Hollywood actress Natalie Portman expressed disappointment towards the Academy Awards for overlooking female directors in the 2026 nominations. At the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, while promoting her new film The Gallerist, Portman highlighted the lack of female representation in the Best Director category. She emphasized that many exceptional films she viewed in the past year were created by women, yet they were not acknowledged during awards season.
Portman specifically mentioned several films like Sorry Baby, Left-Handed Girl, Hedda, and The Testament of Ann Lee, which she believed deserved more recognition. She pointed out the scarcity of female nominees in the Best Director category, with Chloé Zhao being the sole woman nominated for her work on Hamnet.
The actress also discussed the challenges faced in the film industry today, emphasizing the difficulties in securing financing and gaining visibility at festivals. Portman emphasized the ongoing need for progress in promoting gender equality in filmmaking. She highlighted the importance of collaboration and the unique experience of working with women on film sets.
For her film The Gallerist, Portman collaborated with female director Cathy Yan. The movie, a dark comedy thriller featuring Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sterling K. Brown, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, revolves around a gallery owner’s unconventional scheme at Art Basel in Miami. Portman’s animated feature Arco, which premiered at Cannes and earned an Oscar nomination, sparked meaningful discussions with her children about friendship, environmental challenges, and futuristic concepts.
