Ava DuVernay's snub in the Best Director category for “Selma” at this morning's Oscar nominations is disappointing, but not unprecedented.
Prior to DuVernay, eight different women were denied Best Director nominations for movies that garnered Best Picture nominations. They are:
1. Randa Haines, “Children of a Lesser God” (1986)
2. Barbra Streisand, “Prince of Tides” (1991)
3. Valerie Faris (co-director with Jonathan Dayton), “Little Miss Sunshine” (2007)
4. Loveleen Tandan (Danny Boyle's co-director in India; he won the award), “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008)
5. Lone Scherfig, “An Education” (2009)
6. Lisa Cholodenko, “The Kids are All Right” (2010)
7. Debra Granik, “Winter's Bone” (2010)
8. Kathryn Bigelow, “Zero Dark Thirty” (2013)
Meanwhile, only four women have actually earned nominations for Best Director in the history of the ceremony: Lina Wertmüller for “Seven Beauties” (1976), Jane Campion for “The Piano” (1993), Sofia Coppola for “Lost in Translation” (2003), and Kathryn Bigelow for “The Hurt Locker” (2009). Bigelow is the only woman to win the award.