Women directors aren’t a new concept. But the surge of actresses stepping behind the camera? That’s this year’s plot twist. From Oscar winners Kate Winslet and Scarlett Johansson to breakout talents making bold pivots, it’s a watershed moment for female performers turned filmmakers.
This rising generation is following a path forged by pioneers like Ida Lupino and Elaine May. Then there was Barbra Streisand, who directed and starred in “Yentl,” and earned a best picture nod for “The Prince of Tides.” More recently, Greta Gerwig became the only director to have her first three films nominated for best picture, a feat that redefined what’s possible for actresses making the jump. So who among this year’s crop will deliver the next “Barbie?”
The Chronology of Water Director: Kristen Stewart
Andrejs Strokins
“The Chronology of Water” (The Forge)
THE PROJECT
Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut adapts Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir — a coming-of-age odyssey steeped in trauma and artistic awakening.
THE IMPACT
Few actresses have rebranded with Stewart’s ferocity. Her post-“Twilight” résumé reads like a manifesto of risk. This is her clearest creative declaration yet: a work unafraid of confrontation or mess, with strong turns from her cast.
VERDICT
An astounding first feature: raw, queer, elliptical and defiantly personal. That doesn’t make it wildly commercial, but that’s not the point.
DON’T LET’S GO TO THE DOGS TONIGHT, director Embeth Davidtz, on set
©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
“Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight” (Sony Pictures Classics)
THE PROJECT
Character actress Embeth Davidtz — whose work spans “Schindler’s List,” “Junebug” and “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” — makes her directorial debut adapting Alexandra Fuller’s memoir.
THE IMPACT
Davidtz channels decades of nuanced supporting work into a story about childhood, colonialism and fractured identity. Her leap signals a widening path for mid-career actresses.
VERDICT
A raw, literary and visually intimate debut from someone who spent years mastering the art of doing more with less.
Eleanor the Great
Sony Pictures Classics
“Eleanor the Great” (Sony Pictures Classics)
THE PROJECT
After decades as one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, Scarlett Johansson makes her directing debut with a drama centered on reinvention after loss, anchored by 96-year-old June Squibb.
THE IMPACT
Johansson joins peers like Bradley Cooper and Gerwig in converting superstardom into creative control. Her involvement brings instant visibility to a story not often told.
VERDICT
A crucial test of whether Johansson’s narrative instincts translate beyond performance. The reviews suggest they do.
GOODBYE JUNE, from left: Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet
©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
“Goodbye June” (Netflix)
THE PROJECT
Oscar winner Kate Winslet, who has spent three decades at the center of prestige filmmaking, gets behind the camera for the first time with a family drama written by her son, Joe Anders.
THE IMPACT
Winslet has long been producing her own work and mentoring rising filmmakers. Her directorial voice promises an actor-first sensibility, reflected in turns from Helen Mirren and Andrea Riseborough.
VERDICT
A debut with pedigree baked in, especially given Winslet’s reputation for fearlessness and Netflix’s backing.
RENTAL FAMILY, from left: Brendan Fraser, Shannon Gorman
©Searchlight Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
“Rental Family” (Searchlight Pictures)
THE PROJECT
A former actress now emerging as a directorial force, Hikari brings an observational lens to this drama starring Brendan Fraser as a lonely American adrift in Tokyo.
THE IMPACT
Hikari represents a parallel phenomenon: actresses pivoting early to filmmaking, then quietly building careers that shape the international festival circuit.
VERDICT
A filmmaker worth tracking, and a storyteller specializing in the emotional spaces between cultures, identities and chosen families.
Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
“The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures)
THE PROJECT
Mona Fastvold began as an actress, then emerged as one of Sundance’s most commanding directors with “The Sleepwalker” and “The World to Come.” Her latest, starring Amanda Seyfried, plunges deeper into her fascination with female interiority.
THE IMPACT
Fastvold represents the actress-turnedauteur blueprint: someone whose background enriches every frame with psychological texture.
VERDICT
A director whose style only grows more luminous. Her creative partnership with “The Brutalist” director Brady Corbet should keep paying dividends.
