As more attention is being paid to the lack of diversity in Hollywood, we look at 7 established female filmmakers and their remarkable debut features.
Out of the top 250 domestic grossing films of 2013, women directors helmed only 6%, a disappointing statistic. As we enter into 2014, we can only hope that Hollywood follows the example of the Indie film world and pays attention to the talented women available for work on feature films.
To offer a bit of inspiration to budding female filmmakers everywhere, we take at look at 7 great feature film debuts by women directors many of whom have gone on to have incredibly diverse and successful careers.
Amy Heckerling
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Amy Heckerling turned the high school coming-of-age genre on its head with her fiery debut feature, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Working with a screenplay by the legendary Cameron Crowe, Heckerling added her own unique comedic style, ensuring the film's status as a cult classic. Led by an all-star cast consisting of Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates and Sean Penn (as stoner legend Jeff Spicoli), the film follows a group of misbehavin' California teens through a haze of sex, drugs and high school hijinks. In her debut, Heckerling expertly found the right balance between the raunchy sex comedy and coming-of-age story. Perhaps best known for Clueless, Heckerling has directed acclaimed comedies like Look Who's Talking, Loser and has recently begun a foray into television, directing episodes of The Carrie Diaries and Suburgatory.
Jane Campion
Sweetie (1989)
The incredible Jane Campion made her feature debut as a writer/director with the dysfunctional family film, Sweetie. With her unique voice already established, Campion was able to walk that fine line between comedy and drama in this take on sibling rivalry. The film focuses on two sisters: Kay and Dawn, aka Sweetie. Self-conscious and quiet, Kay longs for a normal life with her stable boyfriend, but her whole world is disrupted when Sweetie comes back to town. Loud, boisterous and slightly manic, Sweetie demands attention at all times, a trait that eventually proves to be her downfall. This film fully displays Campion's distinctive visual style and her taste for the extreme, so it's no wonder that the Criterion Collection chose to release it on DVD in 2006. One of few women to ever be nominated for Best Director (for The Piano), Campion has proven herself to be quite versatile, earning multiple Emmy nominations for her miniseries Top of the Lake, which is now available on Netflix.
Nora Ephron
This is My Life (1992)
Did you know that Nora Ephron directed her first film at the age of 50? It's hard to believe. Already an Oscar nominated screenwriter (Silkwood), Ephron, with her sister Delia, took on the challenge of adapting Meg Wolitzer's beloved book. The hilarious Julie Kavner stars as Dottie, an aspiring stand-up comic who hits the big time, much to the chagrin of her two daughters, Erica (Samantha Mathis) and Opal (a pint-sized Gaby Hoffman). Filled with humor, realism, and heart, Ephron's directorial debut further fueled her advocacy for womens' stories and experiences. She deals with Dottie's desires for success with the same tenderness as Erica's first (disastrous) sexual experience. After This is My Life, Ephron went on to direct such classics as Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail, cementing a legacy that continues to open up possibilities for women filmmakers.
Darnell Martin
I Like It Like That (1994)
Though Darnell Martin is a prominent television director (she's directed episodes of Oz, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU and more), she originally got her start on the big screen. With I Like It Like That, Martin gave indie audiences a strong heroine, Lisette (Lauren Velez), who is a woman struggling to raise her two children when her husband Chino (Jon Seda) is arrested for stealing a stereo. Determined to get him out of jail, Lisette talks her way into a job at a record label that specializes in Latino music. Filled with a new sense of purpose, Lisette, reluctant to go back to her traditional housewife duties, finds a way to keep her job and her marriage intact. Filled with color, noise and music, the film demonstrates Martin's expertise at balancing all of the components that make I Like It Like That a terrific film. Martin brought her unique blend of talents to the big screen again when she directed Cadillac Records in 2008. This entertaining film about the rise of Chess Records stars Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright and Beyonc .
Nicole Holofcener
Walking and Talking (1996)
Without a doubt, Nicole Holofcener is one of the most beloved female auteurs, especially among other female artists. Holofcener first hit the indie scene back in 1996 with Walking and Talking. Catherine Keener (who would go on to become Holofcener's muse) and Anne Heche star as Amelia and Laura, two best friends who find themselves drifting apart against the hectic backdrop of NYC. Holofcener has an ear for how women talk to each other, making Amiela and Laura's conversations and arguments feel remarkably authentic. With a non-obstructive style, Holofcener lets her characters take center stage and avoids showy camera work and other distractions. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why most Hollywood actresses are so eager to work with her. Holofcener has kept up her naturally rhythmic style for the past two decades with films like Lovely and Amazing, Friends with Money and, most recently, Enough Said.
Sofia Coppola
The Virgin Suicides (1999)
Already Hollywood royalty, Sofia Coppola chose to adapt Jeffrey Eugendies' novel The Virgin Suicides for her feature-length directorial debut. Set in 1974, the film follows the five Lisbon sisters all blonde and beautiful and the f
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
29/04/2024
29 04 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces James J. Robinson's debut feature First Light
First Light
Principal Photography is underway on Firs...
29/04/2024
Capitol Broadcasting recently became the inaugural company honored with inductio...
28/04/2024
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with U...
27/04/2024
On April 26, L3Harris Chair and CEO Christopher E. Kubasik joined CNBC's Mor...
27/04/2024
PORTLAND, Oregon Audinate Group Limited, the developer of the Dante AV-over-IP solution, announced significant new additions to Dante Connect, its cloud-based D...
27/04/2024
TORONTO Bell Media has launched 10 English and French-language FAST channels featuring entertainment, factual, news, and sports programming. The new free stream...
27/04/2024
An extensive new analysis of the news segments in the broadcast evening news programs of ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS has found that broadcasters devoted most of their...
27/04/2024
GERMANTOWN, Md. EchoStar's Hughes Network Systems has opened a new manufacturing facility and private 5G incubation center in Germantown, Maryland....
27/04/2024
Harry Pappas, one of three brothers who founded Pappas Telecasting Companies in 1971, died April 24. He was 78 years old....
27/04/2024
ATLANTA and LONDON Mexican telecommunications and broadcast company Televisa has selected Synamedia for an overhaul of its broadcast distribution....
27/04/2024
Participate in the Survey - The Impact of AI on Media and the Creative Industry
Pascal Wagner April 26, 2024
0 Comments
By participating in this surve...
27/04/2024
SDVI Rally Access Workstation Earns Two Top Awards at 2024 NAB Show
Brie Clayton April 26, 2024
0 Comments
SDVI, the leading platform provider for clo...
27/04/2024
Berklee's Music and Health Institute Launches Community Health Musician Cert...
27/04/2024
Charter Communications reported higher first-quarter profits despite continued cord-cutting and competition for broadband customers....
27/04/2024
Two environmentally-focused groups are partnering to engage the unscripted TV world in finding better ways to address climate change. Reality of Change is an ec...
27/04/2024
Sarah Garcia has been promoted to weekend anchor at KTLM McAllen, Texas, known as Telemundo 40. Starting April 27, she will anchor Noticias Telemundo 40 weekend...
27/04/2024
CBS Sports said it launched a new 24-hour free, ad supported streaming television (FAST) channel devoted to the UEFA Champions League....
27/04/2024
Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts received $35.4 million in compensation in 2023, up 11% from the previous year, according to a proxy statement filed by th...
27/04/2024
Art Happens Here With John Lithgow, which sees the actor study dance, ceramics, silk-screen printing and vocal jazz with students in Los Angeles, debuts on PBS ...
27/04/2024
Remember Leave It to Beaver? Bewitched? Dragnet? When cable ratings were rising?...
27/04/2024
Next up for the weekend binge at Catchy Comedy is Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Every weekend, Catchy Comedy features The Catchy Binge, a marathon of a classic sitcom....
26/04/2024
Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 kicks-off today with screenings in 5 theaters in Mexico City and the opening-night film, FRIDA, directed by Carla Guti rrez...
26/04/2024
[Editor's Note: This interview is part of a larger feature about the women d...
26/04/2024
Once again this year, SGL Carbon opened its doors to interested children and young people. On the occasion of the German Girls and Boys Day, which took place on...
26/04/2024
Orders1 of $5.5 billion; book-to-bill of 1.06x
Revenue of $5.2 billion, up 17%,...
26/04/2024
Five Considerations For Communications Modernization In The 21st Century
In the digital-enabled battlespace, the Joint Force needs to shoot, move and communica...
26/04/2024
CBS Sports has launched Champions League as a new, 24-hour streaming channel that will serve as the year-round destination for nonstop highlights of the UEFA ...
26/04/2024
Despite tough competition in the streaming space, Roku reported solid results in Q1 2024, beating revenue expectations, with total net revenue up 19% YoY to $88...
26/04/2024
LONDON AND TORONTO Pinewood Toronto Studios has appointed Sarah Farrell as general manager of the Studios in downtown Toronto....
26/04/2024
Quantum to Offer Advanced Filesharing Technology and Performance in StorNext and...
26/04/2024
FilmLight Colour Awards welcomes 2024 entries and introduces new Emerging Talen...
26/04/2024
Picture Shop Announces Chris Evans as Head of Unscripted
Brie Clayton April 26, 2024
0 Comments
Picture Shop announced Chris Evans will lead Unscripte...
26/04/2024
Participate in a Survey - The Impact of AI on Media and the Creative Industry
Pascal Wagner April 26, 2024
0 Comments
By participating in this survey,...
26/04/2024
Toy maker Mattel said it is working with Samsung to launch its first free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels later this year....
26/04/2024
Trusted Media Brands (TMB) said it named Marty Moe as president....
26/04/2024
Ron Howard is the director on Jim Henson Idea Man, a documentary that premieres on Disney Plus May 31. Henson of course created Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Big...
26/04/2024
The ice continues to melt under the regional sports network business as the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League have made a long-term deal to broadcast...
26/04/2024
Heading into the upfronts, Warner Bros. Discovery said it launched Olli, a first-party data platform advertiser can use for converged, targeted advertising camp...
26/04/2024
CBS has renewed the drama The Equalizer, which will see season five on in 2024-2025. Queen Latifah stars....
26/04/2024
The CW has entered into an exclusive multiyear broadcast partnership for the Miss USA Pageant and the Miss Teen USA Pageant. The 73rd Miss USA Pageant will air ...
26/04/2024
Fuse Media isn't mincing words in a campaign urging its young viewers to register and participate in the 2024 elections....
26/04/2024
Dead Boy Detectives, a series from Neil Gaiman about a detective agency staffed by ghosts, debuts on Netflix April 25. George Rexstrew and Jayden Revri are in t...
26/04/2024
The Story Collective has gradually repurposed the former Mortlake Brewery to include production offices, workshops and sound stages
By Matthew Corrigan
Publi...
26/04/2024
Perkett joins the company following a 25 year career in product management, product marketing, engineering and user experience (UX) across multiple industries
...
26/04/2024
Teradek, the industry leader in wireless video transmitters and receivers, announced today the launch of new Bolt 6 LT 750 and Bolt 6 Monitor Module 750 RX with...
26/04/2024
NEW YORK Amagi has appointed Richard Perkett chief product officer (CPO)....
26/04/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has announced the results of the 2024 NAB Radio and Television Board of Directors elections. The...
As more attention is being paid to the lack of diversity in Hollywood, we look at 7 established female filmmakers and their remarkable debut features. 
