Céline Sciamma

Céline Sciamma is a renowned French screenwriter and film director, born on 12 November 1978 in Pontoise, Val-d'Oise, France. She has been an active force in the film industry since 2004. Her repertoire includes critically acclaimed films like 'Water Lilies' (2007), 'Tomboy' (2011), 'Girlhood' (2014), 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' (2019), and 'Petite Maman' (2021). These works have earned her numerous awards and nominations, including two BAFTA nominations for Best Film Not in the English Language. Sciamma’s films frequently explore themes of gender fluidity, sexual identity among girls and women, and the female gaze.

Prior to attending La Fémis, the premiere French film school, Sciamma earned a master's degree in French Literature at Paris Nanterre University. Besides being a filmmaker, Sciamma is also a feminist and an activist. She co-organized and participated in the 2018 Cannes Film Festival women's protest against inequality in the film industry. She is one of the founding members of the French branch of the 50/50 by 2020 movement, advocating for gender parity in film. Her first feature film, Water Lilies, was selected for screening at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, and nominated for the César Award for Best Debut. Her other films, 'Tomboy’ and 'Girlhood', were both critically lauded and shown at international film festivals.