Half of all female filmmakers drop out of the industry by age 35, and only 7% ever become directors. This is due to gender bias, as many pioneering female directors like Alice Guy and Dorothy Arzner are overlooked in film history in favor of focusing on males. Auteur theory in particular promoted the idea that only male directors could be considered artists, ignoring the contributions of women. While progress has been made, most top directors lists and awards are still dominated by men, showing that the gender gap in filmmaking remains a significant issue.