
The most inspiring women in film —
In 2010 Kathryn Bigelow became the first and only woman to win an Oscar for best director, for her film about an elite army bomb squad, "The Hurt Locker."

New Zealand director Jane Campion is the only female filmmaker in history to have won the Palme D'Or at Cannes Film Festival. She picked up the prestigious award in 1993 for "The Piano."

Award-winning "Fish Tank" director Andrea Arnold with British actor Ewan McGregor at the Cannes film festival 2012, where she was a member of the jury.

Lena Dunham won two Golden Globes for her comedy series "Girls" in January 2013. She is the writer and executive producer of the show, for which she also plays the lead role.

Director Lynne Ramsay, center, with actors Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly at the screening of their film "We Need to Talk About Kevin" at Cannes Film Festival 2011. The film picked up various awards including best film at the London Film Festival.

Director Mimi Leder is known for challenging stereotypes. She has directed high-octane action films, such as "Deep Impact," normally associated with male directors.

Egyptian-Welsh screenwriter and director Sally El Hosaini received multiple awards last year, including Best Newcomer at the London Film Festival and Best Cinematography at Sundance for her debut feature about Egyptian immigrants coming of age in East London "My Brother the Devil".

Zoe Kazan is the writer and lead role of 2012 hit comedy "Ruby Sparks". The film, which mocks the way men write roles for women, won Best Screenplay at the 2012 Independent Spirit Awards.

Award-winning director Sally Potter with actors Steve Buscemi and Patrick Adams at the screening of her film "Rage" at the Berlinale Film Festival 2009. The film also starred Lily Cole, Judi Dench, Jude Law and Eddie Izzard.

Haifaa Al-Mansour, center, directed Saudi Arabia's first feature film, "WADJDA", which won best film at the Dubai International Film Festival in 2011.

Tina Fey is an American actress, writer and director best known for her work on "Saturday Night Live", "30 Rock" and her film "Mean Girls". She has won seven Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes and was the first woman to host the Golden Globes in 2013.


