Lights, Camera, Action: Women Directors You Need To Know About

When it comes to representation in media and entertainment, the people who make them are just as important as those who front them. And that holds extra weight when it comes to the women behind the camera. If you’re an avid fan of movies, then you know that there is a wealth of talent when it comes to women directors, both in the Philippines and abroad. It is also known, though, that female directors often don’t get the recognition or opportunities they deserve. But slowly and surely, that is starting to change.

​There are filmmakers whose vision and direction cut through the noise to tell unique, different, exciting, and necessary stories through captivating and compelling means. They are boldly making their mark on the film industry, and below, we highlight some of the these talented visionaries working in film today. Though vastly diverse in their perspectives and backgrounds, each one has a vision and gift for storytelling that makes today’s film industry as eventful as it is.

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​Chloé Zhao – The GOAT Herself

Arguably one of the best directors working in the industry today, Chloé Zhao first landed on cinephiles’ maps with her acclaimed indie features Songs My Brothers Taught Me andThe Rider. She then established herself as a force in filmmaking with her Oscar-winning film Nomadland, where she made history as the first woman of color and second woman ever to win the Best Director statue at the Oscars.

Her first foray into mainstream filmmaking came in the underrated MCU film Eternals. Currently, she’s making waves once more with the critically-acclaimed moving drama Hamnet, which chronicles Agnes and William Shakespeare dealing with the loss of their son Hamlet. Her movies never miss, and you can count on her to deliver multi-dimensional characters that connect with audiences on a deeper level.

Antoinette Jadaone – For the Girls

What we love about Antoinette Jadaone is that she doesn’t just make good movies, but she makes good movies about women. Ever since she released her feature debut film, Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay, in 2011, Jadaone has made hit after hit. Some of her most recognizable works include the TV show On The Wings of Love, as well as movies like That Thing Called Tadhana, Love You to the Stars and Back, Never Not Love You, Alone/Together, Fan Girl, and Sunshine. Yes, she did all that.

Whether it’s about the trappings of fan culture, the realism of living with your significant other, or a sci-fi twist to finding yourself, she zags when others zig. And outside of her work as a filmmaker, writer, and producer, Direk Tonete is just an all-around cool creative.

Greta Gerwig – A Top Director for Women-Led Movies

While the idea of actors directing movies might be questionable to some, it has actually led to some excellent results. Such is the case with Greta Gerwig, who has been leaving her stamp on modern cinema since she began directing in the late 2010s. Her debut feature was 2008’s Nights and Weekends, which she also starred in. But she exploded onto the scene when she wrote and directed Lady Bird, a seminal film of young adulthood and a favorite among many young film fans. Proving that she wasn’t a one-hit wonder, she then followed that up with her well-received adaptation of Little Women.

Greta would then go on to receive further critical acclaim and break box office records with her take on Barbie in 2023, a movie that took over pop culture that year. Her films have undoubtedly shaped modern female cinema with some of the most memorable female protagonists of the past ten years. And as for her next movie, Greta is adapting another literary classic with her reboot of Narnia for Netflix, set for release sometime in 2026.

Irene Villamor – Showcasing a More Mature Side of Love

Filipinos love a good love story. But when it comes to director and writer Irene Villamor, she gives romance a more rounded, grounded, and nuanced edge. Her films, from On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets, Ulan, Sid & Aya: Not a Love Story, Meet Me In St. Gallen, and her most recent hit, The Loved One, are love stories that eschew typical trends and tropes. They tell more mature tales of people who want to love and be in love, but are also motivated by other factors that go deeper than attraction.

It’s an aspect seen in her recent films, Sid and Aya and The Loved One, where romance is made more complicated by urban loneliness, or how living in a big city can feel like an isolating experience. The main characters of these films don’t just want to find love, but a companion they can connect with amidst the hustle and bustle of metropolitan living. Her films may not be the flashiest, but they’re just as hard-hitting.

Sofia Coppola – The Indie Queen

The darling director of the indie scene, Sofia Coppola may have gotten her start acting in her father’s movies, but she quickly established herself as a creative force with her directorial debut, The Virgin Suicides. Her succeeding efforts, most notably Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, The Beguiled, On the Rocks, and Priscilla, have endeared her to many as a favorite. Her movies, many of which are cult classics, stand out for their depiction of girlhood and womanhood, and what can be described as the signature Sofia Coppola aesthetic of imbuing style with visuals.  

Cathy Garcia-Sampana – The Box Office Director

If there were to be a Mt. Rushmore of Filipino directors, Cathy Garcia-Sampana would be a strong contender for inclusion. She is an institution and a legend at this point in the Philippine movie industry with films that have made bank at the box office and embedded themselves in Filipino pop culture. From Four Sisters and a Wedding, She’s Dating the Gangster, The Hows of Us, Hello, Love, Goodbye, and more, Direk Catchy knows how to make modern rom-com classics as she combines mainstream tastes with artistic expression.

Whether it be a love team or an ensemble, Direk Catchy can bring out the best in the actors she works with. In 2026, she’s back on the silver screen once more, this time directing Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano’s upcoming film Tayo Sa Wakas.

Celine Song – A Rising Star

In just two movies, Celine Song has become one of the most exciting new directors to watch. But given what she’s made so far, it’s not hard to see why. Her directorial debut, Past Lives, was the sleeper hit of 2023, steadily building a fanbase with its subtle yet moving love story about two Koreans who reunite in adulthood and navigate their complicated feelings for each other. The movie earned a nomination for Best Picture at the Oscars and earned the director a nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

​The Canadian director then followed it up with The Materialists, a rom-com starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal that sparked strong discourse on social media on “broke boy propaganda” and its wider themes of how love and social status intertwine.

Samantha Lee – Championing Queer Narratives

As queer voices continue the slow but steady climb towards better representation in mainstream media, Samantha Lee is helping lead the charge as her movies spotlight proper LGBTQIA+ narratives in local cinema, especially when it comes to women-led stories. She broke into the scene with her debut feature, Baka Bukas, which was followed up with the fan favorite Billie and Emma, a story about a pregnant teenage girl who falls in love with the new girl in school.

She made her series directing debut with Sleep With Me, an iWant original starring Lovi Poe and Janine Gutierrez in their very first girl’s love show together. Less than a year later, Samantha would score another hit with the Cinemalaya sensation Rookie, a sapphic coming-of-age film about two high school volleyball teammates who develop feelings for each other.  

Rae Red – Thrillers Through the Female Gaze

When you come from filmmaking royalty, you have a lot to live up to. But Rae Red is meeting those expectations and then some. Before she started directing her own films, she co-wrote the screenplays to some of her brother Mikhail Red’s movies, including Birdshot, Neomanila, and Eerie. When she transitioned into directing, she made a name for herself with her female-focused and edgy thrillers featuring gritty storytelling and grittier characters. Her solo feature debut, Babae At Baril, is a showcase of that.

The dramatic thriller, starring Janine Gutierrez as a woman who reaches her breaking point, was a hit with critics. Rae was subsequently nominated for a slew of awards at FAMAS 2020, including Best Director and Screenplay. Her follow-up, the horror-thriller Tenement 66, was the only Filipino film to compete at the 25th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. She then worked with Nadine Lustre on the drama series Roadkillers. This year, Rae Red is teaming up once more with Janine Gutierrez on the sapphic folk horror film Balaraw, which is dropping on Netflix later this year.  

Nia DaCosta – One of the Next Big Names

Nia DaCosta got her start in filmmaking when her script for her directorial feature Little Woods was one of the 12 projects chosen for the 2015 Sundance Screenwriters and Directors Labs. It had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018, where it was met with critical acclaim, and was acquired by Neon thereafter.

Hollywood soon took notice, and Jordan Peele tapped her to direct Candyman, the spiritual sequel to the horror movie of the same name from 1992. With the project, she made history as the first black female filmmaker to have their movie debut at number one on the US box office. Her next project was The Marvels and made history again by becoming the first African-American woman to direct a Marvel movie.

In 2025, she made waves in the award circuit with her psychological drama Hedda, starring Tessa Thompson, and is currently on a hot streak as she directed the critically-acclaimed 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which is currently in the running as one of the best movies of 2026 so far.

Dwein Baltazar – A Creative Force in Local Cinema

With a resume that includes Gusto Kita With All My Hypothalamus, Exes Baggage, and Oda Sa Wala, Dwein Baltazar is not only a rising Filipina director but a promising scriptwriter, considering she wrote all those projects. Whether it be rom-coms or more introspective work, Dwein has written and directed it all with her stories touching upon more of the mundane with a deft hand. Her 2023 feature, Third World Romance, which tells a love story between two working-class adults struggling to balance their relationship with making ends meet, is the director at her finest in both storytelling and direction.

She can also translate her indie sensibilities to her more mainstream work, such as when she directed the lighthearted rom-com How to Spot a Red Flag starring Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano. The FAMAS and Gawad Urian-award-winning director and writer is one to watch.