One of the areas in film where the gender gap is most striking is the director’s chair. In 2016's top 250 films, women accounted for only 7% of all directors, down from 9% in 2015 which is still flat-out terrible. Only one woman has won the Best Director Oscar, and only four women have ever even been nominated for the award. These staggeringly low numbers reflect a great imbalance and lack of representation in Hollywood, which may pride itself on progressive leanings but still has a long way to go.

But these numbers don’t reflect the reality that female directors are churning out some of the best and most exciting films of our time, when they’re given the chance. Blockbusters are consistently given to men—both accomplished and fresh out of Sundance—over women, and when men fail they usually get the chance to redeem themselves with either a mid-range project or yet another blockbuster. An expensive failure for a woman director, meanwhile, can mean the end of her career.

So in celebration of International Women’s Day, we here at Collider have culled together a list of some of the most exciting female directors working today. These are filmmakers who consistently churn out interesting work with a strong point of view, and who deserve to be considered alongside the Colin Trevorrows and Jordan Vogt-Roberts’s when it comes time to find a director for the next massive franchise.

This list is incomplete and is just a small portion of the great female directors working today, so we invite you to share some of your favorites in the comments below.

[Updated: June 6th]

Dee Rees

While filmmaker Dee Rees is best known for her debut feature Pariah, about a young black girl embracing her identity as a lesbian, she’s about to break out in a big way in 2017. She debuted her new feature Mudbound at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and it proves Rees has the goods to deliver a big film with a large cast while maintaining a focus on character and tone. The film is a true Southern epic, and Rees handles the massive ensemble and shifting points of view with ease while also capturing a visually evocative palette alongside cinematographer Rachel Morrison (side note: female cinematographers are in very short supply). Rees is clearly a filmmaker who has something to say, and through Pariah, Mudbound, and Bessie not to mention TV work like Empire and the mini-series When We Rise, she knows exactly how to say it. – Adam Chitwood

Ava DuVernay

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Image via Paramount

Ava DuVernay is proof positive that not all great filmmakers have to be child prodigies or come up through film school. She worked in public relations before making her feature directorial debut in 2008, a documentary called This Is the Life. That was followed by low-budget narrative features like I Will Follow and Middle of Nowhere, then she really burst onto the scene with the incisive Martin Luther King Jr. drama Selma. The film is a searing look at the civil rights movement that focuses on one particular event, exploring multiple points of view to give shading to the human nature of Dr. King. It is assured, emotional, and unbelievably confident, and it’s no surprise DuVernay had her pick of projects in its wake. After passing on Marvel’s Black Panther and directing the impactful and important Netflix documentary 13th, she signed on to helm Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time, becoming the first black female director ever to helm a $100 million film.

But DuVernay puts her money where her mouth is, culling together an inclusive crew on the project that gives women and people of color the experience and opportunity necessary to succeed. There’s a lack of female directors on blockbuster projects because they’re not given the benefit of the doubt, and thus don’t have the experience some studios deem necessary. But that’s true of all positions on a film set, from the cinematographer to the line producer. So in crewing up A Wrinkle in Time with women and people of color, DuVernay is not just seizing her own opportunity as a filmmaker to direct this big-budget film, she’s creating opportunity for others as well. That’s what we call a change-maker. – Adam Chitwood

Lesli Linka Glatter

Lesli Linka Glatter may be one of the most consistently great directors working today—it’s just that she’s mainly been working in television. From Twin Peaks to Freaks and Geeks to Mad Men to ER to The West Wing, she’s about as versatile as they come. For the past few years she’s been the principal director on Homeland, mastering the show’s balance of tension and character. She helmed the memorable 1995 feature Now and Then and the period drama The Proposition so she knows her way around a film set, and her recent mastery of the spy genre signals she’d make one hell of an action movie. Again, her consistency of quality is stunning, and if and when Glatter makes a return to the big screen it’s gonna be a hell of a thing. – Adam Chitwood

Amma Asante

Image via Fox Searchlight

Look no further than Amma Asante for proof that a feminine point of view can change the way a story is told for the better. A relatively new filmmaker, actress-turned-director Asante made her feature debut with 2004’s A Way of Life but really broke out as a director with 2013’s race-centric Belle. The true story of a mixed race woman being raised by her aristocratic uncle in 18th century England benefits from Asante’s assured direction and female point of view, allowing Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s performance to shine. She followed that up with this year’s interracial marriage story A United Kingdom, once again proving incredibly capable at presenting complicated narratives in an engaging and emotionally affecting manner. – Adam Chitwood

Nancy Meyers

How many female auteur filmmakers exist today? Not many, but Nancy Meyers—love or hate her films—is undoubtedly one. She got her start as a screenwriter with undeniably feminist pics like Private Benjamin and Baby Boom, but also showed her knack with warmth and relationships by penning Father of the Bride. Directorially she’s developed a signature aesthetic that’s something like being wrapped in a warm blanket and drinking hot tea. Something’s Gotta Give is her best work to date, but even mixed bags like It’s Complicated or The Intern are charming and compelling. She’s terrific with performances and production design (be honest, who wouldn’t want to live in a Nancy Meyers kitchen?), and the fact that a Nancy Meyers movie is unmistakable is a testament to her confidence of vision as a filmmaker. – Adam Chitwood

Nicole Holofencer

Nicole Holofcener is an incredibly human filmmaker, able to zero in on her characters with an almost uncanny intimacy that feels nearly voyeuristic. She made waves with films like Walking and Talking and Please Give, but her 2013 Julia Louis-Dreyfus/James Gandolfini two-hander Enough Said is her crowning achievement thus far, and we eagerly await her next feature. Holofcener is a true writer/director, crafting her characters from the ground up and breathing life into them in a naturalistic manner. Her films are never one thing—they’re funny and sad, insightful and light, and she’s right up there with the very best humanist filmmakers around. – Adam Chitwood

Susanne Bier

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Image via AMC

Not only was it a surprise that one of the best spy movies of 2016 was on television, but it was directed by a woman no less. AMC’s The Night Manager proved that Tom Hiddleston has the goods for Bond, but it also showed that Emmy-winning filmmaker Susanne Bier—who helmed all six episodes—had the goods to bring an action-centric, globe-trotting spy thriller to the screen to excellent results. Bier is no stranger to the film world having helmed features like Things We Lost in the Fire and Open Hearts, but The Night Manager—which netted her an Emmy win—showed she really needs to get behind an action movie. – Adam Chitwood

Kathryn Bigelow

The only woman ever to win an Oscar for Best Director, Bigelow has remained steadfast in making the films she wants to make rather than trying to use her awards cloud to return to blockbuster filmmaking. While fans would love to see her bring her talents to a superhero movie, I love that Bigelow is making serious movies for adults. It’s been five years since her last movie, the searing and thoughtful Zero Dark Thirty, but in 2017 it looks like we’re finally going to get a new Bigelow film, which takes a look at the 1967 Detroit riots. I can’t wait to see her take on the material, which is sure to be thoughtful, complicated, and worth discussing. – Matt Goldberg

Lexi Alexander

In a just world, Lexi Alexander’s Punisher: War Zone would be the R-rated superhero movie that everyone talks about and her career takes off like a rocket. Unfortunately, the film was destined to be a cult classic and Alexander has been spending her time on genre TV shows like Arrow, Supergirl, and Taken. Hollywood needs to sit up and take notice of Alexander’s work and giver her another film because she’s shown herself to not only be a fearless filmmaker, but one who’s kind of ahead of her time when it comes to comic book movies. – Matt Goldberg

Lana and Lily Wachowski

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The best and the worst thing that ever happened to Lana and Lily Wachowski was The Matrix. It launched their careers, but it also became this milestone that they would like never reach again. It’s a landmark of action cinema, and yet I would argue that their subsequent films have been just as interesting. Speed Racer is a colorful, unapologetically gleeful family film that’s unafraid to mix some corporate intrigue into its anime-inspired visuals, and Cloud Atlas is far superior to the novel that inspired it. Even when their movies misfire like The Matrix Revolutions and Jupiter Ascending, they’re fascinating in how badly they go astray. No matter what the Wachowskis do, they’re never boring. – Matt Goldberg

Michelle MacLaren

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Image via AMC

It’s kind of bonkers that after winning two Emmys and helming episodes of the most beloved dramas of the 21st century, Michelle MacLaren still hasn’t directed a feature film yet. She’s done episodes of Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, and Westworld, but apparently all of that cinematic television hasn’t been enough to get MacLaren to direct something that would be in cinemas. She was briefly attached to Wonder Woman, but eventually left the project due to creative differences. Back in August, we reported that she had signed on to direct the World War II movie The Nightingale, so here’s hoping that comes together. – Matt Goldberg

Julia Ducournau

Though she’s only just released her first feature, french writer/director Julia Ducournau has already heralded a new and distinctive voice in genre cinema. Combining the sensibilities of iconoclasts like David Cronenberg and Brian de Palma, Ducournau’s Raw is an artful and feminist coming of age story is a daring, gory affair whose stylistic flourishes help reveal the film’s intellectual depth. She’s already hard at work at a follow-up, a “dark” exploration of the psyche of a female serial killer as she continues to explore the horror genre – but gore fiend or no, you can expect to hear Ducournau’s name a lot in the coming years. - Aubrey Page

Leigh Janiak

Inverting the classic body snatcher trope to deeply disturbing lengths in her debut Honeymoon, Leigh Janiak has quickly become a fixture in the indie horror scene, directing episodes of the deceptively addictive MTV series Scream as well as an episode of Robert Kirkman’s chilling Outcast. With a mature and grounded sense of style and atmosphere that betrays her scant years in the industry, it’s no wonder that Janiak’s next big project is a bigger budget remake of The Craft, making the uber-talented director one of the few female helmers to make the jump to the studio system in the last few years. One small step for Janiak, one giant leap for gender parity. (That’s how the saying goes, right?) - Aubrey Page

Karyn Kusama

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Image via Drafthouse Films

Honestly, it's a little insane that we're still talking about Karyn Kusama as some kind of emergent talent. Since she came on the scene with the bravado debut Girl Fight in 2000, Kusama has consistently demonstrated the skill and vision of remarkably versatile filmmaker, but she's failed to take off in the capacity of her male counterparts. She's done gritty character drama with Girl Fight, poppy teen horror with the woefully under-appreciated Jennifer's Body, and a meditative grief thriller with her triumphant return The Invitation. Even her studio-mangled Aeon Flux showed the director's capacity for visual splendor, and her television work on shows like Halt and Catch Fire, Masters of Sex, and The Man in the High Castle has continued to demonstrate her journeyman talents and stylistic flourish. Kusama is one of those directors that deserves so much better, and riding high of the critical acclaim for The Invitation, she's poised to find a major project that can introduce her talents to a wider audience — Haleigh Foutch

Amy Seimetz

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You probably know Amy Seimetz best as an actress, and that's no disservice to her tremendous talent. Delivering heart-rending turns in Shane Carruth's Upstream Color and Ti West's The Sacrament, Seimetz has a knack for tuning into unadorned emotional honesty – a trait that carries through to her work as a director. Seimetz made her debut with the raw low-budget drama Sun Don’t Shine and she's since applied her talents the Steven Soderbergh produced Starz series The Girlfriend Experience. As you might expect for someone working in the Soderbergh style, Seimetz has a knack for bare emotional candor and stylistic precision, and as an indie talent vested in multiple filmmaking talents, she has a journeyman skill set that distinguishes her skillful and precise filmmaker. — Haleigh Foutch

Jennifer Kent

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Image via IFC Films

Feature debuts don't get much better than what Jennifer Kent pulled off with The Babadook. Horror has consistently proved a fertile breeding ground for some of cinema's most bracing and fearless talents, and with The Babadook, Kent immediately put herself on the map as a filmmaker capable of the complete tonal command and emotional thrall of the very best. For her sophomore feature, Kent is moving out of the genre to a more a straight drama with The Nightingale, a revenge drama centered on the pointlessness of violent vindication. If she can continue to capture moments of visceral emotion and phrase them with gorgeous cinematic integrity, Kent will prove herself as a voice in film that cannot be ignored. — Haleigh Foutch

Sofia Coppola

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Add Sofia Coppola to the list of female auteurs. While Lost in Translation has proven to be a hard act to follow, the writer/director always makes interesting choices. Marie Antoinette suffered from following such a widely loved film, but in hindsight is a thoughtful and unique twist on the teen drama. And The Bling Ring captures the Los Angeles aesthetic in an almost hypnotizing manner. Up next is Coppola’s take on something of a feminist Gothic horror—The Beguiled—and it seems a perfect fit for Coppola’s alluring brand of filmmaking. – Adam Chitwood

Leslye Headland

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Image via Ifc Films

The Hangover resulted in a slew of imitators, and while Bridesmaids offered a terrific female-centric counterpoint, writer/director Leslye Headland’s 2012 debut Bachelorette was another R-rated comedy with female leads, this time from a female writer/director. The film was a hit on VOD and her follow-up feature, 2015’s criminally underseen Sleeping with Other People, showed Headland has a knack for the romantic comedy genre. The film is basically When Harry Met Sally with pricks as the lead characters, but Headland’s script knows when to lean into the protagonists’ less redeeming qualities and when to thread some heart into the picture. It’s a difficult tightrope balance but Headland pulls it off, and female voices in the comedy world are very underrepresented so she’s a welcome addition to the filmmaking body. – Adam Chitwood

Lone Scherfig

Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig is a truly unique filmmaking voice, and her filmography is wonderfully diverse. While she burst onto the scene with the beloved adaptation An Education, she subsequently tackled the issues of class warfare in the underrated The Riot Club. Most recently she helmed a true-story drama about female filmmakers during World War II called Their Finest, which is a charming romp that toes the line between romantic comedy and drama. She has an eye for visually arresting frames, and her casting skills are impeccable. – Adam Chitwood

Lynne Ramsay

While the controversy over the troubled production of Jane Got a Gun looms over Lynne Ramsay’s head, she remains one of the best and most interesting filmmakers around. 2011’s We Need to Talk About Kevin is like a shot out of a cannon—a firecracker piece of cinema featuring absolutely stunning performances and a narrative confidence that rivals the likes of Christopher Nolan. Here Ramsay chronicles child rearing and asks, “What happens if you don’t like your child?” It’s a psychological thriller and a grief drama and a dark comedy all in one, and while Jane Got a Gun didn’t work out, we still eagerly await Ramsay’s next effort. – Adam Chitwood