Summary
- The 2024 Oscars have set a record for women filmmakers, with three movies directed by women competing in the Best Picture category.
- This is the first time in the Oscars’ 96-year history that three films directed by women have been nominated for one of the biggest awards.
- While this milestone is a step forward, it took 96 years to happen and shows that the Oscars still have a long way to go in terms of inclusivity.
This year’s Oscars nominations have broken several records among the event’s many categories, but one in particular might have taken too long. The 2024 Oscar nominations broke a few notable records, such as Martin Scorsese being the most nominated director ever, Robert De Niro having the longest gap between nominations, or Steven Spielberg becoming the person with the most individual Best Picture nominations. However, the 2024 Oscars are very special regarding records for women.
In a year in which Barbie, a movie directed by a woman reflecting on patriarchal culture, has been the biggest hit, the Oscars 2024 nominations have certainly reflected some interesting things. Emma Stone became the second woman after Frances McDormand to receive nominations for Best Actress and Best Picture in the same year, Greta Gerwig has set a personal milestone with all her individually directed films receiving a Best Picture nomination, and Justine Triet became the first French female director to get a Best Director nomination. However, some shocking records regarding the 2024 Best Picture category reflect something different.
The 2024 Oscars’ Best Picture Nominees Set A Record For Women Filmmakers After 96 Years
The 2024 Oscars’ Best Picture category includes Celine Song’s Past Lives, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, and Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, making it the first time in the entire Oscars’ 96-year history that there are three movies directed by women competing for one of the biggest awards. Additionally, it is the fifth consecutive year that the category includes at least one film directed by a female director. Before this year, on only four occasions, the Best Picture category contained two films directed by women.
Of the three movies created by women in the Best Picture category, only Justine Triet is nominated for Best Director.
2010 was the first time two movies directed by women were nominated for Best Picture when Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker, which ended up winning, and Lone Scherfig’s An Education were nominated. Additionally, this also happened in 2011 with Lisa Chodolenko’s The Kids Are All Right and Debra Granik’s Winter’s Bone, in 2021 with Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland (another winner) and Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman, and in 2022 with Siân Heder’s CODA and the Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog. Coincidentally, this was possible only after the number of nominees changed from 5 to 10 in 2010.
This Best Picture Milestone Took Too Long (& Proves The Oscars Still Need To Do Better)
Although this record sort of makes amends for women in the industry after what happened with Greta Gerwig’s snub in the 2024 Oscar nominations, it is still not enough. In the first place, three films are less than half of the total. Secondly, the fact that it took 96 years to happen and that a change in the number of nominees was needed to accomplish it speaks of how much is still to be done. The Oscars need to do better, not only regarding women’s recognition outside acting categories but also in becoming more inclusive in a general way.
Oscars
- Dates
- March 10, 2024
- Location
- Los Angeles, CA
