With the success of MTV and the popularity of music videos from the early 1980s, this gave another avenue for directors to hone their skills. As commercial television advertising became more cinematic in the 1960s and 1970s, many directors' early work was in this medium, including directors such as Alan Parker and Ridley Scott. Notable directors who did their first directorial work in this medium include Robert Altman, Norman Jewison, Sidney Lumet, and Alfonso Cuarón. Subsequently, many directors learnt their trade in the medium of television as it became popular in the 1940s and 1950s. Often these early works were not intended for commercial release either by intent, such as film school projects or inability to find distribution. Many film makers have directed works which were not commercially released, for example early works by Orson Welles such as his filming of his stage production of Twelfth Night in 1933 or his experimental short film The Hearts of Age in 1934. The films and dates referred to are a director's first commercial cinematic release.

This is a list of film directorial debuts in chronological order.

Amc oak brook only the brave movie 2017