Why I'll be Watching the Oscars: The Female Nominees—22 Women in Film Who Persisted

I won’t be participating in the #OscarsSoMale boycott. I will be watching and honoring the women that are nominated. In the non-acting category (and excluding documentaries) there are just twenty two women nominated for Oscars this year. Twenty two women who, like the real life characters in Hidden Figures, work in a male-dominated industry, twenty two women who are far outnumbered by their male counterparts, twenty two women who persisted, twenty two women who rise.

Because hiring choices begin at the top, at the producer level, let’s start there. It is the producers who get to go onstage, take the mic and make the speech when the Best Picture winner is announced.

Carla Hacken & Julie Yorn 

Hell or High Water: Best Motion Picture of the Year (producers)

Donna Gigliotti

Hidden Figures: Best Motion Picture of the Year 

 (With Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams and Theodore Melfi, Producers)

Angie Fielder

Lion: Best Motion Picture of the Year 

(With Emile Sherman and Iain Canning, Producers)

Lauren Beck & Kimberly Steward  

Manchester by The Sea: Best Motion Picture of the Year

(With Matt Damon, Chris Moore and Kevin J. Walsh, Producers)

Dede Gardner & Adele Romanski 

Moonlight: Best Motion Picture of the Year

(with Jeremy Kleiner, Producers)

Allison Schroeder

Hidden Figures: Best Adapted Screenplay 

[Shared with Theodore Melfi] 

Joi McMillion

Moonlight: Best Achievement in Film Editing

Moonlight 

[Shared with Nat Sanders]

Mica

Jackie: Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)

Mildred Iatrou Morgan & Aing Lee

La La Land: Best Achievement in Sound Editing

Aing Lee

La La Land: Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

[Shared with Andy Nelson & Steven Morrow]

 Arianne Sutner

Kubo and the Two Strings: Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

[Shared with Travis Knight]

While Set Decorators do not receive their nominations separately but are recognized as being key partners within the Production Design team, these are the female Set Decorators nominated this year.

Anna Pinnock

Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them: Best Achievement in Production Design as Set Decorator

Stuart Craig (production design) 

Nancy Haigh (with Gonchor)

Hail Caesar: Best Achievement in Production Design as Set Decorator

Jess Gonchor (production design) 

Sandy Reynolds-Wasco

La La Land: Best Achievement in Production Design as Set Decorator

David Wasco (production design) 

This year the Costume Design Category—while always a female dominated category—is entirely made up of women nominees.

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Joanna Johnston

ALLIED

Colleen Atwood

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

Consolata Boyle

FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS

Madeline Fontaine

JACKIE

Mary Zophres

LA LA LAND

Congratulations to all the nominees, especially the twenty two women but also the many, many men. I am old enough to know you’re not all sexist pigs. Most of you, in fact, are not. But while you may not deliberately hurt the progress of women, a lot of you guys don’t speak up, don’t help. I’m in favor of an unofficial affirmative action plan—you must think beyond your box. We know Hollywood is an industry where friends hire friends, people they are comfortable working with. It’s time to get comfortable with working with women though, don’t you think? So that your daughters, your wives, your sisters, your women friends, your female classmates all get the same chance you and your bros do.

I am old enough to have marched for Equal Rights back in the 1970’s. Yes, we’ve come a long way baby, but obviously, not far enough. 

If you really want to support women in film, rather than boycott a tv show, I suggest you do so with your time and your pocketbook. You can start by checking out films directed by women. 

For my part, I hope you’ll check out the list of this year’s upcoming movies based on books. I’ve placed an * next to the films directed by women. It’s a start.