6 Top Female Directors Who Changed the Film Industry

While women make up half of all film school graduates, many do not reach the success men do in the industry. Over recent years, though, women have broken barriers in the industry, winning Oscars and various awards for their work. Creating a group of trailblazers, award winners, and household names, check out these six female directors who have changed the film industry for the better.

6. Chloé Zhao

6 Top Female Directors Who Changed The Film Industry — Credit: The China Project

Our sixth selection for top female directors is Chloé Zhao, who gained international acclaim with Nomadland, which received six Oscar nominations and won Best Picture and Best Director. This placed Zhao as the second woman and the first Asian woman to earn the esteemed Best Director award. Other notable projects include Marvel’s Eternals, Songs My Brothers Taught Me, and The Rider.

5. Emerald Fennell

Appearing in front and behind the camera, Emerald Fennell earns the fifth spot for top female directors. Her directorial debut, Promising Young Woman, earned five Oscar nominations and one win for Best Original Screenplay. Fennell followed this up with Saltburn, a psychosexual comedy that stunned viewers and showed Fennell’s prowess of being a groundbreaking director. She has appeared in projects such as The Crown, Call the Midwife, and Barbie.

4. Nora Ephron

Bringing some romance into our top female directors is Nora Ephron, who was a longtime journalist before hitting the screenwriting world. Her first project, Silkwood, got Ephron her first Oscar nomination, and she never looked back. Ephron directed seven of her scripts, including When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and Julie & Julia. All of these films have been cemented in the romantic comedy genres and are still enjoyed even after Ephron’s death.

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3. Greta Gerwig

Entertainment: Oscars 96Th Academy Awards — Credit: Kevork Djansezian-USA TODAY

You may know her best for Barbie, but Greta Gerwig is one of the top female directors for so many other reasons. Gerwig has gone three for three with her work as a solo director, leading not only Barbie but Lady Bird and Little Women, too. Barbie received eight nominations at the 2024 Oscars, Little Women got six Oscar nominations and one win, and Lady Bird earned five nominations. Whatever Gerwig decides to direct next, it will surely be a smash hit, no matter what genre it is.

2. Ava DuVernay

Entertainment: Oscars 96Th Academy Awards / Female Directors — Credit: Kevork Djansezian-USA TODAY

Coming in at second on our top female directors list is Ava DuVernay, who didn’t pick up a camera until she was 32 years old. 2014 brought DuVernay her first Oscar win with Selma, a Best Picture nominee. Her documentary 13th earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature, and later, DuVernay became the first Black woman to lead a $100 million-plus live-action film with A Wrinkle in Time. She has also worked on When They See Us and Origin.

1. Jane Campion

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Last but not least on our top female directors list is Jane Campion, known as one of the greatest directors in history. Campion is one of only three women to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, the second woman given a Best Director Oscar nomination, and the first ever with multiple nominations. Notable films that Campion has been a part of include The Power of the Dog, The Piano, Bright Star, The Portrait of a Lady, and Holy Smoke!