When the credits roll at the end of a movie, the sheer number of names makes it clear how many people it takes to bring a story to life. What often goes unnoticed is how deeply women have shaped every part of filmmaking, from acting, directing, and editing to composing, producing, and even running studios. While their presence has sometimes been sidelined or erased from the record, women have been essential to cinema since its earliest flickers on the screen.