Famous Directors - List of Famous Directors - page 3

Remember Catch Me If You Can, Schindlers List or even Saving Private Ryan? They are all Directors are the ones who direct the translation of the script into the final movie. They guide the complete process of making of the film starting right from the visualization of the script to the completion of the filming. The role of a director in film making is extremely complex—he is responsible not just for the technical aspects, but also for the dramatization and artistic elements of film production. Direction is a highly creative process; the director has to give a concrete form to the written words in the script by translating them into sounds and visuals. He has to guide the cinematographer in camera placements, selection of shots and staging of the action. He has to manage the flow of film production in a controlled pace by working with the other crew members and guiding them in setups and rehearsals. Film making involves various components which are to be converged into a single complete unit, i.e., the movie. It is the director who coordinates the efforts of the different professionals involved in film making to realize the artistic vision that eventually takes the shape of a film. Read on to know about the life and works of famous directors, through their biographies and timelines, from around the world.

The Most Famous Directors

NameBirthdayNationalityBio
Kevin CostnerJanuary 18, 1955AmericanKevin Costner is an American actor, director and singer who is best known for his portrayal of rugged individuals with complex emotions
Michel QissiSeptember 12, 1962Belgian, MoroccanMichel Qissi is a Moroccan-Belgian actor known for his role in the martial arts flick ‘Kickboxer.’
Milo VentimigliaJuly 8, 1977AmericanMilo Ventimiglia is an American actor who became famous for his role as Peter Petrelli on the NBC television series Heroes
Dolph LundgrenNovember 3, 1957SwedishDolph Lundgren is a famous Swedish actor, film-maker, screenwriter and martial artist
Hal HolbrookFebruary 17, 1925AmericanHal Rowe Holbrook Jr
Alfonso RibeiroSeptember 21, 1971AmericanAlfonso Lincoln Ribeiro Sr
Baz LuhrmannSeptember 17, 1962AustralianBaz Luhrmann is an Australian writer, filmmaker, and producer
Mel GibsonJanuary 3, 1956AmericanMel Gibson is an American actor and filmmaker
Tom AckerleyJanuary 1, 1990BritishTom Ackerley is an English film and television director and film producer
Harry HollandFebruary 14, 1999BritishHarry Holland is a British actor, director, and writer
George Roy Hill

George Roy Hill

George Roy Hill was a renowned American film director

AmericanDecember 20, 1921103 views

Robert Rossen

Robert Rossen was an American film director, screenwriter and film producer

AmericanMarch 16, 1908109 views

Jack Cardiff

Jack Cardiff was a British cinematographer and director who took British cinema to new heights with his mastery of the Technicolor technology

BritishSeptember 18, 1914115 views

Arthur Hiller

Arthur Hiller was a Canadian-born film director who belted out several hit films in the 1960s and 70s including the classic romantic film, ‘Love Story’

CanadianNovember 22, 1923109 views

Costa Gavras

Costa-Gavras is a renowned Greek-French film director and producer who is known for making films with overt political themes

FrenchFebruary 12, 1933120 views

John Schlesinger

John Richard Schlesinger was an eminent Academy Award winning English film director

BritishFebruary 16, 192692 views

Michelangelo Antonioni

Michelangelo Antonioni was an Italian film director, producer, editor, short story writer and screenwriter

ItalianSeptember 29, 1912127 views

Robert Altman

Robert Altman was an American film director who was known for his nonconformist style of direction

AmericanFebruary 20, 1925182 views

Mike Nichols

Mike Nichols was a distinguished German-American theater and film personality

Michael Cacoyannis

Michael Cacoyannis was a distinguished Greek Cypriot film director, producer and screenwriter

GreekJune 11, 1921127 views