Guerilla Girls Take on the Academy

For over 30 years, the Guerilla Girls have actively been fighting sexism in art, politics and entertainment through situationist acts and performance art. Named after dead female artists, and hidden behind gorilla masks, the identity of the girls has often been the subject of scrutiny. In 2002, the Guerilla Girls' now infamous "Anatomically Correct Oscar" billboard was displayed at the corner Highland and Melrose in Hollywood during Oscar season, criticizing the Academy of Motion Pictures for failing to recognize the efforts of women and people of color. In partnership with MoviesByWomen.com, another billboard will be displayed just blocks away from the awards ceremony, highlighting the Academy's failure once again to recognize female directors.


Miranda July, for instance, directed what I consider to be the finest film of 2005 ("Me and You and Everyone We Know"), yet has not been nominated for any major awards. Among the other female directors who have had incredible influence on my work and education as a filmmaker are . . .

•Mary Harron: Wth a film style that is both aggressivee and beautiful, Harron directed two of the best films in recent memory - "I Shot Andy Warhol" and "American Psycho." With the ability to mesh in-your-face violence and sympathetic character studies, Harron generates remarkable performances from her actors (Christain Bale, Lily Taylor). Most recently, she directed one of the final episodes of "Six Feet Under" ("The Rainbow of Her Reasons"), while her film "The Notorious Bettie Page" will hit theaters later this year.

•Maya Deren: Known as the "Mother of Avant Garde Cinema," Deren directed and starred in a series of brilliant short films between 1943 and 1959, helping define the New York underground film scene. The dream-like qualities of "Meshes of the Afternoon" and "At Land" helped pave the way for the unique visions of David Lynch and Michel Gondry.

•Sadie Benning: In the early 1990's, Benning - then a teenager - gained notoriety for her short films, the majority of which were shot on a FisherPrice Pixelvision camera. Her work played on MTV and was featured twice in the Whitney Biennial. She most recently directed "Flat is Beautiful" (1998), mixing Pixelvision and Super-8, and was one of the founding members of Le Tigre. She left following the release of "Feminist Sweepstakes."

•Julie Taymor: Not falling victim to a symptom directors often suffer from when helming biopics, Taymor's "Frida" was most notable for its aesthetic qualities. In paying tribute to Frida Kahlo, Taymor used the aesthetics of Kahlo's work to craft a unique visual style. She also directed "Titus" (1999), and her latest - "Across the Universe" is scheduled for release later this year.