The Most Famous
FILM DIRECTORS from Algeria
This page contains a list of the greatest Algerian Film Directors. The pantheon dataset contains 2,041 Film Directors, 4 of which were born in Algeria. This makes Algeria the birth place of the 46th most number of Film Directors behind Portugal, and Chile.
Top 4
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Algerian Film Directors of all time. This list of famous Algerian Film Directors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity.
1. Tony Gatlif (b. 1948)
With an HPI of 64.83, Tony Gatlif is the most famous Algerian Film Director. His biography has been translated into 37 different languages on wikipedia.
Tony Gatlif is a French film director who also works as a screenwriter, composer, actor, and producer. Born 10 September 1948 as Michel (Boualem) Dahmani in Algeria, then officially part of France, to a Berber (Kabyle) father and an Andalusian-Romani mother, Gatlif’s cultural background is fairly complex.
2. Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina (1934 - 2025)
With an HPI of 62.15, Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina is the 2nd most famous Algerian Film Director. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina (Arabic: محمد الأخضر حمينة; 26 February 1934 – 23 May 2025) was an Algerian film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his 1975 film Chronicle of the Years of Fire, which won the Palme d'Or at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival and became the first Arab and African film to win the award. He is one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Arabic cinema.
3. Thelma Schoonmaker (b. 1940)
With an HPI of 59.99, Thelma Schoonmaker is the 3rd most famous Algerian Film Director. Her biography has been translated into 29 different languages.
Thelma Schoonmaker (; born January 3, 1940) is an American film editor, best known for her collaboration over five decades with director Martin Scorsese. She has received numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and four ACE Eddie Awards. She has been honored with the British Film Institute Fellowship in 1997, the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2014, and the BAFTA Fellowship in 2019. Schoonmaker started working with Scorsese on his debut feature film, Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967), and has edited all of his films since Raging Bull (1980). She has received a record nine nominations for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing and has won a record three times for Raging Bull, The Aviator (2004), and The Departed (2006). She has also been nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Editing a record 11 times, winning twice for Raging Bull and Goodfellas (1990).
4. Kad Merad (b. 1964)
With an HPI of 56.59, Kad Merad is the 4th most famous Algerian Film Director. His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.
Kad Merad (born Kaddour Merad, Arabic: قدور ميراد; 27 March 1964) is a French-Algerian writer and actor.
People
Pantheon has 4 people classified as Algerian film directors born between 1934 and 1964. Of these 4, 3 (75.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Algerian film directors include Tony Gatlif, Thelma Schoonmaker, and Kad Merad. The most famous deceased Algerian film directors include Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina. As of April 2024, 4 new Algerian film directors have been added to Pantheon including Tony Gatlif, Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina, and Thelma Schoonmaker.
Living Algerian Film Directors
Go to all Rankings
Tony Gatlif
1948 - Present
HPI: 64.83
Thelma Schoonmaker
1940 - Present
HPI: 59.99
Kad Merad
1964 - Present
HPI: 56.59
Deceased Algerian Film Directors
Go to all RankingsNewly Added Algerian Film Directors (2024)
Go to all RankingsTony Gatlif
1948 - Present
HPI: 64.83
Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina
1934 - 2025
HPI: 62.15
Thelma Schoonmaker
1940 - Present
HPI: 59.99
Kad Merad
1964 - Present
HPI: 56.59
