Celebrate Women's History Month With These Filmmakers

March is Women’s History Month and at Sling TV, we’re marking the occasion with a spotlight on some of the best and most-acclaimed female filmmakers and producers throughout history.

In honor of International Women's Day, here’s a look at five women who have made a significant impact behind the camera. For even more Women’s History Month suggestions, check out our collection “Celebrating Women’s Stories” under the “On Demand” tab in the Sling TV app. To subscribe to Sling and start watching, use the link at the bottom of this page!

Clockwise from top left: Jessica Biel, Alice Guy-Blache, Ava DuVernay, Chloé Zhao, Patty Jenkins, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Amy Heckerling, Greta Gerwig, Kathryn Bigelow, Ida Lupino, Mindy Kaling.

Greta Gerwig - Actor/ Writer/ Director

Between her early years in the “mumblecore” scene and her recent pivot to more prestige-oriented projects (and a new turn toward popcorn fare like the upcoming Barbie movie), Greta Gerwig is firmly entrenched as one of the most gifted all-around talents working today. In Frances Ha (which she co-wrote and starred in), she’s magnetic as a listless romantic; her script for Little Women is among the best, most clever adaptations of a classic novel; and the empathetic performances in her directorial breakout Ladybird earned Oscar nominations for stars Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf.

What to Watch: Ladybird (SHOWTIME); Little Women (STARZ); Frances Ha (IFC Films Unlimited)

Patty Jenkins - Writer/ Director

Patty Jenkins’ 2003 debut film Monster earned star Charlize Theron an Academy Award, but Jenkins wouldn’t return to the big screen until 2017, when she made one of the best comic book adaptations yet with Wonder Woman. In the interim, she directed episodes of acclaimed shows like Arrested Development and The Killing, making her one of the most diverse directors of both television and film.

What to Watch: Wonder Woman/ Wonder Woman 1984 (TNT)

Mindy Kaling - Actor/ Writer/ Director

When producers were putting together the crew for the American version of The Office, they were looking for performers who could also help sculpt the tone of the show in the writers room. In addition to writer-performer B.J. Novak, who played Ryan, showrunner Greg Daniels tapped Mindy Kaling, the only woman in the writer's room, to play Kelly. Kaling wrote some of The Office’s most iconic episodes, including season 2’s “The Dundies” and Jim and Pam’s wedding episode “Niagra.” Since the end of The Office, Kaling has created shows like The Mindy Project on FOX and the HBO Max hit Velma.

What to Watch: The Office (Comedy Central)

Chloé Zhao - Writer/ Director

In 2021, Chloé Zhao made history as the first Asian woman to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Director, an award she later won. It was richly deserved; not only was she able to coax exceptional naturalism out of her actors (many of whom were normal people, not trained actors), but her eye captured the desolate western landscape in all of its bittersweet splendor. She followed up her quiet character-study with Marvel's Eternals. Although that film doesn’t entirely work, it showed Zhao’s willingness to push her talents in totally new directions, leaving us very excited to see whatever she does next.

What to Watch: Nomadland ($3.99 Rental); Eternals ($3.99 Rental)

Alice Guy-Blache - Director

Going back all the way to the beginning of cinema, you’ll find Alice Guy-Blache, a pioneer in narrative film. Columbia University says that from 1896 to 1906, Guy was “probably the only woman film director in the world.” That could be disputed, but it's an established fact that after becoming the first woman to direct a film, she “directed and produced or supervised almost six hundred silent films ranging in length from one minute to thirty minutes,” according to Columbia.

What to Watch: Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blache (Sundance Now)

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