- Barry Jenkins-If Beale Street Could Talk
- Bradley Cooper-A Star Is Born
- Damien Chazelle-First Man
- Martin Scorsese-The Irishman
- Yorgos Lanthimos-The Favourite
- Adam McKay-Backseat
- Desiree Akhavan-The Miseducation of Cameron Post
- Spike Lee-Black Klansman
- Steve McQueen-Widows
- Josie Rourke-Mary Queen of Scots
- Ryan Coogler-Black Panther
- Debra Granik-Leave No Trace
- Jacques Audiard-The Sisters Brothers
- Joel Edgerton-Boy Erased
- Marielle Heller-Can You Ever Forgive Me?
- Paul Dano-Wildlife
- Bo Burnham-Eighth Grade
- Richard Linklater-Where’d You Go, Bernadette?
- Terry Gilliam-The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
- Julian Schnabel-At Eternity’s Gate
- Boots Riley-Sorry To Bother You
- Thomas Vinterberg-Kursk
- Gus Van Sant-Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far ON Foot
- Jason Reitman-The Front Runner
- Mélanie Laurent-Galveston
- Andrew Heckler-Burden
- Robert Zemeckis-The Women of Marwen
- David Lowery-The Old Man and The Gun
- Stephen Merchant-Fighting With My Family
- Jason Reitman-Tully
- Reinaldo Marcus Green-Monsters and Men
- Anthony and Joe Russo-Avengers: Infinity War
- Fede Alvarez-The Girl in the Spider’s Web
- Steven Spielberg-Ready Player One
- Ava DuVernay-A Wrinkle in Time