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Kathryn Bigelow Biography

Birth Name:Kathryn Ann Bigelow

Birth Place:San Carlos, California, United States

Profession Director, Producer, Writer, Actress, Script department

Fast Facts

Became the first female director to ever win both a BAFTA and Oscar for Best Director for "The Hurt Locker"
Received a National Board of Review Award for Best Director for "Zero Dark Thirty," becoming the first woman to ever win the award
Graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute
Was married to filmmaker James Cameron
Began compiling her first film in 1978 while working and studying at Columbia University
Quote: "If there's specific resistance to women making movies, I just choose to ignore that as an obstacle for two reasons: I can't change my gender, and I refuse to stop making movies․"
Quote: "I always want to make films․ I think of it as a great opportunity to comment on the world in which we live․"
Quote: "You cast not for marquee value but for performance and talent․ The right actor for the part․ Anything else is compromise․"
Known for working on dramas with politcally relevant topics and themes
Gained international acclaim from critics for "The Hurt Locker․"

Awards

1988Saturn Award-Best Director: nominated
1988Grand Prize-: nominated
1988Silver Raven-: winner
1990Best Film-: nominated
1996Saturn Award-Best Director: winner
2000Golden Seashell-: nominated
2001Film and Literature Award-: winner
2008EDA Special Mention Award-Best of the Fests: nominated
2008Golden Lion-: nominated
2008Young Cinema Award-Best Film in Competition: winner
2008Human Rights Film Network Award-: winner
2008Sergio Trasatti Award-: winner
2008SIGNIS Award-: winner
2009EDA Female Focus Award-Perseverance Award: nominated
2009EDA Award-Best Director: winner
2009EDA Award-Best Picture: winner
2009EDA Female Focus Award-Outstanding Achievement by a Woman in the Film Industry: winner
2009EDA Female Focus Award-Best Woman Director: winner
2009EDA Female Focus Award-Women's Image Award: winner
2009AFCA Award-Best Director: winner
2009ACCA-Best Motion Picture: nominated
2009ACCA-Best Director: winner
2009BSFC Award-Best Director: winner
2009Top 10 Film Award-Best Film: nominated
2009CFCA Award-Best Director: winner
2009DFWFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2009DFCS Award-Best Director: nominated
2009DFCC-Best Director: winner
2009Golden Schmoes-Best Director of the Year: nominated
2009Gotham Independent Film Award-Best Feature: winner
2009HFCS Award-Best Picture: winner
2009HFCS Award-Best Director: winner
2009ICP Award-Best Director: winner
2009IFCS Award-Best Director: winner
2009KCFCC Award-Best Director: winner
2009Sierra Award-Best Director: winner
2009LAFCA Award-Best Director: winner
2009NYFCC Award-Best Director: winner
2009NYFCO Award-Best Director: winner
2009OFCC Award-Best Director: winner
2009Emerging Woman Award-: nominated
2009SDFCS Award-Best Director: nominated
2009SFFCC Award-Best Director: winner
2009Satellite Award-Best Director: winner
2009Golden Space Needle Award-Best Director: winner
2009SEFCA Award-Best Director: winner
2009SLFCA Award-Best Director: winner
2009TFCA Award-Best Director: winner
2009WAFCA Award-Best Director: winner
2010Movies for Grownups Award-Best Director: winner
2010Oscar-Best Achievement in Directing: winner
2010Oscar-Best Motion Picture of the Year: winner
2010Saturn Award-Best Director: nominated
2010Amanda-Best Foreign Feature Film (Årets utenlandske kinofilm): nominated
2010BAFTA Film Award-Best Film: winner
2010David Lean Award for Direction-Best Director: winner
2010Bodil-Best American Film (Bedste amerikanske film): nominated
2010Critics Choice Award-Best Director: winner
2010DFCS Award-Best Director: winner
2010DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: winner
2010Empire Award-Best Director: nominated
2010Gold Derby Film Award-Director: winner
2010Gold Derby Film Award-Motion Picture: winner
2010Gold Derby Film Award-Director of the Decade: nominated
2010Golden Globe-Best Director - Motion Picture: nominated
2010ICS Award-Best Director: nominated
2010INOCA-Best Director: winner
2010IFC Award-Best Director: winner
2010ALFS Award-Director of the Year: winner
2010NSFC Award-Best Director: winner
2010NTFCA Award-Best Director: winner
2010OFTA Film Award-Best Picture: winner
2010OFTA Film Award-Best Director: winner
2010OFCS Award-Best Director: winner
2010PGA Award-Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures: winner
2010Outstanding Director of the Year Award-: winner
2010VFCC Award-Best Director: winner
2012ACCA-Best Motion Picture: nominated
2012ACCA-Best Director: nominated
2012BFCC Award-Best Director: winner
2012BOFCA Award-Best Director: winner
2012BSFC Award-Best Director: winner
2012CFCA Award-Best Director: winner
2012DFWFCA Award-Best Director: winner
2012DFCS Award-Best Director: nominated
2012Golden Schmoes-Best Director of the Year: nominated
2012IFJA Award-Best Director: nominated
2012ICP Award-Best Director: winner
2012LAFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2012NBR Award-Best Director: winner
2012NFCS Award-Best Director: winner
2012NYFCC Award-Best Director: winner
2012NYFCO Award-Best Director: winner
2012PFCS Award-Best Director: winner
2012SDFCS Award-Best Director: nominated
2012SFFCC Award-Best Director: winner
2012Satellite Award-Best Director: nominated
2012SEFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2012SLFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2012TFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2012UFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2012VVFP Award-Best Director: nominated
2012WAFCA Award-Best Director: winner
2012WFCC Award-Best Movie by a Woman: winner
2013AACTA International Award-Best Film: nominated
2013AACTA International Award-Best Direction: nominated
2013Movies for Grownups Award-Best Director: nominated
2013Oscar-Best Motion Picture of the Year: nominated
2013EDA Award-Best Director: winner
2013EDA Female Focus Award-Best Woman Director: winner
2013EDA Female Focus Award-Outstanding Achievement by a Woman in the Film Industry: nominated
2013EDA Award-Best Picture: winner
2013David Lean Award for Direction-Best Director: nominated
2013BAFTA Film Award-Best Film: nominated
2013Britannia Award-John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing: winner
2013COFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2013Cinema for Peace Award-Cinema for Peace Award for the Most Valuable Film of the Year: nominated
2013Critics Choice Award-Best Director: nominated
2013DFCS Award-Best Director: nominated
2013DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
2013DFCC-Best Director: nominated
2013GAFCA Award-Best Director: winner
2013Gold Derby Film Award-Director: nominated
2013Gold Derby Film Award-Motion Picture: nominated
2013Golden Globe-Best Director - Motion Picture: nominated
2013HFCS Award-Best Director: nominated
2013ICS Award-Best Director: nominated
2013INOCA-Best Director: winner
2013IFC Award-Best Director: nominated
2013ALFS Award-Director of the Year: nominated
2013NSFC Award-Best Director: nominated
2013NCFCA Award-Best Director: nominated
2013OFTA Film Award-Best Picture: nominated
2013OFTA Film Award-Best Director: nominated
2013OFCS Award-Best Director: nominated
2013PGA Award-Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures: nominated
2013VFCC Award-Best Director: winner
2016Primetime Emmy-Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking: winner
2017LAOFCS Award-Best Female Director: nominated
2017Courage in Filmmaking Award-: nominated
2018EDA Female Focus Award-Best Woman Director: nominated
2018Black Reel-Outstanding Motion Picture: nominated
2018Girona Film Critics Award-Best Picture: winner
2018Globe de Cristal-Best Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger): nominated
2025Golden Frog-Main Competition: nominated
2025Golden Lion-Best Film: nominated
2026Movies for Grownups Award-Best Director: nominated
2026EDA Female Focus Award-Best Woman Director: nominated