The actress, Natalie Portman, was back at Sundance this year, but it was not to compete or attend, but to put the spotlight on her new movie, The Gallerist, and speak openly about how she believes that there should be more acknowledgment of female filmmakers at award shows. The actress made several stops on the circuit in advance of the world premiere of The Gallerist. She was very positive about the creative field, but also had several criticisms about it.
The actress criticized awards voters for repeatedly overlooking women directors
“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 recognized at 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.”
The Gallerist, directed by Birds of Prey & Dead Pigs filmmaker Cathy Yan, with Jenna Ortega in a lead role, is arguably the biggest film to have screened at the latest edition of Sundance, where it had its world premiere. “The film is darkly satirical in nature with elements of absurdity and explores an emotional depth.” For Portman, “it is exactly this kind of bold, unconventional storytelling that should be seen.”
While at the Variety Studio presented by Audible, Portman spoke some good things regarding Ortega, saying she is “one of the most focused young actors she has ever worked with.”
“She’s such a f— great actress and so knowledgeable about film,” Portman said. “She’s so on and in it. It is rare. I think you’re very focused and in tune with everything. You’re not there to mess around.“
Furthermore, Portman lauded director Cathy Yan for being a “brilliant leader.” “She has a specificity of vision. All the work ahead of time and her precise leadership leads to the possibility of spontaneity.” Portman said. “Balancing this very specific tone that is satirical but also true emotion in it, which is almost impossible to create, she knew how to do it and guide us to it.”
Considering The Gallerist was one of the most prominent movies screened during the prestigious Sundance event, helmed by a female filmmaker, Portman used this chance to open up about awards season and its aftermath, especially with regard to the recent 2026 Oscar nomination announcement. Even though Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet received eight nominations, which included Best Picture and Best Director, other prominent female-directed movies were not even on the nomination list.
She mentioned movies like Sorry Baby, Left-Handed Girl, Hedda, and The Testament of Ann Lee as examples of “outstanding movies that appealed but didn’t get any traction.” Instead, the language used by Portman to express her concern emphasized the trend that she believes the industry is continuing, rather than a one-time aberration, and her concern did not arise from a sense of outrage, but rather a sense of frustration, a sense of clarity, and a sense of wanting to highlight how talent, artistry, and stories need to be celebrated, regardless of who is behind the camera lens.
The message, of course, was clear at Sundance: whereas The Gallerist can be seen, in its own right, as an individual work, it is, in relation to Portman, a broader artistic movement, one that is typified by female directors who are intent upon creating bold stories that need to be placed firmly in the center, rather than on the periphery.
