A director could be 20 years old and an actor 60, or vice versa; it doesn't matter. It's about connecting sensibility and energy together, and having a vision that goes together and anchors the film as you go along.
I learned a lot last year about the current difficulties in independent film making. Money is promised one minute and gone the next. I was bitterly disappointed about Scheherazade. It was one of the best scripts I have ever read.