The Kerala State Film Award for Best Director is an honour presented annually at the Kerala State Film Awards of India since 1969. It is given to a film director who has exhibited outstanding direction while working in the Malayalam film industry. Until 1997, the awards were managed directly by the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Government of Kerala. Since 1998, the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, an autonomous non-profit organisation functioning under the Department of Cultural Affairs, has been exercising control over the awards. The first Kerala State Film Awards ceremony was held in 1970, with cinematographer-director A. Vincent receiving the Best Director award for his work in Nadhi (1969). Filmmaker G. Aravindan is the most frequent winner in this category, with seven awards, followed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan (pictured), with six awards, Shyamaprasad (five awards) and K. S. Sethumadhavan (four awards). (Full list...)