Golden Globes: Animation spotlights female filmmakers more than ever
Plus: Other notable women nominees
Adapted from a story by The Washington Post’s Michael Canva and a story by Stephanie Merry and Emily Yahr.
Women seldom get Golden Globe nominations for directing animated films.
The first time a female director was nominated in this category was in 2011, when Sarah Smith was nominated for directing “Arthur Christmas.’ ” Two years later, Jennifer Lee was nominated for co-directing the hit “Frozen.”
That was it — until this year.
The animation feature film nominees, announced Monday morning by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, includes two female directors:
- Irish filmmaker Nora Twomey, who directed “The Breadwinner.”
- Dorota Kobiela, who co-directed and co-wrote “Loving Vincent.”
“The Breadwinner,” about an Afghan girl who poses as a boy to help her family, was written by Anita Doron and Deborah Ellis, with Angelina Jolie serving as an executive producer. It features the voice of Canadian actress Saara Chaudry.
The other animation feature film nominees include teams with women in significant roles:
- Producer Darla K. Johnson was key to making “Coco.” She went on the creative team’s first research trips to Mexico.
- Producer Ramsey Ann Naito, a veteran of the Maryland Institute College of Art, was a driving force behind “The Boss Baby.”
- The production team behind the fifth nominee, Fox/Blue Sky’s “Ferdinand,” includes Lori Forte and Lisa Marie Stetler.
Other notable women-centric nominations
Movies
“The Shape of Water,” which stars nominee Sally Hawkins as a mute cleaning lady who falls for a soulful, otherworldly beast, tops all movies with seven nominations, including best director, best screenplay and best motion picture, drama. Octavia Spencer received a best supporting actress nomination for her role as Zelda Fuller. Vanessa Taylor co-wrote the screenplay.
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” which stars Frances McDormand, picked up six nominations. McDormand was nominated for best actress in a drama film.
Steven Spielberg’s “The Post” focuses on The Washington Post during the chaotic days leading up to the publication of the Pentagon Papers in 1971. The film received six nods, including a best actress nomination for Meryl Streep, who plays Post publisher Katharine Graham.
Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird” picked up four nominations, including best screenplay. Gerwig wrote and directed the film.
Television
HBO’s “Big Little Lies” leads the back with six nominations, including acting nods for Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley.
FX’s “Feud: Bette and Joan” got four nominations. The series retells the drama between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford on the 1962 set of “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” Susan Sarandon, who played Davis, and Jessica Lange, who played Crawford, will square off in the best actress in a TV movie/limited series category.
Netflix’s “The Crown” and Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” — which have prominent female leads — will battle it out for best drama series. The series’ competition includes HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” NBC’s “This Is Us” and “Stranger Things” from Netflix.
After being overlooked last year, Issa Rae received a best actress in a comedy series nod for her role on “Insecure.”
For a complete list of nominees, click here.
