In so many words, Directors often sell tickets more then writers. Certain writers have a track record and a proven fanbase, a la Charlie Kaufman, Aaron Sorkin, etc, but the Directors and the Actors are the more visible moneymakers, fair or not.

A film is in essence a collaboration of many, many people. So many in fact that credits often take 6-10 minutes to run! The vastly overlooked include not just writers, but the DP's, the Editors, the Art Department, the Effects Department, etc, etc.

A quote that is sort of glib but is also true best sums it up: "Theatre is the actors showcase, TV is the writers showcase, Film is the directors showcase."

Theatre is such a bare, personal artform with usually just the actors and the audience, TV has such long periods of time to fill that a true overreaching story can be written and told and film is very much the visual medium with the director creating the shots that get used.

Take care all.