Promising Young Directors (Millennials 1982 - 2004)

1. Xavier Dolan

Xavier Dolan was born on March 20, 1989 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is an actor and producer, known for I Killed My Mother (2009), Tom at the Farm (2013) and Heartbeats (2010).

At 19 Adam got his start in feature film making early with his directorial debut Home Sick, a slasher horror film starring Bill Moseley and Tom Toweles. However it was his second effort at 24 years old with the film Pop Skull that garnered him a talent to watch. Made for a budget of around 2000 ...

3. Gia Coppola

Director | Palo Alto

Gia Coppola was born on January 1, 1987 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is a director and writer, known for Palo Alto (2013), Mainstream (2020) and Somewhere (2010).

4. 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...

5. Evan Goldberg

Producer | This Is the End

Evan Goldberg is a Canadian director, screenwriter and producer. Goldberg is known for his work on Superbad, Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, Funny People, The Green Hornet, 50/50, Goon, The Watch, This is the End, Neighbors, The Interview and The Night Before. Goldberg works alongside longtime ...

6. Robert Eggers

Director | The Lighthouse

Robert Houston Eggers is an American filmmaker and production designer. He is best known for writing and directing the historical horror films The Witch (2015) and The Lighthouse (2019), as well as directing and co-writing the historical fiction epic film The Northman (2022). His films are noted ...

7. Ryan Coogler

Director | Black Panther

Ryan Kyle Coogler is an African-American filmmaker and producer who is from Oakland, California. He is known for directing the Black Panther film series, Creed, a Rocky spin-off and Fruitvale Station. He frequently casts Michael B. Jordan in his works. He produced the Creed sequels, Judas and the ...

8. Antonio Negret

Director | The Lincoln Lawyer

Antonio Negret is an international filmmaker, fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. He is a Summa Cum Laude graduate from the USC School of Cinema Television, with a minor from the USC School of Theatre where he was the recipient of multiple scholarships.

Negret directed 'Overdrive,' starring ...

9. Ayan Mukerji

Director | Brahmastra Part One: Shiva

Ayan Mukerji was born on August 15, 1983 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. He is a director and writer, known for Brahmastra Part One: Shiva (2022), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) and Wake Up Sid (2009).

10. Charlie McDowell

Director | The One I Love

Charlie McDowell was born on July 10, 1983 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is a director and producer, known for The One I Love (2014), The Discovery (2017) and Windfall (2022). He has been married to Lily Collins since September 4, 2021.

11. Yukun Xin

Director | Bao lie wu sheng

Yukun Xin-Director, Writer, Editor graduated from Beijing Film Academy in 2008. His representative work is the movie The Coffin in the Mountain,which won plenty of awards in the worldwide for him. He always calls himself a movie fan director because he himself is the fan of many other directors ...

12. Drake Doremus

Director | Equals

Drake Doremus was born on March 29, 1983 in Orange, California, USA. He is a director and writer, known for Equals (2015), Like Crazy (2011) and Spooner (2009).

13. Ilya Naishuller

Director | Hardcore Henry

Ilya Naishuller is a film director, actor, producer, screenwriter and the frontman of indie rock band Biting Elbows, founded in 2008. From 8 to 14 he studied in London, and later graduated from the British International School in Yasenevo. Naishuller dropped out of the Institute of Television and ...

14. Simón Mesa Soto

Director | Amparo

Simón Mesa Soto is known for Amparo (2021), Leidi (2014) and Mother (2016).

15. Lena Dunham

Writer | Tiny Furniture

New Yorker Lena Dunham is the daughter of a painter, Carroll Dunham and Laurie Simmons, a designer and photographer. Dunham was educated at Oberlin College, Ohio, graduating with a creative writing degree. It was while at Oberlin that she began writing shorts and feature films. In 2009, Dunham ...

16. Alice Rohrwacher

Director | Lazzaro felice

Alice Rohrwacher was born on December 29, 1981 in Fiesole, Tuscany, Italy. She is a director and writer, known for Happy as Lazzaro (2018), La Chimera (2023) and The Wonders (2014).

17. Josh Trank

Writer | Fantastic Four

Joshua Trank is an American filmmaker and screenwriter. He got his big break by directing the found footage superhero film Chronicle for 20th Century Fox in 2012. He was later hired to direct Fant4stic, an ill-fated reboot to the Tim Story Fantastic Four film series of the 2000s starring Miles ...

18. Byoung-gon Moon

Writer | Safe

Byoung-gon Moon is known for Safe (2013), Bul-myul-ui-sa-na-ie (2011) and Festival Road Trip (2008).

19. Valeriya Gay Germanika

Director | Vse umrut a ya ostanus

Valeriya Gay Germanika (born on March 1, 1984, Moscow, USSR) - a Russian film director. Guild member of the Filmmakers Union of the Russian Federation. Graduated from the School of Cinematography and Television "Internews" in 2008. General director of the film company "Leosfilm". Was awarded with "...

20. Carl-Johan Westregård

Visual_effects | Cams

Carl-Johan Westregård was born on November 7, 1984 in Ystad, Skåne län, Sweden. He is a director, known for Cams (2014), The Square (2017) and Late (2010).

21. Michael J. Gallagher

Director | The Leader

Michael Gallagher was born in San Diego, California. He began his career on YouTube, where he has garnered over 1 million subscribers and was one of the original co-founders of Maker Studios. He is a director and writer, known for Funny Story (2018), Internet Famous (2016), Smiley (2012) and The ...

22. Josh Mond

Director | James White

Josh Mond is known for James White (2015), Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) and Afterschool (2008).

23. Sylvia Soska

Director | American Mary

Identical twins, writers, directors, actors, and even stunt players, the Soska sisters have always loved twisted film. Even at an early age, they devoured Stephen King novels, one after another as fast as they could read - and would sneak into the over 18 sections at video stores, to critique the ...

24. Jen Soska

Actress | American Mary

Identical twins, writers, directors, actors even stunt players, the Soska sisters have always loved twisted film. Even at an early age, they devoured Stephen King novels, one after another as fast as they could read - and snuck into the over 18 sections at video stores, to critique the bloody ...

25. David Victori

Producer | Sky Rojo

World Winner of the YouTube's Film Festival. Selected by Variety and ScreenDaily as one of the directors to watch in the coming years. Represented by CAA. Writer of the Spanish Films "Second Origin" (2015) and " Son of Cain" (2013). Director and Writer of award-winning short films worldwide, ...

26. Charlton Jacob Jacques

Producer | Shadow Hill

Charlton Jacques founded Foresight Entertainment with the goal of excellence, innovation, and artistic and commercial distinction.

His love of acting drove him to enroll at Yaphat-toar Dramatic Academy in the Bahamas to pursue acting studies following high school. It was during this time that he ...

27. Ely Dagher

Director | Waves '98

Ely Dagher was born in 1985, in Beirut, Lebanon. He received a Masters of Arts in contemporary art theory and new media from the prestigious Goldsmiths college in London. Previously he had received a Bachelors in graphic arts and illustration as well as a Bachelors in animation at the Academie ...

28. Jeffrey Walker

Director | The Artful Dodger

Jeffrey Walker is an Australian born, multi-award winning director, known for The Artful Dodger, The Clearing, Modern Family, Lambs of God, Riot, Dance Academy: The Movie, Jack Irish and Ali's Wedding. Walker started his career as an actor, turning to directing at age twenty. He has worked between ...

29. Rajkumar Gunduloori

Director | Ouija: Game Never Ends

Rajkumar Gunduloori is known for Ouija: Game Never Ends (2015).

30. Phil Hawkins

Director | Prancer: A Christmas Tale

Phil Hawkins is an award-winning feature film and commercials director. He's directed countless high profile television campaigns around the world and made six indie feature films released by the likes of Sony, Netflix and Lionsgate. From adaptations of Greek tragedy and a YA novel, to comedy ...

31. Max Derin

Director | Earth 2083

Max Derin is known for Earth 2083, City of Angels (2021) and Au Pair.

32. Liam Bashford

Director | Waiting for Time

The critically acclaimed short film "Waiting For Time" by The Bashford Twins, which delves into the sensitive topic of men's mental health and stars Ariyon Bakare (known for "His Dark Materials" on BBC), received nominations at the prestigious Oscar and BAFTA qualifying LA Shorts International Film...

33. Kyle Bashford

Director | Waiting for Time

The critically acclaimed short film "Waiting For Time" by The Bashford Twins, which delves into the sensitive topic of men's mental health and stars Ariyon Bakare (known for "His Dark Materials" on BBC), received nominations at the prestigious Oscar and BAFTA qualifying LA Shorts International Film...

34. Patrick Cederberg

Animation_department | Noah

Patrick Cederberg is known for Noah (2013), Therapy Dogs (2022) and The Vow (2020).

35. Gigi Saul Guerrero

Director | El Gigante

Born and raised in Mexico City, also known by fans as "La Muñeca Del Terror" in Latin America. She is a Mexican genre director/filmmaker and actress now living in Vancouver Canada, she's described by VARIETY, L'ATTITUDE LATINXT as part of the new wave of Latino talent, and scored a First Look Deal ...

36. Ryan Connolly

Producer | Ballistic

Ryan Connolly is known for Ballistic (2018), Proximity (2013) and Tell (2012).

37. Kristina Buozyte

Director | Vesper

Kristina Buozyte was born on October 9, 1982 in Klaipeda, Lithuanian SSR, USSR [now Lithuania]. She is a director and writer, known for Vesper (2022), Vanishing Waves (2012) and Kolekcioniere (2008).

38. Adam Deyoe

Director | Another Yeti a Love Story: Life on the Streets

Adam Deyoe graduated from Emerson College with a B.F.A. in film production. He has directed numerous features including the cult films "Psycho Sleepover" and "Yeti: A Love Story" for Troma Entertainment, the horror action-thriller "Dead Season" for the SyFy Network, and the teen dance drama, "1 ...

39. Eric England

Director | Madison County

Eric England was born on February 23, 1988 in Russellville, Arkansas, USA. He is a director and writer, known for Madison County (2011), Contracted (2013) and Get the Girl (2017).

40. Henry Thompson

Producer | Walk Away

British born and American raised, Henry Phillip Thompson grew up in Florida, spending most of his youth at the local AMC watching as many movies as he could. On his 6th birthday he saw 'who framed Roger Rabbit' and on that day he knew what he wanted to be when he grew up; a cartoon character. He ...

41. Stephen Dunn

Writer | Closet Monster

Stephen Dunn was born on January 18, 1989 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. He is a writer and director, known for Closet Monster (2015), Swallowed (2010) and Life Doesn't Frighten Me (2012).

42. Emily Carmichael

Writer | Pacific Rim Uprising

Emily Carmichael was born and raised in New York City. She was the top-ranked English student in her graduating class at Stuyvesant High School, and shared the second-place ranking in Physics with one other student.

As a teenager, she contributed two essays ("Fight Girl Power" and "Acid Torches of ...

43. Kevin Kopacka

Director | Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes

Kevin Kopacka is an Austrian / Sri Lankan painter and director.

He grew up in Graz, Austria and moved to Berlin, Germany in 2006. In 2007 he started his studies of Fine Art at the University of Arts, Berlin in the class of the Japanese artist Leiko Ikemura. He graduated as Master Student in 2012.

His...

44. Svyatoslav Podgaevskiy

Director | Pikovaya dama. Chyornyy obryad

Svyatoslav Podgaevskiy was born on February 8, 1983 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is a director and writer, known for Queen of Spades: The Dark Rite (2015), The Bride (2017) and Dark Spell (2021).

45. Kyle Patrick Alvarez

Director | The Stanford Prison Experiment

Kyle Patrick Alvarez was born on May 19, 1983 in Miami, Florida, USA. He is a producer and director, known for The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015), Easier with Practice (2009) and C.O.G. (2013).

46. Christopher De Maria

Director | Inconvenience

Christopher De Maria was born on August 19, 1982 in Staten Island, New York, USA. Christopher is a director and writer, known for Inconvenience (2008), Sound of Blood and American Zombieland (2020).

47. Isaac Madge

Director | Do You Remember?

Isaac Madge was born on 6th July, 1996 in Bath, Somerset, England. He has spent his career working primarily in video for theatre productions. Theatre credits include 'The Lehman Trilogy' at the National Theatre and 'All About Eve' at The Noel Coward Theatre.

Isaac has also worked on a number of ...

48. 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...

49. The Vicious Brothers

Writer | Grave Encounters

The Vicious Brothers is the writing, directing collaboration between brothers Colin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz. Their debut feature film, "Grave Encounters", made on a shoe string budget had its world premiere at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival and has since become a cult hit worldwide. Forbes ...

50. Daryl Wein

Director | Something from Tiffany's

Daryl Wein is an award-winning filmmaker. He is represented by CAA and Rain Management.

He directed "Something from Tiffany's" in 2022 starring Zoey Deutch and Kendrick Sampson for Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine and Amazon Studios.

He co-wrote/co-directed/co-produced/DP'd/edited, "How It Ends"; ...