To quote Geena Davis, “It’s ridiculous that we would have the first woman anything in the 21st century.”

But here we are with another feminist milestone, albeit a small one: Lone Scherfig will be the first woman to deliver BAFTA’s David Lean Lecture, an annual speech intended to offer a glimpse into the filmmaking process. Previous David Lean lecturers have included Paul Greengrass, Robert Altman, Oliver Stone, David Lynch and Pedro Almodóvar.

Scherfig was most recently the director of The Riot Club, which was released on September 19 in the UK. Her previous films include An Education, Italian for Beginners, and One Day. She is currently working on a 10-episode drama the Astronaut Wives Club for ABC Studios (which now looks way more interesting.)

Nik Powell, chair of the BAFTA Film Committee, called Scherfig “a unique talent as well as being a torchbearer for women directors everywhere.” She will deliver the David Lean lecture on December 15 at BAFTA’s London headquarters.

[via Screen Daily]