Can You Identify These Film Directors From an Image?

By: Gavin Thagard
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Can You Identify These Film Directors From an Image?
Image: DreamWorks/Fox 2000 Pictures/Reliance Entertainment

About This Quiz

Think about your favorite films. What about them leaves a lasting impression in your head? Is it because they resonate with you? Perhaps, they add some type of meaning to your life. Maybe it's the actors. After all, you probably hear the name of a film and immediately know the actors who starred in it. Performances have a way of captivating audiences, and the greatest performers do this time and time again.

When you think about the entirety of the production, though, it's hard to deny that it's the directors who really put the work in to see a premise come to life. Unless they are being controlled by a movie studio, the director is the one with the vision that the film must capture, and everyone from the lead actor to the costume designer has to honor whatever that vision might be.

Are you familiar with the greatest filmmakers to ever sit in the director's chair? From the era of silent films through the days of black and white television to the modern era with CGI and other special effects, these filmmakers shaped the film industry into what it is today. 

Now, reflect back on their accomplishments by trying to identify them in this directors quiz.

3 - Martin Scorsese
Wiki Commons by Siebbi
What's the name of this influential filmmaker who never shies away from violence in his films?
Quentin Tarantino
Martin Scorsese
Francis Ford Coppola
Ridley Scott
1 - Steven Spielberg
Wiki Commons by Gage Skidmore
This award-winning director has a filmography that stretches back to the '70s. Who is he?
Steven Spielberg
George Lucas
Martin Scorsese
James Cameron
Greta Gerwig - Little Women
ABC
Can you tell us who this Oscar-nominated director is?
Greta Gerwig
Lorene Scafaria
Catherine Hardwicke
Marielle Heller

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2 - Alfred Hitchcock
Pixabay by skeeze
Do you recognize this director who basically shaped how suspense could be utilized in film?
Charlie Chaplin
Sergio Leone
Alfred Hitchcock
Wes Craven
4 - Quentin Tarantino
NBC
A director who enjoys writing nonlinear plots, who is this?
Quentin Tarantino
Orson Welles
David Lean
Tim Burton
5 - George Lucas
Vanity Fair via YouTube
The cultural phenomenon known as "Star Wars" was launched by which director shown here?
George Lucas
Ron Howard
Robert Altman
Danny Boyle

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6 - Spike Lee
GQ via YouTube
A director who addresses urban problems, particularly in the black community, who is this filmmaker?
Tyler Perry
Ryan Coogler
Spike Lee
John Singleton
7 - Clint Eastwood
NBC
Is this actor-turned-filmmaker a face you recognize?
Mel Gibson
Clint Eastwood
Robert Redford
Charlie Chaplin
8 - Ava DuVernay
Netflix
This director gained recognition after winning the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Who is she?
Kathryn Bigelow
Dee Rees
Julia Ducournau
Ava DuVernay

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9 - Tim Burton
TimesTalks via YouTube
Are you familiar with this director who put his own unique twist on horror films?
Wes Craven
Tim Burton
John Carpenter
David Cronenberg
10 - Tyler Perry
NBC
One of the most well-known creatives in the entertainment business, name this director.
Ryan Coogler
Barry Jenkins
Antonie Fuqua
Tyler Perry
11 - Peter Jackson
Los Angeles Times via YouTube
You might recognize the director depicted here for bringing to life J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth.
Michael Bay
Peter Jackson
Anthony Russo
David Yates

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12 - Sofia Coppola
IndieWire via YouTube
Can you identify this actress turned director who has made a name for herself in Hollywood since she made her feature directorial debut in 1999?
Marielle Heller
Jennifer Lee
Sofia Coppola
Jane Campion
13 - Christopher Nolan
BBC
Can you identify this director who had several successful films before "The Dark Knight Trilogy" launched him to stardom?
Quentin Tarantino
Zach Snyder
Christopher Nolan
Tim Burton
14 - Kathryn Bigelow
ScreenSlam via YouTube
A director with the ability to film a range of genres, what's the name of this artist?
Claire Denis
Julia Ducournau
Andrea Arnold
Kathryn Bigelow

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15 - Charlie Chaplin
Wiki Commons by P.D Jankens
Does this director and performer have a face you're familiar with?
Charlie Chaplin
Buster Keaton
Billy Wilder
David Lean
16 - Stanley Kubrick
Eagle Film SS
A storyteller who enjoys making adaptations of written works, how well do you know this director?
Alfred Hitchcock
Woody Allen
Clint Eastwood
Stanley Kubrick
17 - Wes Craven
Mick Garris Interviews via YouTube
What's the name of this filmmaker who made slasher films popular within the horror genre?
Wes Craven
John Carpenter
David Cronenberg
Dario Argento

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18 - Francis Ford Coppola
Anne Thompson via YouTube
The gangster genre hit a new high when "The Godfather" was created under the watchful eye of which director shown here?
James Cameron
Francis Ford Coppola
David Fincher
Ridley Scott
19 - Woody Allen
PBS
Are you familiar with this director who could brilliantly blend comedy and drama into his films?
John Ford
Robert Altman
Clint Eastwood
Woody Allen
20 - David Fincher
PBS
A master of the thriller genre, name this director who has put his stamp on both film and drama series.
David Cronenberg
Sergio Leone
Paul Thomas Anderson
David Fincher

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21 - Akira Kurosawa
ABC
You might recognize which Japanese director depicted here for his many samurai films?
Akira Kurosawa
Yasujiro Ozu
Hayao Miyazaki
Hirokazu Kore-eda
22 - Ridley Scott
Life in a Day via YouTube
How much do you know about this director who has tackled a variety of time periods and settings in his films?
David Lynch
Roman Polanski
Ridley Scott
Orson Welles
23 - Ang Lee
Advanced Imaging Society via YouTube
Do you recognize this director who has an uncanny ability to bring out the hidden emotions of his characters?
Michael Kang
Tze Chun
Ang Lee
Quentin Lee

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24 - Orson Welles
NBC
A creative who changed both radio and film, identify this director.
Orson Welles
Billy Wilder
Charlie Chaplin
John Ford
25 - Kelly Reichardt
Get Into Film via YouTube
Can you name this director who crafts small town stories in a simplistic style?
Kathryn Bigelow
Kelly Reichardt
Andrea Arnold
Maren Ade
26 - John Ford
Wiki Commons by Allan warren
One of the pioneers of the Western genre, how well do you know this director?
John Ford
David Lynch
Roman Polanski
Billy Wilder

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27 - Sergio Leone
Wiki Commons by Admroba
Select the name of this Italian director who started the Spaghetti Western frenzy.
Franco Zeffirelli
Bernardo Bertolucci
Federico Fellini
Sergio Leone
28 - John Singleton
Netflix
Who is this director who gained fame at the age of 24 when he released "Boyz n the Hood"?
Barry Jenkins
John Singleton
Tyler Perry
Lee Daniels
29 - Patty Jenkins
Vulture via YouTube
"Wonder Woman" hit the big screen under the tutelage of this director. Who is she?
Lynne Ramsay
Marielle Heller
Greta Gerwig
Patty Jenkins

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30 - Paul Thomas Anderson
Epix
Often dealing with the flaws found in humans in his films, which director do you see here?
John Huston
Howard Hawks
Paul Thomas Anderson
Fritz Lang
31 - Oliver Stone
CBC
Not one to shy away from political issues, do you know this award-winning filmmaker?
Oliver Stone
Wes Anderson
Frank Capra
Sidney Lumet
32 - Dee Rees
CBC
Are you familiar with this film director who got her start filming a documentary?
Lynne Ramsay
Tamara Jenkins
Dee Rees
Julie Dash

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33 - Frank Capra
Wiki Commons by NYWT&S staff photographer
How well do you know this filmmaker who was one of the earliest stars in the business?
William Wyler
Frank Capra
John Huston
Howard Hawks
34 - Michael Bay
Variety via YouTube
Special effects are a staple for this director's style. Who is he?
Ron Howard
Michael Bay
David Lynch
Spike Jonze
35 - Catherine Hardwicke
Sony Pictures Worldwide Creative Content
Identify this director who specializes in capturing the emotions of adolescence.
Debra Granik
Jennifer Lee
Karyn Kusama
Catherine Hardwicke

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36 - Brian De Palma
Film at Lincoln Center via YouTube
Some of the most violent films in the history of cinema were created by which director shown here?
Brian De Palma
Robert Zemeckis
D.W. Griffith
Jean Renoir
37 - Sidney Lumet
PBS
A filmmaker known for his ability to work with actors, which director is this?
Luis Bunuel
Fritz Lang
Sidney Lumet
Howard Hawks
39 - Sam Taylor-Johnson
Movieclips Coming Soon via YouTube
Can you name this director who released her first film, "Nowhere Boy," in 2009?
Sarah Polley
Sam Taylor-Johnson
Susanne Bier
Anna Boden

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40 - Lee Daniels
The New York Times via YouTube
What's the name of this director who has established himself as one of the biggest names in the business?
Tim Story
Gordon Parks
Lee Daniels
Ernest Dickerson