Kathryn Bigelow (above) became the first woman ever to win the best director award at this year's Oscars ceremony with, The Hurt Locker.
However, women making big budget movies still remains a rarity.
All this week the only festival in the world dedicated to women film-makers, the Birds Eye View, is taking place in London.
Mark Coles joined two directors from the festival, Martha Fiennes and Wanuri Kahiu, to discuss the challenges faced by women in the world of film-making.