William Friedkin (born 29 August 1935 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing The Exorcist and The French Connection in the early 1970s. His recent film is Bug (2006) for which he won the FIPRESCI.

After seeing the movie Citizen Kane as a boy, Friedkin became fascinated with movies and began working for WGN-TV immediately after high school. He eventually started his directorial career doing live television shows and documentaries, including The People vs. Paul Crump which won several awards and contributed to the commutation of Crump's death sentence. In 1965 Friedkin moved to Hollywood and two years later released his first feature film, Good Times starring Sonny and Cher. Several other "art" films followed (including the gay-themed movie The Boys in the Band), although Friedkin didn't necessarily want to be known as an art house director.

In 1971, his The French Connection was released to wide critical acclaim. Shot in a gritty style more suited for documentaries than Hollywood features, the film won five Academy Awards, including Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director.