Birdman’s Alejandro Iñárritu Wins Top Prize at Directors Guild Awards

Birdman's Alejandro  Gonzalez Inarritu at the 2014 Gotham Independent Film Awards | Paula Schwartz Photo
Birdman’s Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu at the 2014 Gotham Independent Film Awards | Paula Schwartz Photo

Alejandro G. Iñárritu won the top prize for “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” from the Directors Guild Saturday night.

The Directors Guild Award is a perfect barometer for the Best Director Academy Award. Only seven times since the DGA Award’s inception has the DGA Award winner not won the Academy Award, more recently in 2003 when Roman Polanski received the Academy Award for “The Pianist,” but the DGA Award went to Rob Marshall for “Chicago.”

And two years ago Ben Affleck won the DGA Award for “Argo,” while the Academy chose Ang Lee for “Life of Pi.” But Affleck won the Academy Award for best film, so even though IÑÁRRITU is the frontrunner for best director, the best picture Oscar could waltz off with someone else.

Best documentary director prize went to Laura Poitras for “Citizenfour” which makes her a lock now in that category for the Oscar.

The winners of the Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards for 2014 were announced Saturday during the 67th Annual DGA Awards at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

Citizenfour director Laura Poitras at the 2014 Gotham Independent Film Awards | Paula Schwartz Photo
Citizenfour director Laura Poitras at the 2014 Gotham Independent Film Awards | Paula Schwartz Photo

Actor Jane Lynch hosted the ceremony before an audience of more than 1,600 guests.  Presenters included Chadwick Boseman, Pierce Brosnan, Glen Charles, Les Charles, Bradley Cooper, Alfonso Cuarón, Julie Delpy, Taraji P. Henson, January Jones, Michael Mann, Lea Michele, Don Mischer, Bill Murray, Katey Sagal, Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, and DGA First Vice President Betty Thomas.

Jodie Foster, who was honored with the Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award at the Athena Film Festival at Barnard College Thursday night, jetted back to Los Angeles where she was nominated for two Directors Guild Awards.

Here is a complete list of the winners of the 2014 DGA Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement:

OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN FEATURE FILM

ALEJANDRO G. IÑÁRRITU

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

(Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Mr. Iñárritu’s Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Managers: James W. Skotchdopole, Robert Graf
  • First Assistant Director: Peter Kohn
  • Second Assistant Directors: Amy Lauritsen, Tim Price
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Catherine Feeny
  • Assistant Unit Production Manager: Gabrielle Mahon
  • Location Manager: Joaquin Prange

This is Mr. Iñárritu’s second DGA Award. He was previously nominated in this category for Babel in 2006. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for “Best Job” (Proctor and Gamble) in 2012.

OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMATIC SERIES

LESLI LINKA GLATTER

Homeland, “From A to B and Back Again” (Showtime)

Ms. Glatter’s Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Managers: Angela Phillips, Michael Klick
  • First Assistant Director: Nick Heckstall-Smith
  • Second Assistant Director: Wendy Bledsoe

This is Ms. Glatter’s second DGA Award. She previously won in this category in 2009 for Mad Men, “Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency.” She was also nominated in 2013 and 2012 for Homeland episodes “The Star” and “Q & A,” as well as in 1990 for Twin Peaks, “Episode 32006.”

OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY SERIES

JILL SOLOWAY

Transparent, “Best New Girl” (Amazon Prime)

Ms. Soloway’s Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Victor Hsu
  • First Assistant Director: Bill Purple
  • Second Assistant Director: Allan Monteiro Fortes
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Anna Vogt

This is Ms. Soloway’s first DGA Award.

OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND MINI-SERIES

LISA CHOLODENKO

Olive Kitteridge (HBO)

Ms. Cholodenko’s Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: David Coatsworth
  • First Assistant Director: Jesse Nye
  • Second Assistant Director: Mark Constance
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Elizabeth MacSwan

This is Ms. Cholodenko’s first DGA Award.

OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – SERIES

DAVE DIOMEDI

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, “Episode #1” (NBC)

Mr. Diomedi’s Directorial Team:

  • Associate Directors: Maureen Smith, Mark Jankeloff
  • Stage Managers: Nicka Tolmasoff, Mike Kilkenny

This is Mr. Diomedi’s first DGA Award. He was also nominated in this category last year for Late Night Starring Jimmy Fallon, “#799.”

OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – SPECIALS

GLENN WEISS

The 68th Annual Tony Awards (CBS)

Mr. Weiss’s Directorial Team:

  • Associate Directors: Ken Diego, Robin Abrams, Stefani Cohen, Ricky Kirshner
  • Stage Managers: Garry Hood, Phyllis Digilio-Kent, Peter Epstein, Andrew Feigin, Lynn Finkel, Doug Fogel, Jeffry Gitter, Arthur Lewis, Jeffrey M. Markowitz, Joey Meade, Seth Mellman, Cyndi Owgang, Jeff Pearl, Annette Powlis, Elise Reaves, Lauren Class Schneider

This is Mr. Weiss’s sixth DGA Award. He was also nominated this year for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series, together with Rob Ashford, for Peter Pan Live! He previously won the DGA Award in 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 for the 61st, 64th, 65th, 66th and 67th Annual Tony Awards. He was also nominated in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008 for the 55th, 56th, 59th, 60th, and 62nd Annual Tony Awards.

OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY PROGRAMS

ANTHONY B. SACCO

The Chair, “The Test” (Starz)

This is Mr. Sacco’s second DGA Award. He previously won in this category in 2006 for Treasure Hunters, “Episode #101” and was nominated in 2007 for Project Runway, “Fashion Giant #403.”

OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS

JONATHAN JUDGE

100 Things To Do Before High School, “Pilot” (Nickelodeon)

Mr. Judge’s Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Debra Spidell
  • First Assistant Director: Julian Petrillo
  • Second Assistant Director: Katey Wheelhouse
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Ceci Mak

This is Mr. Judge’s first DGA Award. He was previously nominated in this category in 2013 for Swindle and in 2012 for Camp Fred.

OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMMERCIALS

NICOLAI FUGLSIG (MJZ)

Sapeurs, Guinness AMV BBDO

  • First Assistant Director: Bob Wilkins

Waiting, FEMA Deutsch NY

  • First Assistant Director: Bob Wagner
  • Second Assistant Director: Rafa Sanz

This is Mr. Fuglsig’s second DGA Award. He previously won in this category in 2007 for Tipping Point (Guinness), It’s Magic (JC Penney), and Journey (Motorola).

OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DOCUMENTARY

LAURA POITRAS

Citizenfour

RADiUS; Praxis Films; Participant Media; HBO Documentary Films; Bertha Foundation | BRITDOC Circle | Channel 4; Norddeutscher Rundfunk NDR; Bayerischer Rundfunk BR; Deutscher Filmförderfonds

This is Ms. Poitras’s first DGA Award.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT & SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS

James Burrows and Robert Butler – Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Television Direction:

James Burrows and Robert Butler were honored with the DGA’s first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Television Direction, in honor of each director’s groundbreaking career.  The new award, created by the DGA’s National Board of Directors last year, joins the Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction in being the two highest creative honors bestowed by the DGA.  The recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award in Television Direction are nominated by a blue ribbon committee of prominent television directors and approved by the present and past presidents of the Guild.

Phillip Goldfarb – Frank Capra Achievement Award:

Given to an Assistant Director or Unit Production Manager in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the Directors Guild of America.

Julie Gelfand – Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award:

Given to an Associate Director or Stage Manager in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the Directors Guild of America.


Posted

in

, , ,

by

Comments

One response to “Birdman’s Alejandro Iñárritu Wins Top Prize at Directors Guild Awards”

  1. […] race for the Oscar with “Birdman” director Alejandro G. Inarritu, who took home the Directors Guild Award two weeks ago. Linklater wasn’t at tonight’s event, so “Boyhood” star and […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *