A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making and/or the production of a film.Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary) Many people also consider film producers, cinematographers, film editors, and special effects experts to be filmmakersAmerican Heritage Dictionary.

A film director is a person who visualizes the screenplay, controlling a film's artistic and dramatic aspects, while guiding the technical crew and actors in the fulfillment of his or her vision. In some cases, film directors do not have absolute creative control. The director can also be selected by the producer. The producer in this case very likely has veto power over everything from the script itself to the final editing of the film, often in anything from slight to extreme opposition to the director's vision.

When directing individual episodes for a television show, a director's responsibilities are somewhat diminished, since the visual look and emotional impression of the TV series has already been established, usually by the person billed as the show's creator, executive producer, or producer. Those directors who choose or are chosen to work in TV traditionally have had to accept that they will not be as lauded, or as well-paid, as their big-screen counterparts.