The Land Before Time is a film.
Donald Virgil `` Don '' Bluth ( born September 13 , 1937 ) is an American animator , film director , producer , writer , production designer , video game designer , and animation instructor who is known for directing animated films , such as The Secret of NIMH ( 1982 ) , An American Tail ( 1986 ) , The Land Before Time ( 1988 ) , All Dogs Go to Heaven ( 1989 ) , and Anastasia ( 1997 ) , and for his involvement in the LaserDisc game Dragon 's Lair ( 1983 ) . The Land Before Time is a 1988 American-Irish animated adventure drama film directed and produced by Don Bluth and executive produced by Steven Spielberg , George Lucas , Kathleen Kennedy , and Frank Marshall .