Hollywood star Natalie Portman pointed jab at the Academy Awards organisers for shutting out women-directed films. The ‘Star Wars’ actor did not hold back herself at the The Sundance Film Festival and openly spoke her stance of how female-directed films were overlooked in this year’s Oscar nominations. Her comment came just days after Oscar nominations were announced.
Natalie Portman says Oscars shut out women-directed films.
Natalie Portman’s ‘The Gallerist’ officially premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, which will be followed by a theatrical release later in 2026. At the press conference of the film festival, Oscars shut out several good films that were directed by women from the nominations.
Natalie Portman feels women-directors are not getting the honor they deserve
According to her, only Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet got 8 nominations at the Oscars 2026, including best picture and best director. She added, “So many of the best films I saw this year were made by women. You just see the barriers at every level because so many were not recognised at awards time. Between ‘Sorry Baby’, ‘Left-Handed Girl’, ‘Hedda’, and ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’… Extraordinary films this year that a lot of people are loving, but they are not getting the accolades they deserve,” as reported by Variety.
Oscar nominations of 2026: Dominated by males?
The Oscars 2026 nominations, revealed on January 22, set the stage for Hollywood’s biggest night. Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Sinners’ dominated with a record-breaking 16 nods. This was closely followed by ‘One Battle After Another’, ‘Marty Supreme’, ‘Sentimental Value’, and ‘Frankenstein’. Chloe Zhao’s ‘Hamnet’ earned eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.
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