1962, from French, literally "author" (see author (n.)).

(or auteur theory) literally the French word for "author"; in film criticism, used in the terms auteurism or auteur theory, denoting a critical theory (originally known as la politiq [..]

French for 'author'. The term has a specific cultural and political history, beginning with the politique des auteurs, a manifesto drafted in the 1950s by a group of French film directors an [..]

(n) a filmmaker who has a personal style and keeps creative control over his or her works

French term meaning ‘author’; a filmmaker who has a distinctive, recognisable vision. An Australian example would be Paul Cox.

A filmmaker whose work is stylistically recognizable and told in his or her unique voice.

A term used to refer to certain directors who see themselves as expressing their artistic vision through the medium of film.

literally the director, who is regarded as the "author" of a film because he/she has primary control and responsibility for the final product. The Auteur theory insists that a film be considered in terms of the entire canon of a director and that each Auteur earns that title by displaying a unique cinematic style.