Screenwriters & Directors
by sakarasusi | created - 30 Jun 2011 | updated - 30 Jun 2011 | Public1. Jörn Donner
Producer | Mustaa valkoisella
Jörn Donner grew up in a Swedish-speaking family belonging to the Finnish upper class. Already as a student he had radical leftist ideas displayed in magazines and newspapers. His first novel appeared in 1951 when Donner was only 18 years old. He graduated from the University of Helsinki in 1959. ...
2. Greg Mottola
Director | Adventureland
Greg Mottola was born on July 11, 1964 in Dix Hills, Long Island, New York, USA. He is a producer and director, known for Adventureland (2009), The Daytrippers (1996) and Superbad (2007). He is married to Sarah Allentuch. They have three children.
3. Seth Rogen
Producer | This Is the End
An actor, comedian and writer, Seth Rogen has come a long way from doing stand-up comedy as a teen.
Rogen was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, to Sandy (Belogus), a social worker, and Mark Rogen, who worked for non-profits. His father is American-born and his mother is Canadian. He is of Russian...
4. David Fincher
Director | Se7en
David Fincher was born in 1962 in Denver, Colorado, and was raised in Marin County, California. When he was 18 years old he went to work for John Korty at Korty Films in Mill Valley. He subsequently worked at ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) from 1981-1983. Fincher left ILM to direct TV commercials...
5. Paul Greengrass
Director | United 93
Paul Greengrass started his filmmaking career with a super 8 camera he found in his art room in secondary school. Those short movies were animation horror films he made using old dolls, artist dummies, and the general art room clutter.
After studying in Cambridge University he got into Granada ...
6. Jani Volanen
Writer | Munkkivuori
Jani Volanen was born on November 1, 1971 in Helsinki, Finland. He is an actor and writer, known for Munkkivuori (2022), M/S Romantic (2019) and A Man's Job (2007).
7. Ed Burns
Writer | The Wire
Ed Burns is an American novelist, writer and producer. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland and was wild in his early years. This led his parents to move him and his brother Michael to the suburbs. He went to Catholic schools as a boy and graduated from Loyola College in Baltimore. He worked as a ...
8. David Simon
Writer | The Wire
David Simon was born on May 13, 1960 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for The Wire (2002), Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) and The Corner (2000). He has been married to Laura Lippman since October 3, 2006. They have one child.
9. Fernando Meirelles
Director | The Constant Gardener
Fernando Meirelles was born in a middle class family in São Paulo City, Brazil.
He studied architecture at the university of São Paulo. At the same time he developed an interest in filmmaking. With a group of friends he started producing experimental videos and video art. They won a huge number of ...
10. Kátia Lund
Director | Cidade de Deus
Kátia Lund was born in 1966 in São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. She is a director and writer, known for City of God (2002), News from a Personal War (1999) and Anaconda (1997).
11. Paulo Lins
Writer | Quase Dois Irmãos
Paulo Lins was born in 1958 in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is a writer and director, known for Quase Dois Irmãos (2004), City of God (2002) and Minha Alma (2000).
12. Bráulio Mantovani
Writer | Tropa de Elite 2: O Inimigo Agora é Outro
Bráulio Mantovani is known for Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within (2010), Elite Squad (2007) and City of God (2002).
13. Nikolaj Arcel
Writer | En kongelig affære
Nikolaj Arcel was born on August 25, 1972 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is a writer and director, known for A Royal Affair (2012), Kongekabale (2004) and The Promised Land (2023).
14. Rasmus Heisterberg
Writer | En kongelig affære
Rasmus Heisterberg was born on December 12, 1974 in København, Denmark. He is a writer, known for A Royal Affair (2012), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) and In the Blood (2016).
15. Niels Arden Oplev
Director | Män som hatar kvinnor
Niels Arden Oplev was born on March 26, 1961 in Denmark. He is a director and producer, known for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009), Drømmen (2006) and Held for Ransom (2019).
16. Woody Allen
Writer | Annie Hall
Woody Allen was born on November 30, 1935, as Allen Konigsberg, in The Bronx, NY, the son of Martin Konigsberg and Nettie Konigsberg. He has one younger sister, Letty Aronson. As a young boy, he became intrigued with magic tricks and playing the clarinet, two hobbies that he continues today.
Allen ...
17. Hayao Miyazaki
Writer | Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi
Hayao Miyazaki is one of Japan's greatest animation directors. The entertaining plots, compelling characters, and breathtaking visuals in his films have earned him international renown from critics as well as public recognition within Japan.
Miyazaki started his career in 1963 as an animator at the ...
18. Takeshi Kitano
Actor | Zatôichi
Takeshi Kitano originally studied to become an engineer, but was thrown out of school for rebellious behavior. He learned comedy, singing and dancing from famed comedian Senzaburô Fukami. Working as a lift boy on a nightclub with such features as comic sketches and striptease dancing, Kitano saw ...
19. Jason Reitman
Producer | Up in the Air
Jason Reitman is a Canadian filmmaker and producer who notably directed Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Juno, Thank You for Smoking, Up in the Air, Young Adult and Tully. He produced Chloe and Jennifer's Body, two films that advanced Amanda Seyfried's career for adult oriented roles. He is the son of Ivan...
20. Isao Takahata
Director | Hotaru no haka
Isao Takahata was born on October 29, 1935 in Ise, Japan. He was a director and writer, known for Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Pom Poko (1994) and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013). He died on April 5, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan.
21. Ang Lee
Director | Xi yan
Born in 1954 in Pingtung, Taiwan, Ang Lee has become one of today's greatest contemporary filmmakers. Ang graduated from the National Taiwan College of Arts in 1975 and then came to the U.S. to receive a B.F.A. Degree in Theatre/Theater Direction at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, ...
22. Satoshi Kon
Writer | Tôkyô goddofâzâzu
Satoshi Kon was born in 1963. He studied at the Musashino College of the Arts. He began his career as a Manga artist. He then moved to animation and worked as a background artist on many films (including Roujin Z (1991) by 'Katsuhiro Otomo'). Then, in 1995, he wrote an episode of the anthology film ...
23. Tony Kushner
Writer | West Side Story
Tony Kushner's play "Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes" earned him the Pulitzer Prize, among many other awards. His other acclaimed plays include "Slavs", "Homebody/Kabul" and "Caroline, or Change". He has collaborated with children's author and illustrator Maurice Sendak on ...
24. Mike Nichols
Director | The Graduate
He, along with the other members of the "Compass Players" including Elaine May, Paul Sills, Byrne Piven, Joyce Hiller Piven and Edward Asner helped start the famed "Second City Improv" company. They used the games taught to them by fellow cast mate, Paul Sills 's mother, Viola Spolin. He later ...
25. Terrence Malick
Writer | Days of Heaven
Terrence Malick was born in Ottawa, Illinois. His family subsequently lived in Oklahoma and he went to school in Austin, Texas. He did his undergraduate work at Harvard, graduating summa cum laude with a degree in philosophy in 1965.
A member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, he attended Magdalen ...
26. Sean Penn
Actor | Mystic River
Sean Penn is a powerhouse film performer capable of intensely moving work, who has gone from strength to strength during a colourful film career, and who has drawn much media attention for his stormy private life and political viewpoints.
Sean Justin Penn was born in Los Angeles, California, the ...
27. Guy Ritchie
Director | Sherlock Holmes
Guy Ritchie was born in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK on September 10, 1968. After watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) as a child, Guy realized that what he wanted to do was make films. He never attended film school, saying that the work of film school graduates was boring and ...
28. Matti Kassila
Director | Radio tekee murron
Matti Kassila was born on January 12, 1924 in Keuruu, Finland. He was a director and writer, known for Radio tekee murron (1951), The Girl from Moon Bridge (1953) and Elokuu (1956). He was married to Aino Mantsas. He died on December 14, 2018 in Vantaa, Finland.
29. Diablo Cody
Writer | Juno
Diablo Cody is originally from Chicago, Illinois, and moved to Minnesota to live with her Internet boyfriend, Jonny who later became her husband. While there, she decided on a whim to take up stripping as a hobby of sorts.
She was working at an ad agency and got a promotion. The job wore her ragged ...
30. Danny Boyle
Director | 127 Hours
Daniel Francis Boyle is a British filmmaker, producer and writer from Radcliffe, Greater Manchester. He is known for directing 28 Days Later, 127 Hours, Trainspotting, T2 Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire, Millions, Shallow Grave, The Beach, Yesterday, and Steve Jobs. He won many awards for ...
31. Tom Fontana
Writer | St. Elsewhere
Tom Fontana was born on September 12, 1951 in Buffalo, New York, USA. He is an Emmy Award winning writer and producer, known for Copper (2012), Borgia (2011), Oz (1997), Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) and St. Elsewhere (1982). He was twice married to Sagan Lewis, before her death in 2016.
32. Alejandro Amenábar
Writer | The Others
Is the son of a Spanish mother and a Chilean father. His family moved back to Spain when he was 1 year old, and he grew up and studied in Madrid. He wrote, produced and directed his first short film La cabeza at the age of 19, and he was 23 when he directed his feature debut Thesis (1996). His film ...
33. Gus Van Sant
Director | Elephant
Gus Green Van Sant Jr. is an American filmmaker, painter, screenwriter, photographer and musician from Louisville, Kentucky who is known for directing films such as Good Will Hunting, the 1998 remake of Psycho, Gerry, Elephant, My Own Private Idaho, To Die For, Milk, Last Days, Finding Forrester, ...
34. Armando Iannucci
Writer | The Death of Stalin
Armando Iannucci was born on November 28, 1963 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He is a writer and producer, known for The Death of Stalin (2017), In the Loop (2009) and Veep (2012). He has been married to Rachel Jones since August 25, 1990. They have two children.
35. Richard Curtis
Writer | Love Actually
Richard Curtis was born on November 8, 1956 in Wellington, New Zealand. He is a writer and producer, known for Love Actually (2003), Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) and About Time (2013).
36. Thomas Vinterberg
Director | Jagten
With Sidste omgang (1993) (Last Round), his graduation short from The National Film School of Denmark, Thomas Vinterberg got an early taste of critical success. He received the Jury's and Producers' Awards at the International Student Film Fest in Munich and won the 1st Prize at the Tel Aviv Film ...
37. Uli Edel
Director | Der Baader Meinhof Komplex
Uli Edel was born on April 11, 1947 in Neuenburg am Rhein, Germany. He is a director and writer, known for The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008), Christiane F. (1981) and Das Adlon. Eine Familiensaga (2013).
38. Ron Fricke
Cinematographer | Samsara
Ron Fricke is known for Samsara (2011), Baraka (1992) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005).
39. Darren Aronofsky
Writer | Pi
Darren Aronofsky was born February 12, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up, Darren was always artistic: he loved classic movies and, as a teenager, he even spent time doing graffiti art. After high school, Darren went to Harvard University to study film (both live-action and animation). He won ...
40. Sam Mendes
Producer | 1917
Samuel Alexander Mendes was born on August 1, 1965 in Reading, England, UK to parents James Peter Mendes, a retired university lecturer, and Valerie Helene Mendes, an author who writes children's books. Their marriage didn't last long, James divorced Sam's mother in 1970 when Sam was just 5-...
41. David Milch
Writer | Hill Street Blues
David Milch was born on March 23, 1945 in Buffalo, New York, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Hill Street Blues (1981), NYPD Blue (1993) and Brooklyn South (1997). He has been married to Rita Stern since 1982. They have three children.
42. Alan Ball
Producer | American Beauty
Alan Ball is an American writer, director, and producer who is known for writing the acclaimed film American Beauty and creating the HBO series True Blood starring Anna Paquin. He also wrote the films Towelhead and Uncle Frank. He also created Here and Now, Six Feet Under, and Banshee. He won ...
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