All the Female Directors You Should Be Watching

Miranda Parkinson

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This year’s Golden Globes was memorable for many reasons – Daniel Kaluuya’s microphone being muted during his acceptance speech, Mank director David Fincher continually downing shots, and Sarah Paulson and Emma Corrin showing an adoring Olivia Colman their pets all grabbed the audience’s attention – but it made history when Chloé Zhao took home Best Director for Nomadland.

It’s the second time ever that the award has been won by a woman, with Barbra Stresiand’s Yentl (1983) being the first. Clearly, this was a moment long overdue. With her next film – Marvel’s highly anticipated Eternals – sure to be a box-office smash, Zhao is a director to watch.

Here are five more female directors that you should be keeping an eye on – and all the upcoming projects they’re set to delight us with.

Regina King

Zhao’s win may have been historic but so was the line-up, with Regina King and Emerald Fennell’s directorial debuts also in the running for Best Director. While King’s One Night in Miami missed out on a Globes win, it’s a powerhouse of a film – and one that’s tipped to do well at the Oscars.

”King has directed many a television episode in her time.”

Based on a play, it is a fictionalised account of a real meeting between icons Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown over – you guessed it – one night. King has directed many a television episode in her time from thrillers like Scandal to comedies like Shameless, and the experience has clearly paid off. Whatever she turns her hand to next, we’ll be watching!

Emerald Fennell

You might recognise Emerald Fennell for her portrayal of Camilla Parker Bowles in The Crown, or as the red-headed Patsy from Call The Midwife, but she’s been equally busy behind the camera. She was head writer on Killing Eve season two, has started penning a Cinderella musical with Andrew Llloyd-Webber, and is racking up awards left, right and centre with Promising Young Woman.

Written and directed by Fennell, it stars Carey Mulligan as the impassioned Cassie; a woman hell-bent on getting justice for her best friend. While this isn’t her first stint in the director’s chair – the darkly comedic Careful How You Go starred pal Phoebe Waller-Bridge – Promising Young Woman is Fennel’s first feature film and it’s already getting Oscars buzz. Now that’s promising.

Olivia Wilde

Fresh, funny, and effervescent, Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut Booksmart was one of the most-talked about films of 2019. Itgave us the comedic duo of Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever, a very memorable animated sequence, and Noah Galvin’s impeccable line-reading of “Barcelona”.

”It looks like there’s a lot more Wilde genius coming our way.”

Production has wrapped on her second feature, the psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling. Starring Florence Pugh, Harry Styles (Wilde’s rumoured boyfriend), and Chris Pine, the film takes place in a utopian community in the California desert where a 1950s housewife wonders what her husband is hiding.

With buzz for Don’t Worry Darling already building and lots of other projects in the pipelines – including a secret Marvel movie – it looks like there’s a lot more Wilde genius coming our way.

Greta Gerwig

Another actor-turned-director, Greta Gerwig, has quickly become a filmmaker to watch, with A24 favourite Lady Bird and the latest adaptation of Little Women (starring Meryl Streep, Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Timothée Chalamet) under her belt.

Next up, she’s rumoured to be directing a live-action Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and co-writing the script with her partner, filmmaker Noah Baumbach. There are also whispers of a tap-dancing musical – now that’s one way of keeping us on our toes!

Autumn de Wilde

In a pre-Emma world, Autumn de Wilde was best known for photographing musicians like The White Stripes and Fiona Apple, collaborating with fashion house Rodarte and shooting the occasional short film for Prada.

She proved herself to be a formidable director with her take on the Austen classic, earning a nomination for Best New Filmmaker at the 2020 Boston Society of Film Critics Awards. The period piece gathered attention for its visuals – dreamy imagery and delectable costumes wrapped up in a pastel colour palette – as well as nominations aplenty for star Anya Taylor-Joy.

With spring on its way, it’s the perfect time to re-watch Emma – and here’s hoping that another colour-filled de Wilde creation graces our screens soon!

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Featured Image courtesy of GR Stocks via Unsplash. No changes made to this image. Image license found here.