Cinema has been long associated with France, dating back to 1895, when Louis and Auguste Lumière screened their works, the first public viewing of films anywhere. Early silent pioneers Georges Méliès, Alice Guy Blaché and others followed in the footsteps of the Lumière brothers and the tradition of important filmmaking continued throughout the 20th century and beyond. In Encyclopedia of French Film Directors, Philippe Rège identifies every French director who has made at least one feature film since 1895. From undisputed masters to obscure one-timers, nearly 3,000 directors are cited here, including at least 200 filmmakers not mentioned in similar books published in France. Each director's entry contains a brief biographical summary, including dates and places of birth and death; information on the individual's education and professional training; and other pertinent details, such as real names (when the filmmaker uses a pseudonym). The entries also provide complete filmographies, including credits for feature films, shorts, documentaries, and television work. Some of the most important names in the history of film can be found in this encyclopedia, from masters of the Golden Age—Jean Renoir and René Clair—to French New Wave artists such as François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard.