ampas – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

SPOTLIGHT September 2026: SIAN HEDER, Filmmaker, Authenticity Avocate

August 28, 2026August 31, 2026 Leslie Combemale ampas, Being Heumann, coda, oscars, Quiver Distribution, Sian Heder, SPOTL[GHT, tallulah, TIFF 2026. Leslie Combemale

From a short film born out of a job she took just to get by, to an Oscar-winning family drama that reshaped what authentic representation could look like in Hollywood, to a biopic honoring one of the most consequential activists in American history, Siân Heder’s career has been one long argument that people deserve to tell their own stories. With her work, Heder has proved, in all the ways the industry measures success, that those stories are universal, commercial, and Oscar-worthy. We celebrate her commitment to inclusive, nuanced storytelling, and the path she is creating for aspiring female filmmakers who come along behind her.

News

International Oscar Race: Vulnerable Women Abound, Female Directors Do Not – Jennifer Green reports

December 18, 2024December 21, 2024 Jennifer Green ampas, Armand, dahomey, Emilia Perez, Flow, From Ground Zero, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, i'm still here, INTERNATIONAL OSCARS 2025, oscars, santosh, The Girl with the Needle, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Universal Language, Vermiglio

“Being a woman is beautiful,” says one of the elderly narrators of Costa Rica’s entry for the International Oscar, Memories of a Burning Body. “But there’s also an ugly side to it: you’re always vulnerable.” Judging by this year’s leading contenders for the International Oscar, the feeling is global. Countries around the world submitted female-centered stories for the global Oscar category this year, with women protagonists finding themselves in disadvantaged situations but also often discovering their own strength against all manner of obstacles.

Some of these films made the shortlist for the award, announced Tuesday, Dec. 17, such as Brazil’s I’m Still Here, France’s Emilia Pérez, Germany’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Palestine’s From Ground Zero and the UK’s Santosh. Many did not, including Burning Body.

Reviews

Oscar-Nominated Shorts 2023 – Review by Susan Granger

February 27, 2023 Susan Granger Academy Awards 2023, ampas, Short films

A short film is typically considered to be a movie that is less than 30 minutes in length. Although many of them don’t acknowledge it in their biographies, several top filmmakers began their careers making short films. If you can make a successful short film, it proves that you’re a good storyteller who can work within a budget and create your own cinematic identity. Short films are less expensive than feature-length films, and their purpose is often to showcase new talent and experimental techniques. Which is why they’re important.

Reviews

Oscar-Nominated Animated Shorts – MiniViews by Diane Carson

February 13, 2023January 8, 2026 Diane Carson ampas, Oscar Shorts – Animation, oscars 2023

Oscar Shorts – Animation Selections inspire and delight. The Oscar nominated shorts programs are always a mixed bag, but never more than this year. The five candidates include two based on actual experiences and three of fanciful animation. The most surprising true story, The Flying Sailor, imagines in both two dimensional, drawn animation and computer generated images a seaman’s life flashing before his eyes.

News

WEEK IN WOMEN: Janet Yang elected president of AMPAS, making history – Brandy McDonnell reports

August 4, 2022August 7, 2022 Brandy McDonnell academy of motion picture arts and sciences, ampas, Janet Yang, the week in women, twiw

Producer Janet Yang has been elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences by the organization’s Board of Governors. Yang, who is of Chinese descent, is the first Asian person ever selected as president of the Academy. She’s also just the fourth woman to become the Academy’s president, following Cheryl Boone Isaacs (2013-2017), Fay Kanin (1979-1983) and Bette Davis (two months in 1941).

News

WEEK IN WOMEN: Fennell and Zhao make AMPAS history – Brandy McDonnell reports

March 19, 2021September 1, 2021 Brandy McDonnell ampas, chloe zhao, emerald fennell, nomadland, oscars, promising young woman

Nomadland‘s Chloe Zhao and Promising Young Woman‘s Emerald Fennell are now part of Academy Awards history. For the first time, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has nominated two women in the directing category, with Zhao and Fennell picking up nods in the coveted category.

Commentaries

20 Femme-Helmers in the 2020 Oscars Pipeline – Susan Wloszczyna reports

September 11, 2020September 14, 2020 Susan Wloszczyna 0 Comments ampas, autumn de wilde, Cate shortland, chloe zhao, Clea Duvall, Gina Prince-Bythewood, halle berry, jane campion, julie taymor, Liesl Tommy, Lila Neugebaur, mary Harron, oscars, Philippa Lowthorpe, rebecca hall, regina king, robin wright, sally potter, sia, sofia coppola

One upside to this topsy-turvy season is the release of superb femme-centric, femme-helmed titles that are solid Oscars contenders that could easily make the Best Picture and Best Director cut. There are at least five actresses making their directing debuts, a pop star going behind the camera, old-school directors, new-school directors, blockbuster overseers and at least two former competitors in the category. Here is what might be the best of an encouragingly large batch.

News

WEEK IN WOMEN: AMPAS ’20 Invitees are 45% Women – Brandy McDonnell reports

July 6, 2020July 9, 2020 Brandy McDonnell 0 Comments academy of motion picture arts and sciences, ampas, awkwafina, olivia wilde, the week in women, twiw, zaxie beetz

The 2020 class of invited Academy members is 45% women, and includes Zazie Beetz, Awkwafina and Olivia Wilde. among others. Additionally, 36% if the invitees are from underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 49% are international artists and industry executives from 68 countries.

News

WEEK IN WOMEN: AMPAS 2019 Invitations = Gender Parity -Brandy McDonnell reports

July 11, 2019 Brandy McDonnell 0 Comments academy of motion picture arts and sciences, ampas, gender parity

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has invited 842 members from 59 countries to the Oscars organization and, for the first time, reached gender parity in its new class of inductees. Half of the new invitees to the film academy are women. In 10 of the 17 branches — including the directing, writing and producing branches — more women than men were invited.