Well I know I'll forget something, and honestly I still don't think I've seen all that I'd have liked to, but here's a rough top15. I wasn't positive about the release of Tarnation, but I saw it on enough top tens of the year to count it, and remember Hero didn't come out here until August of 2004. 

1. The Incredibles (Bird)
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Gondry)
3. The Saddest Music in the World (Maddin)
4. Dogville (Von Trier)
5. Hero (Yimou)
6. Million Dollar Baby (Eastwood)
7. Kill Bill Vol. 2 (Tarantino)
8. Sideways (Payne)
9. Vera Drake (Leigh) 
10. House of Flying Daggers (Yimou)
11. Moolaade (Sembene)
12. Tarnation (Caouette)
13. Closer (Nichols)
14. Before Sunset (Linklater)
15. Baadasssss (Van Peebles)