Celebrating Reel Women: Directors

From gripping films like The Hurt Locker and Selma to groundbreaking documentaries like 13th and Blackfish, to horror films like XX and The Invitation (their contribution to the genre is staggering), women in film are consistently leading the industry in new and refreshing directions. 

Female directors are responsible for bringing some of film's most iconic moments from script to screen. In Big, Penny Marshall created a unique and unforgettable coming-of-age story and set Tom Hanks’ career in a new direction. Veteran actor and director Jodie Foster took on Wall Street with one of Hollywood's biggest stars when she directed George Clooney in Money Monster. And Penelope Spheeris channeled the metalheads of her documentaries to take Wayne's World from Saturday Night Live to a big screen sensation. Each of these films found new ways to entertain audiences with a fresh voice and diverse characters.

Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty), Ava DuVernay (Selma, 13th), Kelly Reichardt (Meek's Cutoff, Night Moves) , Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said), Andrea Arnold (American Honey), Amma Asante (Belle, United Kingdom), Niki Caro (Whale Rider), Lisa Cholodenko (The Kids Are All Right, Olive Kitteridge), Sarah Gavron (Suffragette), Jennifer Kent (The Babadook) and Sofia Coppola (The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation) are just some of the women blazing trails and inspiring a new generation of female filmmakers to challenge audiences. Here are 21 of our favorite movies and documentaries directed by women and where to watch them, just a small sampling of the incredible contribution women are making in film.