There are a lot of incredible filmmakers throughout history. It is nearly impossible to keep track of them all. Nevertheless, cinephiles should do their best to discover as many as possible. The following list highlights directors that audiences should pay more attention to. Some of these are from the United States, while others are from other parts of the world.
Many of these directors might not have received the recognition they deserve because obscure films were once difficult to get a hold of. With the advent of the Internet and streaming services, it is easier than ever to watch classics from these directors.
10 Elia Kazan
Elia Kazan directed such classics as On the Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. When it comes to classic American cinema from before 1960, it is hard to get better than those three aforementioned classics.
Do not forget A Face in the Crowd, either, which showcases Andy Griffith in a dramatic role, uncharacteristic of the small-time sheriff image he would be known for a few years later in The Andy Griffith Show.
9 Larisa Shepitko
Larisa Shepitko's films mostly deal with dedicating oneself to a cause or vocation. In Wings, the themes are expressed through a former fighter pilot who yearns for her glory days of fighting in the skies.
In her final film, The Ascent, the message is told through the story of a group of partisan soldiers and civilians who are sentenced to death while in captivity. The ascent refers to both the spiritual ascension and the walk up the hill to the gallows. Sadly, the Ukrainian filmmaker's life was cut short due to a car accident shortly after The Ascent's release. However, she leaves behind an incredible body of work and plenty of interviews where she goes into her philosophy and creative process.
8 Werner Herzog
One could never see a film by Werner Herzog and still be entertained by him for hours. Just look up an interview or some footage of him telling a story and it is easy to imagine just how creative he would be as a filmmaker. Werner Herzog dedicates his life to both fiction and documentaries.
They range from experimental short films to fascinating investigations into topics like The Internet and a man who spent his life with bears until his untimely death at the hands of them. The German filmmaker recently appeared in the first season of The Mandalorian.
7 Lloyd Kaufman
Some people see Lloyd Kaufman's work as pure schlock, while others view it as high art. Regardless of one's views, it is hard to deny his commitment to independent filmmaking.
As the founder and president of Troma, Lloyd Kaufman has been producing, directing, and distributing other creators' films since 1974. His most popular film is easily The Toxic Avenger, which is currently receiving a remake in 2022 starring Peter Dinklage.
6 Elem Klimov
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When it comes to directors from the Soviet Union, people tend to focus on Andrei Tarkovsky. However, people should not let the name Elem Klimov pass them by. His most notable film is 1985's Come and See, which is one of the most harrowing, grotesque, and important war films ever made.
Surprisingly, his first couple of films, Adventures of a Dentist and Welcome, or No Trespassing are comedies. They are still well worth watching, however.
5 Abel Ferrara
A lot of directors are notable for putting New York on the big screen including Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, and Spike Lee. Abel Ferrara also made a slew of films about the gritty metropolis, but he never reached the same level of success.
Early in his career, there were exploitation films like Driller Killer. Later on, The King of New York brought him some notoriety and polarized audiences. Perhaps his best film is Bad Lieutenant, which stars Harvey Keitel as a corrupt police lieutenant who quickly spirals further into his vices.
4 Alejandro Jodorowsky
El Topo is one of the first movies to gain a cult following due to midnight screenings. Alejandro followed up the surreal 1970 acid western with the even more bizarre Holy Mountain. These two movies are best described as indescribable.
The director is over 90 years old and his last film was in 2016's Endless Poetry. To see more of this filmmaker's eclectic personality, watch the documentary Jodorowsky's Dune, which details the pre-production process of his film adaptation that never got off the ground.
3 Sergei Parajanov
Sergei Parajanov was a controversial figure in the Soviet Union, eventually spending four years in prison in the 70s. Despite being Armenian by ancestry and Georgian by birth, he is responsible for one of the most celebrated Ukrainian films ever made, Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors.
The movie was radically different than anything else at the time and remains a classic of world cinema. The Color of Pomegranates is another essential film from him and ended up as one of the main inspirations behind Lady Gaga's music video for the song "911".
2 Takeshi Kitano
This Japanese director was a comedian for many years before going into dramatic acting and eventually directing. It took a long time for him to gain respect as a filmmaker in his homeland, but worldwide audiences recognized his talents almost immediately.
His directorial debut, Violent Cop already showcases his potential. He has directed in a variety of genres and aesthetics, but his most famous works include crime and Yakuza dramas like Sonatine and Outrage. Even though the movies can be brutal and cold, there is dry humor and all the characters feel human, even if they are not sympathetic.
1 Oleksander Dovzhenko
Oleksander Dovzhenko is important to filmmaking not only because of his classics from the 1920s and 30s like Earth, Arsenal, and Aerograd. He also mentored a whole generation of directors from Eastern Europe, including aforementioned names like Sergei Parajanov and Larisa Shepitko.
Another notable work of his is a screenplay called Ukraine in Flames. It was not authorized to be filmed when it was written in World War 2 but it was eventually published as its own piece of literature. It would only be turned into a movie in the 1960s by his wife, many years after his death.