Film Directors from Italy

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Italians Film Directors of all time. This list of famous Italians Film Directors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Italians Film Directors.

1. #1

   

   Federico Fellini

   1920 - 1993

   HPI 82.49127 langs

   Federico Fellini is most famous for his films, such as La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, and Amarcord.

2. #2

   

   Pier Paolo Pasolini

   1922 - 1975

   HPI 79.6878 langs

   Pier Paolo Pasolini was a poet, novelist, filmmaker, and intellectual. He is most famous for his film "The Gospel According to St. Matthew."

3. #3

   

   Bernardo Bertolucci

   1941 - 2018

   HPI 78.5080 langs

   Bernardo Bertolucci is most famous for his work on films such as The Last Emperor, The Dreamers, and 1900.

4. #4

   

   Luchino Visconti

   1906 - 1976

   HPI 78.4265 langs

   Luchino Visconti is most famous for his work on the Italian neorealist films, such as "Rocco and His Brothers" and "The Leopard."

5. #5

   

   Sergio Leone

   1929 - 1989

   HPI 78.1476 langs

   Sergio Leone is most famous for his spaghetti westerns. He is known for directing the films A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More,...Read moreShow less

   Sergio Leone is most famous for his spaghetti westerns. He is known for directing the films A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West, and Once Upon a Time in America.

6. #6

   

   Michelangelo Antonioni

   1912 - 2007

   HPI 76.7870 langs

   Michelangelo Antonioni is most famous for being a film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his Italian neorealist films of the...Read moreShow less

   Michelangelo Antonioni is most famous for being a film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his Italian neorealist films of the 1950s and 1960s, including La Notte (1961), L'Eclisse (1962), Red Desert (1964), Blowup (1966), The Passenger (1975), and The Mystery of Oberwald (1979).

7. #7

   

   Vittorio De Sica

   1901 - 1974

   HPI 75.3676 langs

   Vittorio De Sica is most famous for his use of neorealism in his films. Neorealism is a style of filmmaking that seeks to represent the...Read moreShow less

   Vittorio De Sica is most famous for his use of neorealism in his films. Neorealism is a style of filmmaking that seeks to represent the reality of life.

8. #8

   

   Tinto Brass

   b. 1933

   HPI 74.8142 langs

   Tinto Brass is most famous for his work in the Italian pornographic film industry. He has directed, produced, and written many films that...Read moreShow less

   Tinto Brass is most famous for his work in the Italian pornographic film industry. He has directed, produced, and written many films that are considered classics in the industry.

9. #9

   

   Roberto Rossellini

   1906 - 1977

   HPI 74.5863 langs

   Roberto Rossellini is most famous for his neorealist films, which were a reaction to the artificiality of the Hollywood studio system.

10. #10

    

    Frank Capra

    1897 - 1991

    HPI 72.7772 langs

    Frank Capra is most famous for being a film director, producer, and writer. He is best known for directing the films "It's a Wonderful Life"...Read moreShow less

    Frank Capra is most famous for being a film director, producer, and writer. He is best known for directing the films "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."