Natalie Portman said that many of the strongest films she watched this year were helmed by women, yet failed to receive major awards attention. She pointed to titles such as Sorry Baby, Left-Handed Girl, Hedda and The Testament of Ann Lee, calling them “extraordinary” works that resonated with audiences but were absent from the nominations conversation

Actress Natalie Portman spoke out against what she sees as a continued lack of recognition for women filmmakers at the Oscars 2026, days after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced this year’s nominations. The Star Wars actor addressed the issue while attending the Sundance Film Festival, where she expressed disappointment over several acclaimed female-directed films being overlooked.

In a video shared by Variety from Sundance, Portman said that many of the strongest films she watched this year were helmed by women, yet failed to receive major awards attention.

She pointed to titles such as Sorry Baby, Left-Handed Girl, Hedda and The Testament of Ann Lee, calling them “extraordinary” works that resonated with audiences but were absent from the nominations conversation.

"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 the 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 reportedly said.

While Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet emerged as a notable exception with eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, several other films led by women failed to make the cut.

Portman was at Sundance for the world premiere of her upcoming film The Gallerist, directed by Cathy Yan. The film also stars Jenna Ortega and follows the darkly satirical story of a struggling art dealer who hatches a shocking plan to sell a dead body at Art Basel Miami.

The Oscar nominations, announced on January 22, set the tone for what is shaping up to be a competitive awards season. Michael B. Jordan’s Sinners leads the pack with a record-breaking 16 nominations, followed closely by One Battle After Another, Marty Supreme, Sentimental Value and Frankenstein.

In the acting categories, Timothée Chalamet made history as the youngest male actor to receive three Best Actor nominations. He is joined in the category by Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners) and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent).

International cinema once again made a strong showing, while the Animated Feature category features big contenders including the box-office juggernaut Zootopia 2 and Netflix’s hit K-Pop Demon Hunters.