The history of cinema can be written in different ways. `Horizontally`, that is, chronologically, gradually considering decade by decade. Or “vertically”, exploring cinema through the work of its leading directors. Employees of the foreign department of the Research Institute of Cinematography, who have already published the `Actors' Encyclopedia. Cinema USA, which received the Guild of Critics Award from the Union of Cinematographers of Russia, chose the second option. We bring to the attention of our readers the Director's Encyclopedia. US cinema allows you to get acquainted not only with the individual characteristics of the work of certain masters, but also to identify the main trends in US cinema throughout the first century of its existence. The book uses bibliographic materials prepared by the department of filmography and bibliography in Russian of the Research Institute of Cinematography