Clue: Merchant of Venice gets flipping cool director (9)
Answer: ANTONIONI
Explanation: Definition: director
**ANTONIO** ("Merchant of Venice" in Shakespeare's play) *gets* [*flipping*] **<=IN** ("cool") 
 
 
*Michaelangelo Antonioni (1912-2007) directed films such as *L'avventura* and *Blowup