbreaking film Barbie's critical as well as box office acclaim.

Ahead of the Oscars 2025, let's take a look at five women directors who were snubbed of nominations.

Celine Sciamma¡ªPortrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

French screenwriter and film director Celine Sciamma's filmography has played a pivotal role in representing the female gaze in cinema. Her 2019 masterpiece, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, earned widespread acclaim for its unapologetic portrayal of female desires.

Set in 18th-century France, the film follows a talented painter named Marianne who is hired to create a wedding portrait of H¨¦lo?se, a young woman fresh out of the convent. However, H¨¦lo?se is far from thrilled about her impending nuptials and refuses to sit for the portrait. Following this, Marianne comes up with a clever plan: she observes H¨¦lo?se during the day, then secretly paints her at night.

Despite Portrait of a Lady on Fire garnering rave reviews, Celine Sciamma's exceptional direction was surprisingly overlooked by the Academy.

Greta Gerwig¡ªLady Bird (2017)

If you thought Barbie was Greta Gerwig's only snub at the Oscars, let us tell you that she's seen this film before. The director, known for telling compelling women's stories, received widespread praise for her coming-of-age film Lady Bird, starring Saoirse Ronan, and while it was nominated in several categories, Greta was not recognized in the Best Director category.

The film follows the story of Lady Bird, a fiery and determined teenager living in Sacramento, California, who yearns to break free from the constraints of her hometown and complicated family life.

Mary Harron¡ªAmerican Psycho (2000)

Mary Harron's American Psycho, starring Christian Bale, is a satirical take on 1980s yuppie culture, tackling themes of identity, isolation, violence, consumerism, and materialism.

With its bold commentary, the film has become a beloved classic among cinephiles, making Harron's omission from the Best Director nominations a notable snub.

Cheryl Dunye¡ªThe Watermelon Woman (1996)

The 1990s was a defining era for LGBT+ representation, introducing "New Queer Cinema." At the forefront of this historic movement was Cheryl Dunye, who made history as the first Black lesbian to direct a feature film. Her film, The Watermelon Woman, explored the untold stories of Black women and lesbians in cinema.

In the film, Dunye herself featured as the protagonist, Cheryl, an aspiring lesbian filmmaker searching for inspiration in the past. This landmark film paved the way for future generations of queer filmmakers. However, Dunye's snub from the Best Director category at the Academy is still panned by movie critics.

Lynne Ramsay¡ªYou Were Never Really Here (2017)

Lynne Ramsay's You Were Never Really Here adapted Martin Scorsese's 1976 film Taxi Driver, a violent tale of corruption, revenge, and vigilantism, for the modern era. The film featured Joaquin Phoenix as a mercenary hired by a politician to rescue his daughter from a human trafficking network.

Although the film garnered widespread critical acclaim, Ramsay's notable absence from the Best Director category remains a shocking snub.

Aside from the aforementioned names, which women directors, according to you, deserved an Oscar nod? Let us know.

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