Who was the first woman to be nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards?

In 86 years, only four women have been nominated for a Best Director Oscar. Only one, Kathryn Bigelow, has won. Lina Wertmuller was the first woman nominated for the 1976 film, Seven Beauties. Jane Campion was the second woman to be nominated for the 1993 film, The Piano. Sofia Coppola was the third for Lost in Translation (2003), and Kathryn Bigelow was the fourth for The Hurt Locker (2009).

Lina Wertmuller was born Arcangela Felice Assunta Wertmüller von Elgg Spañol von Braueich in Rome in August 1928. She is an Italian screenwriter and film director. In general, it is known that Wertmüller's films highly reflect her own political commitments, with main characters who are either dedicated anarchists, communists, or feminists. Mostly, the main action in her films centers on political or socioeconomic conflicts.