70th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards Winners

Last Saturday the guild had their awards ceremony with Judd Apatow as host and as many expected, Guillermo del Toro won the top award for his master work in The Shape of Water.  There is little doubt del Toro now becomes the Oscars frontrunner for both best director and best film categories, especially after a while back film also earned the PGA top award.

For those that enjoy statistics, since the award inception 70 years ago, only in seven, yes only 7 occasions the guild top award winner didn't also won the directing Oscar.

Winners are in *BLUE.  To check winners in all categories go official site here.

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1/12/18
Yesterday DGA President, Thomas Schlamme, announced the five nominees for the two guild's feature film categories honored each year.

"2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the DGA Awards, and filmmaking has reached new heights with each passing year. These nominees embody the excellence that comes to life when unique vision, craft and skill come together in pursuit of masterful storytelling," said Schlamme. "Being nominated by their peers is what makes this award especially meaningful for directors, and I congratulate all of the nominees for their outstanding work."

To refresh our memory let me share that for first feature-length film category eligible directors must have released their film theatrically in Los Angles or New York in 2017.  Foreign films are eligible and the director does not need to be a DGA member.

Dwight Williams will receive the Frank Capra Achievement Award, Jim Tanker will receive the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award, and Michael Apted will be the recipient of the DGA Honorary Life Member Award. 

Will not deny I was not sure a female director with a much honored film was going to get the "approval" of her peers; so, I'm pleasantly surprised Greta Gerwig made the list to become a nominee and well, maybe-maybe the second female director to win top award in the long 70 years history of the guild awards.  Has happened before and it's happening in the 2018 edition, a director has nominations in both feature film categories, what hasn't as far as I can tell, is the same director winning both DGA awards.  Could happen. this time?

On the history side of Oscars and DGA's nominees coincidences there is not much hope as in the last 69 years the five DGA nominees and the five Oscar nominees have coincided only five times; so, undoubtedly now is the guessing game of how many of these five will get an Oscar nomination.  Cinema pundits tend to include Steven Spielberg, while some mention Luca Guadagnino and Sean Baker.  If they are right, then means three DGA nominees will not make it.  Doubt about three but believe most likely could be two or better, one out.  Yes many speculate the young directors could be the ones that will not make it to the Oscars.

The winners in all categories will be announced at the 70th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 3 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Judd Apatow, yes the director, will host the awards gala and Don Mischer was appointed Awards Chair.

The day before yesterday the guild announced nominees for several categories including documentary, which is included here along with feature film nominees.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film
*Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water
Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird
Martin McDonagh for Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Christopher Nolan for Dunkirk
Jordan Peele for Get Out



Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Feature Film
Geremy Jasper for Patti Cake$
William Oldroyd for Lady Macbeth
*Jordan Peele for Get Out
Taylor Sheridan for Wind River
Aaron Sorkin for Molly's Game

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary
Ken Burns & Lynn Novick for The Vietnam War
Bryan Fogel for Icarus
*Matthew Heineman for City of Ghosts
Steve James for Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
Errol Morris for Wormwood

To check nominees for all categories, including TV, go to official site here for feature film and here for documentary/TV, etc.

Guillermo del Toro Acceptance Speech