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Film Independent Spirit Awards Screening Series Presents "Clemency"

Source: Tommaso Boddi / Getty

When the Oscar nominations were announced on Monday morning by actor John Cho and all-around creative talent Issa Rae, it was pretty clear that Issa was annoyed by one category full of men — the Best Director category.

“Congratulations to those men,” she said with a shady on-camera look after announcing the nominees.

Not only was the Best Director category full of men, but it was partially taken up by directors that have already received their accolades. While Todd Phillips received a first-time nod for Joker and Korean filmmaker Bong Joon Ho rightfully received a first-time nod for his movie Parasite, Oscar regulars Quintin Tarantino was nominated for his very long Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood and Martin Scorsese was nominated for his even longer The Irishman. Finally, Sam Mendes is nominated for his flick 1917 after already winning an Oscar in 2000 for his film American Beauty.

Now nobody is saying that these filmmakers don’t deserve recognition for their current works. However, the nominations do raise an eyebrow, particularly when men like Tarantino and Scorsese continually get nominated for their all-too-familiar, violent, hyper-masculine movies. It really does make you wonder how many women are present and have a voice in The Academy.

With that being said, there are plenty of women directors — some newcomers and some seasoned filmmakers — who’ve never taken home an Oscar that are deserving of at least a nomination.

We can give you eight of them starting off with Kasi Lemmons below. Then hit the flip for some more women filmmakers who deserve to be honored.

Kasi Lemmons

Director Kasi Lemmons arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere Of Focus Features' 'Harriet' held at The Orpheum Theatre on October 29, 2019 in Los Angeles, California, United States.

Source: WENN/Avalon / WENN

Recent movie: Harriet (2019)

No matter how you feel about historically dramas, especially ones that center around slavery times, it’s not easy blending action and drama with a very serious subject. Lemmons does so with the skill of a veteran filmmaker. We should expect nothing less from the same woman who directed such classics like Eve’s Bayou.

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