Ang Lee

At 66 years of age, Ang Lee has become widely known for his filmmaking talents throughout his career. Born in Pingtung, Taiwan, he graduated from the National Taiwan College of Arts in 1975, before traveling to the U.S. to continue his studies. There he received a B.F.A. Degree in Theatre / Theatre Direction while attending the University of Illinois, as well as a Masters Degree in Film Production at New York University. At NYU, Lee worked with another famous filmmaker, Spike Lee, serving as Assistant Director on the latter’s student film, Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983). After spending some time in the screenwriter’s chair, he made his way to the film scene in 1991 with Pushing Hands. Since then, other works directed by Lee include The Wedding Banquet, Eat Drink Man Woman, Sense and Sensibility, Hulk, Brokeback Mountain, and Life of Pi, in addition to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. He has earned a number of nominations and awards for his well-crafted and visually striking films.

Spike Lee

At 63 years of age, Spike Lee has established himself as a skillful filmmaker from the beginning of his career. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, at a young age he moved to Brooklyn, New York. After attending Morehouse College in Atlanta and developing his filmmaking abilities at Clark Atlanta University, he went on to study in the Tisch School of Arts graduate film program. Lee’s creation, She’s Gotta Have It, was released in 1986, launching his career and allowing him to establish his own production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. Following this, additional projects that he has directed include School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game, Inside Man, BlacKkKlansman, Da 5 Bloods, and David Byrne’s American Utopia. Lee’s documentarian side has grown over the years as well, and through his production company, he is working on story development, building an internship program for aspiring filmmakers, releasing music, and offering community support and outreach. His well-received projects have brought him numerous nominations and awards.

Alanis Obomsawin

At 88 years of age, Alanis Obomsawin is among the most acclaimed Indigenous filmmakers on an international scale. Born in Lebanon, New Hampshire, she began her career as a singer, writer, and storyteller. In addition to her directing and producing, Obomsawin is an engraver and printmaker. The works she is known for include Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, Waban-aki: People from Where the Sun Rises, and Is the Crown at War with Us?, with a total of 29 directing credits thus far. She is also a member of the Abenaki Nation and in 2007, she paid a special visit to Brock University in St. Catherine’s, Ontario to discuss her life as a filmmaker and Indigenous woman. Obomsawin was awarded the C.C. (Companion of the Order of Canada) in 2019 by the Canadian Governor General for her services to the country. She currently lives in Montréal, Quebec, and over the span of five decades with the National Film Board of Canada, she has been the recipient of accolades and has helped change the national conversation surrounding Indigenous issues.

Deepa Mehta

At 70 years of age, Deepa Mehta is a gifted screenwriter, director, and producer, whose work has been featured at each major international film festival. Born in Amritsar, India, she attended the University of New Delhi, earning a degree in Philosophy, before immigrating to Canada. Creating documentaries while in India marks the start of her career, and in 1991, her first feature film was released, titled Sam & Me. Mehta’s Elemental Trilogy is led by Fire, which debuted in 1996. Earth is the second, premiering in 1998 and being followed by the 2005 delivery of Water, the final film in the Elemental Trilogy. Other projects that she has directed include Bollywood/Hollywood, The Republic of Love, Let’s Talk About It, Heaven On Earth, Midnight’s Children, and Funny Boy. Mehta is often recognized for her progressive nature and mentorship activities, and has been honoured many times for her filmmaking.

Alejandro González Iñárritu

At 57 years of age, Alejandro González Iñárritu is a big name in the worlds of film and directing. Born in Mexico City, Mexico, he traveled through Europe and Africa in his later teenage years. During this period, the places he visited were chosen as the setting in several of the films he would end up leading. After returning to Mexico City and majoring in Communications, he began his career as a radio host in 1984. Iñárritu also composed music, from 1987 to 1989, for six feature films of Mexican origin. In the 90s, he co-created Z Films, where he started his journey of writing, producing, and directing. His standout works include Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel, Biutiful, Birdman, and The Revenant. Iñárritu’s projects have gained critical acclaim worldwide, and he has been given multiple nominations and awards for his contributions to the realm of film.

To discover more about these directors, IMDb is a great destination and the source of the information in this article.