Female Directors to Watch in 2021: Nicole Reigel
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Following the announcement of this year’s Golden Globes nominees, it’s clear that Hollywood is finally starting to become more inclusive when recognizing female directors. It couldn’t have come soon enough, and there are plenty of female filmmakers to admire for their dramatic and poignant contributions to the film industry. Nicole Reigel is an important up and coming example. She wrote and directed the 2020 film, Holler, starring Pamela Adlon and Jessica Barden. The drama film centers around a young woman who joins a dangerous scrap metal crew in order to pay for her education.
Holler Film
Born in Jackson, Ohio, the former screenwriter decided to try her hand at directing when she was encouraged far too often to give her scripts to male directors. While Holler was not a script she wrote, she decided it was the perfect feature to direct. The process of making that film was a unique mix of documentary and fiction. She surrounded professional actors with new ones, and placed them around heavy tools and machinery for a gritty and real look.
She definitely had an interesting past before directing feature films. She finished a brief time with the military, and then went on to go to film school and make short films. Holler began as a short film that allowed her to show her chops enough to turn it into a full-length feature. As a woman in the post-Weinstein entertainment industry, she surrounded herself with production companies who wanted to see women succeed. They championed women as more than just free labor in apprenticeships and internships, but as full-fledged creative decision makers.
There are far too few women being recognized as successful film directors. With more voices being heard in the industry, more and more stories are being told from diverse perspectives. Reigel’s voice is sure to be amplified after these incredible films are given their due attention and credit. Keep an eye out for her name in the future.