Of his debut as a feature-film director, Mr. Duke said: "Television is an excellent training ground for a director.

At Venice, four months later, he won a prize for "Orphans," his debut as a feature-film director.

This is the first feature-film director who was brought over to the International Week of criticism at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Grand Prix.

It is Åkerlund's début as a feature-film director, having already become known for his work in music videos.

Anca Damian had debuted as a feature-film director in 2009.

Last year, Mr. Avnet made his debut as a feature-film director with "Fried Green Tomatoes."

In 2002, Gale debuted as a feature-film director with Interstate 60: Episodes of the Road.

How did a Baltimore native living in London end up choosing a Welsh-language movie for his debut as a feature-film director?

The latest manifestation of his flair for invention is "Human Nature," his debut as a feature-film director.

He made his debut as a feature-film director in 2003 with Beautiful Boxer, a biographical drama about transsexual professional Muay Thai boxer, Nong Thoom.