Hollywood darling Natalie Portman did not hold back at the Sundance Film Festival taking a pointed jab at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The ‘Star Wars’ star spoke openly about how female-directed films were overlooked in this year’s Oscar nominations.
“So many of the best films I saw this year were made by women,” Portman told reporters. “You just see the barriers at every level because so many were not recognised at awards time. Between ‘Sorry Baby’, ‘Left-Handed Girl’, ‘Hedda’, and ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’… Extraordinary films this year that a lot of people are loving, but they are not getting the accolades they deserve,” she added, as Variety reported.
Her comments came just days after the Academy announced its nominations.
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Women-led films left out
While Chloe Zhao’s ‘Hamnet’ earned eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, many other notable films led by women were completely shut out. This left industry insiders and film lovers wondering why so many exceptional works went unrecognised.
Portman’s own Sundance appearance added to the buzz. She was there for the world premiere of ‘The Gallerist’, directed by Cathy Yan and co-starring Jenna Ortega. The darkly comedic film follows a desperate gallerist who hatches a wild plan to sell a dead body at Art Basel Miami.
Oscar nominations: Male names take the lead
The Oscars 2026 nominations, revealed on January 22, set the stage for Hollywood’s biggest night. Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Sinners’ dominated with a record-breaking 16 nods. This was closely followed by ‘One Battle After Another’, ‘Marty Supreme’, ‘Sentimental Value’, and ‘Frankenstein’.
Among actors, history was made when Timothée Chalamet scored his third Best Actor nomination, becoming the youngest man ever to achieve this feat.
Other Best Actor contenders include Leonardo DiCaprio (‘One Battle After Another’), Ethan Hawke (‘Blue Moon’), Michael B. Jordan (‘Sinners’), and Wagner Moura (‘The Secret Agent’).