Natalie Portman is back at it again, and honestly, we shouldn't be suprised. The Black Swan star has never been one to bite her tongue when it comes to how the Academy treats female creators. This weekend at the Sundance Film Festival, she really went in on the 2026 Oscar nominations, which were just announced on January 22nd.
 |
| (Photo Credit: natalieportman/Instagram) Natalie Portman Slams Academy Over Lack of Female Filmmakers |
While she was there promoting her new movie The Gallerist (which stars Jenna Ortega and sounds totally wild—it's about selling a dead body at an art show??), she took a moment during the press conference to address the elephant in the room.
The "Exclusion" Quote
Natalie didn't hold back. She pointed out that while we always talk about the struggle for women to even get into the director's chair, the real slap in the face happens at the finish line.
"You just see the barriers at every level because so many were not recognised at awards time... the exclusion becomes even more apparent."
She basically argued that even when women make the best movies of the year, the "system" still finds a way to look past them when it's time to hand out the gold statues.
The 2026 Snubs Natalie Named
She actually named names this time, which was pretty bold. Here are the movies she mentioned that she felt the Academy totally ignored:
Hedda
Sorry Baby
Left-Handed Girl
The Testament of Ann Lee
She noted that while Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet did amazing (it got 8 nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture), having just one woman represented feels more "performative" than like actual change. It’s like the Academy picks one person to be the "face" of female filmmaking for the year and forgets everyone else.
Why This Matters (Again)
If you remember back in 2020, Natalie wore that famous Dior cape with the names of snubbed female directors embroidered on it. It seems like 6 years later, she feels like not much has actually changed.
The 2026 nominations were dominated by big male-led projects like Michael B. Jordan’s Sinners (which got a whopping 16 nods!) and One Battle After Another. Portman’s point is that the "extraordinary films" made by women are being loved by audiences but aren't getting the "accolades they deserve" from the voters.
A Bittersweet Moment
It wasn't all movie talk, though. Natalie also mentioned how "bittersweet" the festival felt because she’s also been very vocal about the tragic death of Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier this month. She’s trying to balance celebrating her film with calling out what she calls "ICE brutality," which shows she’s definitely focused on much bigger things than just Hollywood trophies right now.
0 Comments
Do Share Your Views