Female Directors

and how they “made it”

The film industry has seen remarkable contributions from female directors who bring unique perspectives, break barriers, and redefine storytelling.

How Women Can Break into Directing and Succeed, Even in Low-Budget Films

The film industry has historically been a challenging field for women to break into, particularly in directing. However, in recent years, many female directors have shattered barriers, creating pathways for others to follow. If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming a director, this guide will show you how to get started, earn money, and build a career — even on a tight budget.

Why Women Should Pursue Directing

Directing offers a unique opportunity to tell stories, influence culture, and shape how audiences perceive the world. Female directors bring fresh perspectives to the industry, often addressing overlooked topics and creating diverse, authentic narratives. According to this Wikipedia list of female directors, women have made significant contributions to both film and television, inspiring the next generation.

How Women Can Get Into Directing

Getting into directing is both an art and a science, requiring a blend of creative vision, technical skills, and perseverance. Here’s a roadmap:

1. Learn the Craft

• Take Classes: Enroll in film schools or online courses to learn directing, cinematography, and editing.
• Study Directors: Analyze the work of trailblazers like Ava DuVernay, Kathryn Bigelow, and Greta Gerwig to understand their storytelling techniques.
• Practice Storytelling: Write scripts, create short films, or direct plays to build your storytelling skills.

2. Gain Experience

• Start Small: Create short films or web series with minimal budgets. Use smartphones or affordable cameras to get started.
• Collaborate: Partner with other aspiring filmmakers, writers, and actors to build a portfolio.
• Work on Sets: Gain experience in roles like assistant director, production assistant, or script supervisor.

3. Build a Portfolio

• Showcase Your Work: Compile your projects into a reel that demonstrates your style and skill.
• Enter Festivals: Submit your films to festivals like Sundance or Toronto International Film Festival to gain exposure.
• Leverage Social Media: Share your work on platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, or TikTok to build an audience.

4. Network in the Industry

• Attend Events: Film festivals, workshops, and industry panels are great places to meet professionals.
• Join Organizations: Groups like Women in Film provide resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
• Seek Mentorship: Connect with experienced directors who can guide your career.

How Much Money Can Female Directors Make?

The income for directors varies widely, depending on experience, project budgets, and distribution success.

Low-Budget Films

• Earnings: Directors of low-budget films can earn anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 per project, depending on the size of the production and distribution deals.
• Funding Sources: Many directors start with crowdfunding, grants, or personal savings to finance their projects.

Indie Films

• Earnings: Indie film directors often earn $50,000 to $150,000 for projects with budgets under $5 million.
• Revenue Potential: Successful indie films can generate substantial returns, especially with streaming deals.

Hollywood Features

• Earnings: Established directors can earn millions per film, with top-tier female directors like Patty Jenkins commanding salaries of $8–10 million for blockbuster films like Wonder Woman.

Additional Income Sources

• Royalties and Residuals: Directors often earn ongoing income from DVD sales, streaming, and syndication.
• Teaching or Consulting: Many directors supplement their income by teaching or offering consulting services.

Success Stories of Female Directors

Greta Gerwig

Gerwig transitioned from acting to directing, debuting with Lady Bird, which earned critical acclaim and financial success. Her journey highlights the value of persistence and passion.

Ava DuVernay

Starting in public relations, DuVernay self-funded her first film and has since become a trailblazing director, proving that determination can open doors.

Kathryn Bigelow

Bigelow made history as the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director with The Hurt Locker, showcasing the rewards of resilience.

Tips for Women Aspiring to Direct

1. Be Resourceful: Use what you have — friends, local locations, and free software — to make your first films.
2. Stay Persistent: Rejections are part of the journey. Learn, adapt, and keep creating.
3. Tell Authentic Stories: Focus on narratives that resonate deeply with you and your audience.
4. Advocate for Yourself: Push for fair pay and recognition in an industry that’s still working toward gender equity.

Becoming a director is a challenging yet rewarding journey. With creativity, determination, and resourcefulness, women can thrive in directing, making an impact on audiences and earning a living — even on low-budget projects. Start small, dream big, and let your vision shine.

If you’re ready to dive in, explore the Wikipedia list of female directors for inspiration and start your filmmaking journey today.

Luna — Short film by director, Sandy Rowley.

Learning how to break into the film business is easier than it has ever been. Sites like https://www.sparroww.com/

Sparroww is an innovative platform that empowers filmmakers to create, staff, fund, and produce film projects without relying on traditional networks.

Sparroww

If you’re seeking similar platforms, here are some alternatives that offer comparable services:

Stage 32
A social network and educational hub for creative professionals in the film, television, and theater industries. Stage 32 offers networking opportunities, job postings, and educational resources to help filmmakers connect and collaborate.

FilmFreeway
A platform that allows filmmakers to submit their projects to film festivals worldwide. While primarily focused on festival submissions, FilmFreeway also provides resources for funding and distribution.

Withoutabox
An online platform for filmmakers to submit their films to festivals and competitions. It offers tools for project management, marketing, and distribution.

Slated
A film financing and networking platform that connects filmmakers with investors, talent, and sales agents. Slated provides tools for project evaluation and funding opportunities.

InkTip
A service that connects screenwriters with producers and directors seeking scripts. InkTip offers a marketplace for buying and selling screenplays.

1. Chloé Zhao

• Notable Works: Nomadland, Eternals
• Achievements: Zhao won the Academy Award for Best Director in 2021 for Nomadland, becoming the second woman and first woman of color to win the award.
• Website/IMDB: Chloé Zhao — IMDb
• Quote:
  “Sometimes as a director, you have to be a babysitter, a therapist, and a leader all at once.”

2. Greta Gerwig

• Notable Works: Lady Bird, Little Women, Barbie
• Achievements: Gerwig’s Lady Bird earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Director, and Barbie became one of the highest-grossing films of 2023.
• Website/IMDB: Greta Gerwig — IMDb
• Quote:
  “Directing is a dream job, but it requires vulnerability and tenacity to bring a vision to life.”

3. Ava DuVernay

• Notable Works: Selma, 13th, When They See Us
• Achievements: DuVernay was the first Black woman to direct a film nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars (Selma).
• Website/IMDB: Ava DuVernay — IMDb
• Quote:
  “If your dream only includes you, it’s too small.”

4. Patty Jenkins

• Notable Works: Monster, Wonder Woman
• Achievements: Jenkins directed Monster, for which Charlize Theron won an Oscar, and Wonder Woman, which redefined superhero films with a female lead.
• Website/IMDB: Patty Jenkins — IMDb
• Quote:
  “The best directors are the ones who guide, not dictate.”

5. Sofia Coppola

• Notable Works: Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, The Beguiled
• Achievements: Coppola became the third woman nominated for an Oscar for Best Director with Lost in Translation.
• Website/IMDB: Sofia Coppola — IMDb
• Quote:
  “Directing allows me to bring a sense of intimacy to grand stories.”

6. Jane Campion

• Notable Works: The Piano, The Power of the Dog
• Achievements: Campion is the first woman to receive two Best Director Oscar nominations. She won for The Power of the Dog.
• Website/IMDB: Jane Campion — IMDb
• Quote:
  “Stories are universal; directing them gives them life.”

7. Lulu Wang

• Notable Works: The Farewell
• Achievements: Wang received widespread acclaim for The Farewell, a personal and heartfelt story blending humor and cultural identity.
• Website/IMDB: Lulu Wang — IMDb
• Quote:
  “Directing means having empathy not just for characters but for the audience too.”

8. Kathryn Bigelow

• Notable Works: The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty
• Achievements: Bigelow is the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director for The Hurt Locker.
• Website/IMDB: Kathryn Bigelow — IMDb
• Quote:
  “The pursuit of truth is what fuels every great story.”

9. Emerald Fennell

• Notable Works: Promising Young Woman
• Achievements: Fennell’s debut as a director earned her an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
• Website/IMDB: Emerald Fennell — IMDb
• Quote:
  “Directing is about telling the truth, no matter how uncomfortable.”

10. Mati Diop

• Notable Works: Atlantics
• Achievements: Diop’s Atlantics was the first film directed by a Black woman to compete for the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
• Website/IMDB: Mati Diop — IMDb
• Quote:
  “As a director, you’re both the architect and the dreamer.”

These directors continue to inspire with their storytelling, resilience, and ability to break barriers in the film industry. Whether through deeply personal narratives or groundbreaking blockbusters, their work reminds us of the transformative power of cinema.

1. Kathryn Bigelow: First woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director (“The Hurt Locker”). Also known for “Zero Dark Thirty” and “Point Break.”
2. Ava DuVernay: Known for “Selma,” “13th,” and “A Wrinkle in Time.” She’s a pioneer in promoting diversity in filmmaking.
3. Sofia Coppola: Known for “Lost in Translation,” “The Virgin Suicides,” and “Marie Antoinette.” She won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
4. Greta Gerwig: Known for “Lady Bird,” “Little Women,” and “Barbie.” She’s one of the most prominent contemporary female directors.
5. Jane Campion: Known for “The Power of the Dog,” “The Piano,” and “Bright Star.” She won the Academy Award for Best Director.
6. Chloé Zhao: Won the Academy Award for Best Director for “Nomadland.” Also directed “The Eternals.”
7. Agnes Varda: A pioneer of French New Wave cinema, known for “Cléo from 5 to 7” and “The Gleaners and I.”
8. Mira Nair: Known for “Monsoon Wedding,” “The Namesake,” and “Queen of Katwe.”
9. Patty Jenkins: Known for “Wonder Woman” and “Monster.”
10. Lulu Wang: Known for “The Farewell.”

Kathryn Bigelow started as a painter and conceptual artist. She studied at the San Francisco Art Institute and was part of an art collective before attending Columbia University’s film program. Her first feature film “The Loveless” (1981) came after making a short film called “The Set-Up” while at Columbia.

Ava DuVernay took an unusual path — she initially worked as a film publicist and marketer for other directors’ films. She started directing by making a documentary about hip-hop culture called “This Is the Life” (2008) with her own money ($10,000), then moved into narrative films with “I Will Follow” (2010).

Sofia Coppola grew up around filmmaking as Francis Ford Coppola’s daughter, but she forged her own path. She started in fashion design and photography, then made a short film called “Lick the Star” (1998). Her feature directorial debut “The Virgin Suicides” (1999) came after she adapted the novel into a screenplay herself.

Greta Gerwig began as an actor in independent films, particularly in the mumblecore movement. She co-directed a film called “Nights and Weekends” (2008) with Joe Swanberg, but her solo directorial debut was “Lady Bird” (2017) after years of co-writing scripts with Noah Baumbach.

Jane Campion studied anthropology before switching to art, then attended the Australian Film Television and Radio School. She started with several short films, including “Peel” (1982), which won the Short Film Palme d’Or at Cannes.

Chloé Zhao attended Mount Holyoke College for political science, then studied film at NYU. She began by making short films and developed her distinctive style filming in the American West with non-professional actors, starting with “Songs My Brothers Taught Me” (2015).

Agnes Varda was actually a photographer first and had no formal film training. She made her first feature “La Pointe Courte” (1955) having only watched about 10 films in her life, bringing her photographer’s eye to cinema.

Mira Nair studied sociology at Delhi University and theater at Harvard. She began making documentaries about Indian cultural topics, with her first being “Jama Masjid Street Journal” (1979), before transitioning to narrative films.

Patty Jenkins studied painting at Cooper Union before attending the AFI Conservatory for directing. She started with short films and worked in commercials and television, directing episodes of “Arrested Development” and “Entourage” before making her feature debut “Monster” (2003).

Lulu Wang began as a classical pianist before studying creative writing and film at Boston College. She made several short films and worked various film production jobs before making her breakthrough feature “The Farewell” (2019), based on her own family story.

What’s interesting is how many of these directors came to filmmaking from other artistic disciplines — painting, photography, theater, music — and often started with either short films or documentaries before moving to feature films. Many also wrote their own material, giving them more control over their directorial debuts.