Rise of the Directors

1. Neill Blomkamp

Neill Blomkamp is a South African-Canadian film director and screenwriter who is known for the science fiction films District 9, Elysium and Chappie. He also directed the supernatural horror film Demonic and the 2007 short film Halo: Landfall, based on the Microsoft science fiction video game ...

2. Dan Gilroy

Writer | Nightcrawler

Dan Gilroy was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Frank D. Gilroy, and sculptor and writer Ruth Dorothy. His brother Tony Gilroy is a screenwriter and director; and his fraternal twin brother, John Gilroy, is a film editor. Through his father, he is of ...

3. Rian Johnson

Producer | Knives Out

Rian Johnson was born in Maryland and at a young age his family moved to San Clemente, California, where he was raised. After graduating from high school, he went on to attend the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. His first feature film, Brick (2005), was released in 2005 ...

3. Martin McDonagh

Writer | In Bruges

Martin McDonagh was born on March 26, 1970 in Camberwell, London, England, UK. He is a writer and director, known for In Bruges (2008), Seven Psychopaths (2012) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).

4. Rupert Wyatt

Director | The Escapist

Writer, Director and Producer Rupert Wyatt was born and raised in the South of England.

He is the founding member of the film collective Picture Farm that along with its prolific Commercial output has produced numerous Documentaries and Feature Films including the multi-award winning DARK DAYS (2001...

5. Shane Carruth

Composer | Upstream Color

Writer-director Shane Carruth, a former software engineer, burst onto the independent movie scene with his extremely low-budget science-fiction film Primer (2004) in 2004. Carruth also played one of the two leads in the film and composed its music. "Primer" won the Grand Jury Prize and the Alfred P...

6. Ben Wheatley

Director | Free Fire

Ben Wheatley was born in May 1972 in Billericay, Essex, England, UK. He is a director and writer, known for Free Fire (2016), Kill List (2011) and Sightseers (2012).

7. James Ward Byrkit

Director | Coherence

James Ward Byrkit is known for Coherence (2013), Rango (2011) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014).

8. Samuel Bayer

Producer | Pony

Having photographed and directed hundreds of music videos and commercials over the last 15 years, Samuel Bayer has firmly established himself as one of the industry's most prolific and sought-after talents.

A 1987 graduate of New York City's School of Visual Arts, Bayer was a painter who saw film ...

9. Wes Ball

Director | Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

Wes Ball was born on October 28, 1980 in the USA. He is a director, known for Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015), Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018) and The Maze Runner (2014).

10. Tim Miller

Producer | Love, Death & Robots

Tim Miller is an American animator, film director, creative director and visual effects artist. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for the work on his short animated film Gopher Broke. He made his directing debut with Deadpool. Miller is also famous for creating ...

11. Jake Scott

Director | Welcome to the Rileys

Jake Scott was born in 1965. He is a director and producer, known for Welcome to the Rileys (2010), Black Rain (1989) and Days of Thunder (1990).

12. Jordan Scott

Director | Cracks

Jordan Scott was born in 1977 in London, England, UK. She is a director and writer, known for Cracks (2009), Legend (1985) and All the Invisible Children (2005).

13. Luke Scott

Director | Morgan

Luke Scott was born in 1968. He is a director and writer, known for Morgan (2016), The Martian (2015) and Alien: Covenant (2017).

14. Shawn Christensen

Director | Curfew

Shawn Christensen graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Illustration and Graphic Design. After graduating, he formed indie rock band Stellastarr* and, while on tour, wrote and sold many screenplays, including Sidney Hall (Fox Searchlight) and Karma Coalition (Warner Bros.). Stellastarr* ...

15. Sebastian Rice-Edwards

Actor | Hope and Glory

Sebastian Rice-Edwards was born on August 16, 1976 in the UK. He is an actor and director, known for Hope and Glory (1987), Friday (2012) and Queen & Country (2014).

16. Parker Ellerman

Director | Coney Island Baby

Parker Ellerman is known for Coney Island Baby (2009), The Runner (2012) and Two Friendly Ghosts (2011).

17. Mike Diva

Director | The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience

Mike Diva is an LA-based director and VFX artist. He began his career on YouTube garnering over 160 million channel views. Mike is known for "The Lonely Island Presents "The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience"" (Netflix, 2019) and "Halo Top: Eat The Ice Cream" (2017), which was named one of ...

18. John Maclean

Soundtrack | Slow West

John Maclean studied BA drawing and painting at Edinburgh college of Art and MA at The Royal College of Art in London. After graduating, he formed The Beta Band from 1997 to 2004 and The Aliens 2005 to 2008. John directed many of the band's music videos. In 2009 John made the short film Man on a ...

19. Joachim Back

Director | The New Tenants

Academy award winning director Joachim Back helms from a long line of Danish artists, writers and producers. His profound appreciation of the absurd and deep understanding of the nature of human beings garnered him an Oscar for his darkly satiric film "The New Tenants" in 2010.

With dozens of ...

20. Benh Zeitlin

Director | Beasts of the Southern Wild

Born in New York City and raised in Sunnyside, Queens and then Westchester County, Benh Zeitlin began his career as a film-maker at the tender age of 6 years when he and a friend made a Batman movie. He continued making films as a child before attending Wesleyan University, where he majored in film...

21. Jeremy Haccoun

Director | Beyond

Writer-director Jeremy Haccoun cut his teeth directing action and celebrity commercials, working with Hollywood stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and John Cena. The son of a video store owner, Jeremy started making short films at the age of 11. His shorts Paradox (2006), a time-travel story set at ...

22. Jamin Winans

Director | Myth of Man

Jamin Winans is known for Myth of Man, Ink (2009) and The Frame (2014).

23. Andy Muschietti

Director | Mama

Andy Muschietti was born on August 26, 1973 in Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina. He is a producer and director, known for Mama (2013), It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019).

24. Fede Alvarez

Writer | Don't Breathe

Fede Alvarez was born on February 9, 1978 in Montevideo, Uruguay. He is a writer and producer, known for Don't Breathe (2016), Evil Dead (2013) and The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018).

25. Gerald McMorrow

Director | Franklyn

Gerald McMorrow was born in 1970 in London, England, UK. He is a director and writer, known for Franklyn (2008), Thespian X (2002) and Zéro deux (2007).

26. Brin Hill

Writer | Morning Breath

Brin Hill is known for Morning Breath (2002), In Your Eyes (2014) and Ball Don't Lie (2008).

27. Adam Berg

Director | Svart krabba

Adam Berg is known for Black Crab (2022), In (2011) and Videodrome.

28. Joseph Kosinski

Director | Top Gun: Maverick

Joseph Kosinski is a director whose uncompromising style has quickly made a mark in the filmmaking zeitgeist. His four theatrical releases have grossed $2.2 billion worldwide and been nominated for 7 Academy Awards and 2 Grammys.

His film debut, "Tron: Legacy" for Walt Disney Studios, grossed $400 ...

29. Duncan Jones

Director | Moon

Duncan Jones was born on May 30, 1971 in Bromley, Kent, England, UK. He is a director and writer, known for Moon (2009), Source Code (2011) and Mute (2018). He has been married to Rodene Ronquillo since November 6, 2012. They have two children.

30. Michael Spierig

Director | Predestination

Michael Spierig was born in Germany. He is known for Predestination (2014), Daybreakers (2009) and Winchester (2018).

31. Cary Joji Fukunaga

Producer | Beasts of No Nation

Cary Joji Fukunaga is a Japanese-American film director, screenwriter, cinematographer and producer from Oakland, California who is known for directing the James Bond film No Time to Die, Kofi, Beasts of No Nation, Jane Eyre and Sin Nombre. He co-wrote the 2017 film adaptation of the Stephen King ...

32. David Michôd

Writer | The King

David Michôd is known for The King (2019), Animal Kingdom (2010) and The Rover (2014). He is married to Mirrah Foulkes.

33. Hossein Amini

Writer | Drive

Hossein Amini was born in Iran, and when he was 11 years old, he and his family moved to England. Amini's first screenplay was for the 1994 TV movie The Dying of the Light, which was directed by Peter Kosminsky. The TV movie covered the murder of Sean Devereux, an aid worker who was murdered in ...

34. Michaël R. Roskam

Director | The Drop

Michaël R. Roskam was born on October 9, 1972 in Sint-Truiden, Flanders, Belgium. He is a producer and director, known for The Drop (2014), Bullhead (2011) and Racer and the Jailbird (2017). He has been married to Eline De Munck since January 9, 2021.

35. Morten Tyldum

Director | Hodejegerne

Morten Tyldum was born on May 19, 1967 in Bergen, Norway. He is a director and producer, known for Headhunters (2011), The Imitation Game (2014) and Passengers (2016).

36. Steven Knight

Writer | Locke

Steven Knight is a British screenwriter and film director. He is best known for screenplays he wrote for the films Dirty Pretty Things (2002) and Eastern Promises (2007), and also directed as well as written the film Locke (2013).

Knight is also one of three creators of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire...

37. Steve McQueen

Director | 12 Years a Slave

Steve McQueen was born on October 9, 1969 in London, England, UK. He is a director and producer, known for 12 Years a Slave (2013), Shame (2011) and Hunger (2008). He is married to Bianca Stigter. They have two children.

38. Derek Cianfrance

Writer | Blue Valentine

Derek Cianfrance began making movies at age 13. He later attended The University of Colorado where he studied under avant-garde film legends Stan Brakhage and Phil Solomon. His first three films, 'Five O'clock Shadow', 'Raw Footage', and Brother Tied (1998), won consecutive Goldfarb Awards for best...

39. Christian Alvart

Writer | Pandorum

Christian Alvart was born in 1974 near Frankfurt, Germany. His strict Christian background frowned upon films and television and in his childhood he was rarely allowed to see a movie. He developed a fascination and love for the forbidden subject matter and quickly became an "expert" in his circle ...

40. Richard Ayoade

Writer | Submarine

Richard Ellef Ayoade was born in Hammersmith, and grew up in Suffolk, in England, the son of a Norwegian mother, Dagny Amalie (Baassuik), and a Nigerian father, Layide Ade Laditi Ayoade. He studied Law at Cambridge university, and followed in the footsteps of British Comedy legends like Monty ...

41. Jeff Nichols

Writer | Take Shelter

Jeff Nichols was born on December 7, 1978 in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. He is a writer and director, known for Take Shelter (2011), Mud (2012) and Midnight Special (2016).

42. Spike Jonze

Producer | Her

Spike Jonze made up one-third (along with Andy Jenkins and Mark Lewman) of the triumvirate of genius minds behind Dirt Magazine, the brother publication of the much lamented ground-breaking Sassy Magazine. These three uncommon characters were all editors for Grand Royal Magazine as well, under the ...

43. Shane Black

Actor | Predator

Considered one of the pioneer screenwriters of the action genre, Black made his mark with his Lethal Weapon (1987) screenplay. He also collaborated on the story of the sequel, Lethal Weapon 2 (1989). Each successive script he turned in had a higher price attached it, from The Last Boy Scout (1991) ...

44. Mike Cahill

Editor | Another Earth

Mike Cahill was born on July 5, 1979 in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. He is an editor and director, known for Another Earth (2011), I Origins (2014) and Boxers and Ballerinas (2004).

45. Damien Chazelle

Writer | La La Land

Damien Sayre Chazelle is an American director and screenwriter. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island. His mother, Celia Sayre (Martin) Chazelle, is an American-Canadian writer and professor of history at The College of New Jersey. His father, Bernard Chazelle, is a French-American Eugene Higgins...

46. David Lowery

Editor | A Ghost Story

David Lowery is an American writer and director. He is best known for The Green Knight (2021), Pete's Dragon (2016), A Ghost Story (2017) and Pioneer (2011). He has been making movies since he was seven years old, but his first work to be widely seen was the short film A Catalog Of Anticipations (...

47. Scott Cooper

Director | Crazy Heart

Scott Cooper was born on April 20, 1970 in Abingdon, Virginia, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Crazy Heart (2009), Hostiles (2017) and Out of the Furnace (2013).

48. Colin Trevorrow

Producer | Safety Not Guaranteed

Born in San Francisco and raised in Oakland, Colin Trevorrow started making short films when he was 12 years old. He studied film and dramatic writing at New York University. After graduation, he wrote and directed "Home Base" a digital short that became one of the early viral successes on the ...

49. James Ponsoldt

Director | The Spectacular Now

James Ponsoldt was born on September 5, 1978 in Athens, Georgia, USA. He is a producer and director, known for The Spectacular Now (2013), The Circle (2017) and The End of the Tour (2015). He has been married to Megan Holloway since September 25, 2010.

50. Zal Batmanglij

Writer | The East

Zal Batmanglij was born on April 28, 1981. He is a writer and producer, known for The East (2013), Sound of My Voice (2011) and The OA (2016).

51. Ryan Lightbourn

Cinematographer | Roid Rage

Award winning filmmaker Ryan Lightbourn was born in Miami, Florida and raised in Nassau, Bahamas. After graduating from Rollins College in 2007, he decided to turn his hobby of creating digital music into a side-career, and enrolled at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. Unhappy with the ...