Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Reuters/Disney/Pixar
If Domee Shi scores the Oscar for Best Animated Feature this year for Pixar’s charming Turning Red, she’ll become the first woman director to win in the category on her own.
In the 22-year history of the Best Animated Feature category, only two women have won. Brenda Chapman and Jennifer Lee won for Brave and Frozen, respectively—but both split the award with their male co-directors.
“That’s crazy!” Shi says of this shocking fact over Zoom, a stack of plush red pandas behind her. “That’s nuts. It really shows that, man, change is slow. It’s something we have to keep on fighting for and advocating for. Even after our movie is done, I’m putting it upon myself to make sure the door is open for more filmmakers like me to come in.”