FILM DIRECTORS from Algeria

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 56.19, Tony Gatlif is the most famous Algerian Film Director.  His biography has been translated into 29 different languages on wikipedia.

Tony Gatlif (born as Michel Dahmani, 10 September 1948) is a French film director of Romani ethnicity who also works as a screenwriter, composer, actor, and producer.

2. Thelma Schoonmaker (b. 1940)

With an HPI of 53.52, Thelma Schoonmaker is the 2nd most famous Algerian Film Director.  Her biography has been translated into 27 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).

3. Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina (b. 1934)

With an HPI of 49.65, Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina is the 3rd most famous Algerian Film Director.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina (Arabic: محمد الأخضر حمينة; born in M'sila in 1934) is 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.

4. Kad Merad (b. 1964)

With an HPI of 49.35, Kad Merad is the 4th most famous Algerian Film Director.  His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.

Kad Merad (born Kaddour Merad, Arabic: قدور ميراد; 27 March 1964) is a French-Algerian filmmaker and actor who has acted both on stage and on screen.