9. Deepa Mehta
Best Film: Water (2005) Deepa Mehta is an Indian filmmaker based in Canada whose work has drawn both critical acclaim and controversy ever since her 1996 film Fire. The first part of her "Elements Trilogy" including 1998's Earth and 2005's Water, Fire is about two women who become lovers. It's one of the first Indian films that deals explicitly with homosexuality, and although the disputes that surround the film seem to have overtaken the artistic intent behind it, Mehta remains to be one of the most lively directors working today. Although she was not been able to work in India on her most recent film Midnight's Children (based on the novel by Salman Rushdie) due to continued threats, Mehta continues to lovingly direct movies about India and its people. Mehta's films exude an exuberant visual style and a flair for the dramatic, and all the hubbub surrounding them doesn't change the fact that she is an excellent filmmaker.