British director of innovative, visually vivid motion pictures.

Powell attended Dulwich College, London (1918–21). He directed his first film, Two Crowded Hours, in 1931. During the 1930s he directed over 20 low-budget, quickly made films before producer Alexander Korda teamed him with Hungarian-born screenwriter Emeric Pressburger (Pressburger, Emeric) on The Spy in Black (U.S. title U-Boat). It was the beginning of a long, stimulating partnership; after the success of their next two collaborations, Contraband (1940) and 49th Parallel (U.S., The Invaders, 1941) they formed (1942) The Archers, a joint production company, and shared equal writing, producing, and directing credits for its 14 films.

The Archers' most successful works, which were notable for their use of brilliant colours, fantasy, and experimental cinematography, included The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), A Matter of Life and Death (1946; U.S. title Stairway to Heaven), Black Narcissus (1947), The Red Shoes (1948), and The Tales of Hoffman (1951). After an amicable split from Pressburger in 1957, Powell directed several less successful films, including the controversial Peeping Tom (1960).