auteur

Definition 
A term used in film criticism expressing the idea that the "author" of a film—the individual who exercises personal control in the making of a film—is the director. More specifically the term describes a director who has developed an identifiable style and a consistent set of themes in his or her work. The term originally was employed by New Wave film critics of the 1950s, who applied it to Howard Hawks and Alfred Hitchcock, until then regarded as entertaining but not "serious" filmmakers. The re-estimation of Hawks and Hitchcock as auteurs spearheaded the movement to view popular film directors and their films as suitable subjects of criticism.