There was no escaping the distinct lack of female directors in this year's awards nominations - glaring more than ever before given the spotlight on gender equality in Hollywood right now. But that doesn't stop us celebrating the brilliant films helmed by women that we should be watching in 2018. Here are five not to miss.

Lady Bird

Greta Gerwig's comedy-drama, starring Saoirse Ronan, was the hot topic of this awards season and is one of the year's must-see movies. Despite leading it to pick up the best film (comedy/musical) and best actress accolades at the Golden Globes, and nods in the same categories for the BAFTAs and the Oscars, Gerwig was overlooked in the best director categories for much of the season.

Mary Queen Of Scots

The artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse, Josie Rourke, turns her hand to film for Mary Queen of Scots – a dramatic retelling of Elizabeth I’s power struggle with her Scottish cousin. Margot Robbie will star as the Virgin Queen, with Saoirse Ronan in the titular role. Rounding out the cast? Joe Alwyn, boyfriend of Taylor Swift, as Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester and rumoured lover of Elizabeth I.

Mudbound

If you have yet to see Dee Rees’s incredible drama Mudbound, make it a priority. Set in the Mississippi delta after World War Two, it centres on two families: the landowning McAllans (Jason Clarke, Carey Mulligan, and Garrett Hedlund) and the Jacksons (Rob Morgan, Mary J Blige, and Jason Mitchell), who work as sharecroppers on their farm. Mary J. Blige’s quiet, understated performance as matriarch Florence is one of the best of the year.

The Darkest Minds

Jennifer Yuh Nelson directs the film adaptation of Alexandra Bracken's hit sci-fi thriller, boasting a stellar line-up that includes Amandla Stenberg, Mandy Moore and Gwendoline Christie. After a disease kills 98 per cent of America's children, the survivors develop superpowers and are placed in internment camps. The 16-year-old Ruby (Stenberg) escapes and joins a group on the run from the government.

Wrinkle In Time

Ava DuVernay is best known for her searing films Selma and 13th – but her next project is more lighthearted. Madeleine L'Engle’s classic American novel follows 13-year-old Meg Murry in her journey across the universe to search for her astrophysicist father – who is being held captive by an amorphous dark presence. Starring woman-of-the-moment Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Storm Reid, consider it one of the most-anticipated films of the year.