The nominees of the 89th Academy Awards were announced a few days back, with some films getting big nods. A day after the announcement, Star Wars actor Natalie Portman took a moment to call out the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for snubbing female-directed films at this year`s Oscars nominations.
Natalie Portman on snub of women-directed films
At the Sundance Film Festival, Portman spoke to the media and shared her thoughts days after the Academy announced the nominations for the Oscars 2026. “So many of the best films I saw this year were made by women. You just see the barriers at every level because so many were not recognised at awards time. Between `Sorry Baby` and `Left-Handed Girl` and `Hedda` and `The Testament of Ann Lee`… extraordinary films this year that I think a lot of people are enjoying and loving, but are not getting the accolades they deserve,” she said, as quoted by Variety.
At the Oscars nominations, while Chloe Zhao`s Hamnet picked up eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, many other women-led films were shut out, reported Variety.
Natalie Portman says that “so many women” were snubbed for award nominations, including for films like “Sorry, Baby” and “The Testament of Ann Lee”: “We have a lot of work to do still.”
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— Variety (@Variety) January 24, 2026
Natalie Portman was present at the Sundance Film Festival for the world premiere of her film The Gallerist, directed by Cathy Yan. Portman features in the film alongside Jenna Ortega. It revolves around a desperate gallerist who conspires to sell a dead body at Art Basel Miami.
About Oscars 2026 nominations
On January 22, the Academy unveiled its highly anticipated Oscar nominations, setting the stage for what can be described as Hollywood`s biggest night. Leading the race was Michael B Jordan`s Sinners with a record-setting 16 nods, closely followed by A-list titles like One Battle After Another, Marty Supreme, Sentimental Value, and Frankenstein, among others.
Among the leading acting awards, Timothee Chalamet scripted history as the youngest man with his third Best Actor nod at the Oscars. Others in the race are Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Michael B Jordan (Sinners), and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent).
International films scored well this time again, while the Animated Feature race was graced by the highest-grossing Hollywood toon, Zootopia 2, and Netflix`s popular hit, K-Pop Demon Hunters.
