In recent years, animation has earned a new level of respect. Many animated films now check all the boxes: compelling stories, excellent voice casting, stunning visuals, and meaningful messages. They make audiences laugh, cry, and frequently sing along. One noticeable similarity behind these animated juggernauts is the presence of women executives in leadership positions pushing the industry forward.
“Whether we’re talking about live action or animation, I think there’s a reason that there are so many successful female executives and a lot of successful female producers,” says Kristine Belson, president of features & series at Sony Pictures Animation. She acknowledges progress but notes it’s not happening fast enough. “In certain areas of animation filmmaking, women are well-represented. But I’m not as encouraged as I’d like to be. There’s still a very big discrepancy between how many female directors are working today versus male directors in animation. Until that shift happens, and there are as many women directors as male directors, the job’s not done. Progress is happening for sure, but it’s not happening fast enough.”
Ramsey Naito, president of Paramount Animation, adds, “Women are bringing fresh perspectives, a collaborative approach, and a focus on inclusion, which helps bring teams together and strengthens company culture.” At Paramount and Nickelodeon, she highlights efforts around mentorship and retention. “It’s not just about getting women in the door; it’s about building a clear career path to grow into leadership roles with support every step of the way. It’s important for us to make sure women have every opportunity to grow and lead.”
This year’s animated feature Oscar contenders include titles such as *KPop Demon Hunters* (co-directed by Maggie Kang, from Netflix, whose animation division is run by Hannah Minghella), *Little Amélie or the Character of Rain* (Maïlys Vallade), and *Elio* (Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi), all featuring female co-directors.
Mindy Johnson, CalArts professor and author of the upcoming book *The Only Woman Animator*, points out that women have “always been in the room” and have contributed more to animation than has been widely recognized. “It wasn’t just faceless, nameless women who traced and colored animation cels, producing the brilliant artistry we see on screen. Out of that exceptional, extraordinary work, a range of trailblazing women emerged and have always been there from the very beginning,” Johnson states. “We’ve failed as a society, as a culture, as an industry to tell their stories. We’ve all missed out collectively on the other half of our collective animated experience. We have a lot of catching up to do, and we’re getting there today.”
The renaissance of the animation medium began during the 1990s through the 2000s, with iconic heroines like Ariel singing “Part of Your World” in *The Little Mermaid*, and characters such as Belle (*Beauty and the Beast*), Jasmine (*Aladdin*), Pocahontas, and Mulan. Johnson reflects on a generation growing up loving animation and deciding, “Hey, I wanna do that!”
About 20 to 25 years ago, new programs for animation began appearing in campuses and schools — CalArts has always been the creme de la creme. “There was a rising trend, and now every major campus, every minor campus, has animation programs,” Johnson says.
The huge gender disparity of a decade or more ago has shifted, and the industry is closer to parity. “I think we’re still under in a lot of ways, but the industry is undergoing some rumblings and shifts at the moment. I just beam seeing the presence of women and their voices, their ideas, their characters. We’ve got women finally telling their stories without having to be the only woman in the room. They’re in a more supported and recognized place.”
Holly Edwards, president of Skydance Animation, concurs: “It’s fantastic that the animation industry is now led by so many incredible women. There has certainly been a shift over the years with many more women in leadership roles, both creatively leading projects as well as in decision-making positions. I feel very lucky to have had incredible female mentors and colleagues throughout my career and know that environments thrive when they include people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. It truly makes a huge difference for the better for the stories we’re telling.”
On the topic of animation still not being taken as seriously as live-action features, DreamWorks Animation president Margie Cohn remarks, almost reluctantly, “I think — and this is going to be incredibly unpopular — but a lot of people pigeonhole animation as kids’ programming, and maybe they feel that’s a safe place for women to be. And then we surprise them with how large our skill set is… we can actually manage successfully and be competitive with the men.”
The business of making an animated film is long and complex, typically taking four to seven years from concept to completion. Maggie Kang points out, “Yes, there have been movements towards promoting women into more leadership positions, but the thing with animation is, it just takes so long to create these that even though we’re making strides now, we’re not gonna see that reflected for a few years.” She adds, “There’s already a desire to promote women in leadership positions, and there have been active initiatives to do that. I do think what we’re still lacking is the right training and mentorship. I’d like to see more of that. And I’d like to try to contribute as much as I can.”
Ultimately, the goal is to create quality features with great storytelling that appeal to all age groups. “You can make movies that are entertaining and funny, or you could make things that will live with a person from childhood through adulthood, where they can watch it over and over again, and different things come out in the storytelling and they understand it in a different way,” Cohn says.
Belson adds, “These movies can be entertaining for 5-year-olds but also deeply engaging for adults. I want to keep seeing movies that engage me. I just want to be surprised, laugh, and be deeply moved. I think that’s what we all want. I want to see animation keep evolving and get the respect that it deserves. It gets it in the marketplace — we get great box office results — but I would like animation to continue to get recognized in our industry and with the Academy for being the incredible creative achievements that they are.”
https://variety.com/2025/film/directors/women-in-animation-leadership-roles-gender-parity-kpop-1236562903/
