Film Directors Famous Film Directors from France

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List of famous film directors from France, listed alphabetically with photos when available. France has given birth to some great movie directors over the years, many of who have gone on to direct popular comedies, dramas, horror movies and more. These are some of the best French directors in the history of the world, so if you're a native of France and an aspiring director then these are people you should look up to.

List is made up of many different items, including Gérard Blain and Pascal Thomas.

This list answers the questions, "Who are the best French directors?" and "Which directors are from France?"

You can click on the names of these legendary directors of France in order to get more information about each one. If you're a film buff use this list of talented French directors to find some new movies you haven't already seen.

1

Abbas Fahdel
Abbas Fahdel is an Iraqi-French film director, screenwriter and film critic, born in Babylon, Iraq. Based in France since the age of 18 years, he studied cinema at the Sorbonne University until ...more

2

Abdelkrim Bahloul age 68
Abdelkrim Bahloul is an actor, screenwriter and director.

3

Abdellatif Kechiche age 58
Abdellatif Kechiche is a Tunisian-French actor, film director and screenwriter. He made his directorial debut in 2000 with La Faute à Voltaire, aka Poetical Refugee, which he also wrote. ...more

4

Abel Gance Died at 92 (1889-1981)
Abel Gance was a French film director and producer, writer and actor. He is best known for three major silent films: J'accuse, La Roue, and the monumental Napoléon.

5

Adonis Kyrou Died at 62 (1923-1985)
Adonis A. Kyrou was a Greek filmmaker and writer, whose works often appeared under the name Ado Kyrou. He was the son of Achilleus A. Kyrou and grandson of Adonis Kyrou, owners and publishers of ...more

6

Agnès B. age 77
agnès b. is a French fashion designer. She is known for her self-named brand, which includes fashion and film interests.

7

Agnès Delahaie age 98
Agnès Delahaie is a French film producer. She was nominated in 1956 for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for her film Gervaise.

8

Agnès Jaoui age 54
Agnès Jaoui is a French screenwriter, film director, actress and singer. She frequently works in collaboration with her former partner Jean-Pierre Bacri.

9

Agnès Varda age 90
Agnès Varda is a French film director and professor at the European Graduate School. Her films, photographs, and art installations focus on documentary realism, feminist issues, and ...more

10

Agnès Merlet age 59
Agnès Merlet is a French film director who is known for directing Son of the Shark, Artemisia and Dorothy Mills. Recently she directed the Irish/French/Swedish co-production Hideaways ...more

11

Akhenaton age 50
Philippe Fragione, better known by his stage name Akhenaton, is a French rapper and producer of French hip hop. He has also worked under the aliases Chill, AKH, Sentenza, and Spectre. He became ...more

12

Alain Beigel age 54
Alain Beigel is an actor and film director.

13

Alain Berbérian age 65
Alain Berbérian is a French film director and writer of Armenian descent.

14

Alain Cavalier age 87
Alain Cavalier is a French film director. He was born in Vendôme, Loir-et-Cher and studied film at the Institut des hautes études cinématographiques. He won several awards, ...more

15

Alain Chabat age 60
Alain Chabat is an actor, film and television producer, film director and screenwriter.

16

Alain Corneau Died at 67 (1943-2010)
Alain Corneau was a French film director and writer. Corneau was born in Meung-sur-Loire, Loiret. Originally a musician, he worked with Costa-Gavras as an assistant, which was also his first ...more

17

Alain Cuny Died at 86 (1908-1994)
Alain Cuny was a French actor. He was born René Xavier Marie in Saint-Malo, Brittany, and studied medicine for a while before entering the film industry as a costume and set designer. ...more

18

Alain Delon age 84
Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon is a French actor and businessman, with French-Swiss dual citizenship since 1999. He rose quickly to stardom, and by the age of 23 was already being compared ...more

19

Alain Fleischer age 74
Alain Fleischer is a film director, film editor and screenwriter.

20

Alain Fresnot age 67
Alain Fresnot is a film director, a film editor, and a screenwriter.

21

Alain Gagnol age 51
Alain Gagnol is a French film maker. In January 2012, he was nominated for an Academy Award for the animated movie A Cat in Paris.

22

Alain Gomis age 46
Alain Gomis is a film director and screenwriter.

23

Alain Guiraudie age 54
Alain Guiraudie is a French film director and screenwriter. He has directed ten mostly LGBT-related films since 1990. He is openly gay. Guiraudie has named Georges Bataille as an important ...more

24

Alain Jessua age 86
Alain Jessua is a French film director and screenwriter. He directed ten films between 1956 and 1997. He worked as assistant director for Jacques Becker on the set of Casque d'or, with Max ...more

25

Alain Levent Died at 74 (1934-2008)
Alain Levent was a French cinematographer and film director. He worked on 80 films between 1960 and 2007. His 1972 film The Bar at the Crossing was entered into the 22nd Berlin International ...more

1 Abbas Fahdel Abbas Fahdel is an Iraqi-French film director, screenwriter and film critic, born in Babylon, Iraq. Based in France since the age of 18 years, he studied cinema at the Sorbonne University until ...more

2 Abdelkrim Bahloul age 68 Abdelkrim Bahloul is an actor, screenwriter and director.

3 Abdellatif Kechiche age 58 Abdellatif Kechiche is a Tunisian-French actor, film director and screenwriter. He made his directorial debut in 2000 with La Faute à Voltaire, aka Poetical Refugee, which he also wrote. ...more

4 Abel Gance Died at 92 (1889-1981) Abel Gance was a French film director and producer, writer and actor. He is best known for three major silent films: J'accuse, La Roue, and the monumental Napoléon.

5 Adonis Kyrou Died at 62 (1923-1985) Adonis A. Kyrou was a Greek filmmaker and writer, whose works often appeared under the name Ado Kyrou. He was the son of Achilleus A. Kyrou and grandson of Adonis Kyrou, owners and publishers of ...more

6 Agnès B. age 77 agnès b. is a French fashion designer. She is known for her self-named brand, which includes fashion and film interests.

7 Agnès Delahaie age 98 Agnès Delahaie is a French film producer. She was nominated in 1956 for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for her film Gervaise.

8 Agnès Jaoui age 54 Agnès Jaoui is a French screenwriter, film director, actress and singer. She frequently works in collaboration with her former partner Jean-Pierre Bacri.

9 Agnès Varda age 90 Agnès Varda is a French film director and professor at the European Graduate School. Her films, photographs, and art installations focus on documentary realism, feminist issues, and ...more

10 Agnès Merlet age 59 Agnès Merlet is a French film director who is known for directing Son of the Shark, Artemisia and Dorothy Mills. Recently she directed the Irish/French/Swedish co-production Hideaways ...more

11 Akhenaton age 50 Philippe Fragione, better known by his stage name Akhenaton, is a French rapper and producer of French hip hop. He has also worked under the aliases Chill, AKH, Sentenza, and Spectre. He became ...more

12 Alain Beigel age 54 Alain Beigel is an actor and film director.

13 Alain Berbérian age 65 Alain Berbérian is a French film director and writer of Armenian descent.

14 Alain Cavalier age 87 Alain Cavalier is a French film director. He was born in Vendôme, Loir-et-Cher and studied film at the Institut des hautes études cinématographiques. He won several awards, ...more

15 Alain Chabat age 60 Alain Chabat is an actor, film and television producer, film director and screenwriter.

16 Alain Corneau Died at 67 (1943-2010) Alain Corneau was a French film director and writer. Corneau was born in Meung-sur-Loire, Loiret. Originally a musician, he worked with Costa-Gavras as an assistant, which was also his first ...more

17 Alain Cuny Died at 86 (1908-1994) Alain Cuny was a French actor. He was born René Xavier Marie in Saint-Malo, Brittany, and studied medicine for a while before entering the film industry as a costume and set designer. ...more

18 Alain Delon age 84 Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon is a French actor and businessman, with French-Swiss dual citizenship since 1999. He rose quickly to stardom, and by the age of 23 was already being compared ...more

19 Alain Fleischer age 74 Alain Fleischer is a film director, film editor and screenwriter.

20 Alain Fresnot age 67 Alain Fresnot is a film director, a film editor, and a screenwriter.

21 Alain Gagnol age 51 Alain Gagnol is a French film maker. In January 2012, he was nominated for an Academy Award for the animated movie A Cat in Paris.

22 Alain Gomis age 46 Alain Gomis is a film director and screenwriter.

23 Alain Guiraudie age 54 Alain Guiraudie is a French film director and screenwriter. He has directed ten mostly LGBT-related films since 1990. He is openly gay. Guiraudie has named Georges Bataille as an important ...more

24 Alain Jessua age 86 Alain Jessua is a French film director and screenwriter. He directed ten films between 1956 and 1997. He worked as assistant director for Jacques Becker on the set of Casque d'or, with Max ...more

25 Alain Levent Died at 74 (1934-2008) Alain Levent was a French cinematographer and film director. He worked on 80 films between 1960 and 2007. His 1972 film The Bar at the Crossing was entered into the 22nd Berlin International ...more