The Oscar Nominations have come out, and dare I ask -- is this the first time in 81 years that we'll see a female on the podium for Best Director?  

Kathryn Bigelow, nominated for her film The Hurt Locker stands about a 50/50 chance of winning, opposite her ex husband James Cameron for Avatar.  Lone Scherfig's film, An Education, is up for Best Picture.  That's two women in the driver's seat in this year's Oscar round up.  How can this be, in an industry that prides itself on being so inclusive and liberal? And that doesn't even begin to cover African-American directors or other cultural minorities and their representation in Hollywood.

Check out Linda Barnard's article in The Toronto Star about this issue.