Top 10 Best Women Film Directors

Talented and creative, these are the women that really know how to put bums in the seats. Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Female Directors. For this list, we're looking at the prolific and popular female directors who are trailblazers in the industry, cutting a wide swath for future filmmakers. Whether they're at the helm of blockbuster action hits or shaping a poignant arthouse flick, these women are flexing some major directorial muscle and making it look easy. In 1999, Pierce made her feature film debut with Boys Don't Cry and made the world take notice. The film was a gut-wrenching look at the life and murder of trans man Brandon Tino. The film's star, Hilary Swank, would go on to receive an Academy Award for her portrayal of Brandon, while Pierce found herself among the Hollywood elite. She's not a director who skimps on emotion, and with 2008's Stop Loss and 2013's Carrie remake, we're sure we haven't seen the last of her powerful filmmaking. With a vibrant and sumptuous directorial style, Deepa Mehta is one of India's preeminent storytellers and filmmakers. Now working out of Canada, Mehta makes films that flout convention and tradition, and even elicit tons of controversy, but Mehta hasn't altered her vision. She tells stories that otherwise wouldn't be told, regardless of the consequences. Not one to be deterred, Mehta continues to give us a glimpse into the inner workings of Indian culture. My wrong blood turned my father's love to hate, and though it caused my mother much pain, I was sent away. By writing hits such as When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail, and directing the latter two, Efron helped shape the entire romantic comedy genre. Who would ever have thought that I would write? I mean if I hadn't had all this time. Huh? You know what? What? The truth is that he was the one who started me thinking about writing. This Oscar-nominated director gave us tons of wit and swoon-worthy romance, but she was also prolific in her vision of what a light-hearted comedy could be. Um, destiny is something we've invented because we can't stand the fact that everything that happens is accidental. Her stories were compelling and fun, but they were also interesting and full of surprises, even when you know the stars are gonna end up together somehow. What I'm saying is, and this is not a come on in any way shape or form, is that men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way. Her romantic comedies weren't just chick flicks, they were classics. Why did you stop by again? I forget. I wanted to be your friend. With films such as Beau Travail and Bastards, Denis's films are the farthest thing from a light-hearted romantic comedy. Not one to shy away from themes such as colonialism and cultural imperialism, her films tend to be gritty and evocative with a nod to her childhood in West Africa. Her feature film debut, 1988's Chocolat, about a French girl who befriends her family's servant, was a critical success and garnered her respect as a serious filmmaking powerhouse. Le nez. La bouche. Say hi to her and she's yours. She'll wrap her legs around you so tight you'll be begging for mercy. Well, I'll stay away from her then. Ms. Marshall went from starring as Laverne in the 1970s hit sitcom Laverne and Shirley to directing Oscar-nominated feature films. Her 1988 film Big, starring Tom Hanks, was a commercial and critical success, helping Marshall to become the first female director to gross over $100 million at the box office and setting Hanks on the path to stardom. I think this experience might even be good for me. With 1990's Awakenings, Marshall would earn her first Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. What I believe, what I know, is these people are alive inside. Going on to direct A League of Their Own and The Preacher's Wife, Marshall's career is full of remarkable depth and variety, but not short on quality. People have forgotten what life is all about. They've forgotten what it is to be alive. They need to be reminded. They need to be reminded about what they have and what they can lose. Wow, that might be the most romantic thing anyone's ever shown me. Another actress turned director, Polly's films are indie scene darlings, but they're not saccharine. Intimate, poignant, and often times emotional, Polly doesn't shy away from feelings, as they're the undercurrent of many of her films. It takes all my courage and you're teaching me to be completely and utterly without bravery. Her feature film debut, 2006's Away From Her, about an aging couple dealing with the wife's Alzheimer's, was widely critically acclaimed. I think I may be beginning to disappear. She earned an Oscar nod for Best Adapted Screenplay for her work on Away From Her and has shown no signs of slowing down. It's never too late to become what you might have been. She may have honed her directing chops on the Broadway stage, but her unique vision has translated wonderfully to the big screen. Her 2002 feature film, Frida, earned Salma Hayek an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and also shined a spotlight on Tamor's eclectic and visually arresting directorial style. There have been two big accidents in my life, Diego. The trolley and you. You are by far the worst. Highly stylized and not short on special effects, her films aren't run-of-the-mill. 2007's Beatles-centric Across the Universe and her stunning 2011 interpretation of Shakespeare's The Tempest both further allowed Tamor to unleash her creativity and prove her mettle. You amongst men being most unfit to live, I have made you mad. I had such a dream last night. I was floating above the trees, with my lips connected to those of a beautiful figure. Campion already had an impressive resume by the time she received a Best Director Oscar nod, won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar and became the first woman to win the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or for 1993's The Piano. The voice you hear is not my speaking voice, but my mind's voice. The film, starring Holly Hunter and Anna Paquin, earned the actresses both Academy Awards and made Campion only the second female director in film history to be nominated for the Best Director Award. I'm scared of what I want. What, a lot? Yeah, it's a lot. With her simmering and seductive storytelling, it's easy to become wrapped up in the relationships unfolding on screen. Even as it teeters on the edge of tragedy or bliss. If you let me, you can earn it back. What do you think? One visit for every key. She's fun. She makes me laugh. Daughter of industry legend Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia had a huge shadow cast over her career before she even picked up a camera. Maybe you could start by telling me a little bit about her. Thankfully, she's risen to the occasion and developed her own unique voice as well as a contemplative directorial style that leaves you feeling haunted. Give us an air. She made a name for herself with 1999's The Virgin Suicides You're not even old enough to know how bad life gets. Obviously, doctor. You've never been a 13-year-old girl. before receiving an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay with 2003's Lost in Translation. He want you to turn, look in camera. Okay? That's all he said? She brings a lush and romantic quality to her character-driven films that's hard to duplicate. But it's no less than you'd expect from a Coppola. Let's never come here again because it would never be as much fun. Before we unveil our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions. And I ask myself, why is it so easy for some men to kill the other? You're a virgin who can't drive. First of all, to understand what happened to Killer, you gotta understand who Killer the dog was. Hey, how about if we just say, uh, see you tomorrow? Say goodbye, huh? Number one, Kathryn Bigelow. But Bin Laden is there. And you're gonna kill him for me. Quite possibly the most famous female name in mainstream filmmaking, Bigelow's directorial repertoire runs the gamut, from action blockbusters like 1991's Point Break to a slew of war-themed features like 2002's K-19 The Widowmaker. There is no doubt in my mind that K-19 is ready to fulfill her mission. And it would be one of her war films, 2008's The Hurt Locker, that would solidify her place in film history as the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director. Well, that's just hot ----. You're a wild man, you know that? Detail-oriented and meticulous in her vision, Bigelow's monumental win highlights her immense talent as a storyteller. Do you agree with our list? I don't care! You gotta go down! Who's your favorite female director? For more entertaining top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to Ms. Mojo. Would you mind if I had a moment alone before you come in to explain things to her? Thanks for watching!