Women have played an essential role in the early film industry, working their way up from low-paying positions to top executive roles. Although producing and directing is a male-dominated industry, women continue to tell stories with excellence, breaking records as they do so. Here are Arts and Entertainment’s top picks for women in the film industry. 

KATHRYN BIGELOW

Most famous for directing “The Hurt Locker” in 2008, Bigelow won many awards for her role in the making of this film. She was the first woman to win the Directors Guild of America award for directing and the first woman to win a BAFTA award for best director. She went on to win an Oscar for best director in 2010 for the film. She was handed her Oscar statuette by Barbara Streisand, the only woman to ever win a Golden Globe award. Bigelow continues to direct today.     

RITA MORENO

Known for her lead role in “West Side Story” in 1961, Moreno is one of the few performers to have won an Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy award. Her career began in her early teens, gracing the Broadway stage early in her life. Her career more seriously began with “West Side Story,” as she went on to have over 163 credits for acting and voice.  

HALLE BERRY 

Although Berry starred in many significant films, she made history when she starred in “Monster’s Ball” in 2001 and became the first African American woman to win best actress at the Academy Awards. Her other most notable roles include “Storm” in the X-Men series and Catwoman. 

SHONDA RHIMES 

The genius producer behind “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” “How to Get Away With Murder” and fan-favorite Netflix series “Bridgerton,” Rhimes has made her mark on the TV industry with her genius for storytelling. In 2006, she won the Writer’s Guild of America award for Best New Series, going on to win a Producer’s Guild of America award in 2007. In that year, she also won Glamour’s woman of the year award.    

VERNA FIELDS 

Fields is known for her work on “Jaws” in 1975. Nicknamed “Mother Cutter” because of her ability to cut film so adeptly, she knew when to cut the film away to leave enough to the imagination and keep the shark from looking fake. The year after the film was released, she became the Vice President of feature film production for Universal Studios.