Over the next 12 months, each filmmaker listed will be celebrated across Empire’s touch points: print, digital, audio, video and social.
The list, compiled by Empire, is comprised of men and women who have taken risks, made incredible cinema and been vital in evolving the medium of film.
According to Empire, the roll of honour is littered with legendary directors such as Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Spike Lee and Martin Scorsese as well as highly acclaimed newcomers including the Oscar-winning Get Out Director Jordan Peele and Ryan Coogler (Black Panther).
In 2008 Katherine Bigelow made history, becoming the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director for The Hurt Locker. Also featured is Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, the only female to direct a superhero film. Joining them is Ava DuVernay, the first black female director to be nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Selma in 2014.
Flying the flag for the Brits are award-winning directors Edgar Wright, Christopher Nolan, Paul Greengrass, and Danny Boyle.
Commenting on the list, Editor-in-chief Terri White said: “Empire has been passionately committed to adventurous filmmaking for the last thirty years, so our anniversary was the perfect opportunity to celebrate those who have taken the most risks and created some of the most thrilling moments in cinema.
At the same time, we’re looking into the future – a future which embraces diversity within filmmaking. Empire is set to publish an upcoming filmmakers of the future list; a list that is made up of almost half women. A sure sign of how quickly, and significantly our industry is evolving.”
The full list can be viewed by visiting www.empireonline.com.
The Empire 30 anniversary celebrations launches in the January issue and features a world-exclusive interview with director James Cameron. Also published is a 22-page special tribute to Marvel legend Stan Lee.
The January issue of Empire hits newsstands on Thursday 29 November. An exclusive subscriber cover featuring a design by Supertoto will be published and includes picture clues as to who makes the 30 Most Adventurous Filmmakers list.
