Bo Burnham tops First-Time Feature Film Director category on the strength of "Eighth Grade"; Adam McKay honored in Dramatic Series for "Succession"
By Robert Goldrich
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. --If history is any indicator, Alfonso Cuaron has to be considered the clear frontrunner to win the Best Director Oscar after last night (2/2) taking the coveted DGA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Feature Film on the strength of Roma (Netflix). He topped a DGA field of nominees that also consisted of Bradley Cooper for A Star is Born, Peter Farrelly for Green Book, Spike Lee for BlacKkKlansman and Adam McKay for Vice.
This marks the second career DGA win for Cuaron who took the marquee feature honor in 2014 for Gravity, a film for which he went on to nab the Best Director Oscar.
Only seven times in the DGA’s 70-year history has the Guild winner not gone on to take the corresponding Oscar. Cuaron is among a group of Best Director Oscar nominees this year which also is comprised of Lee, McKay, Yorgos Lanthimos for The Favorite and Pawel Pawlikowski for Cold War.
McKay, Cooper, Bo Burnham
McKay still managed to enter the DGA winners’ circle on Saturday evening as he topped the Dramatic TV Series category for the “Celebration” episode of HBO’s Succession.
However, Cooper surprisingly came up short in another DGA motion picture category. In that he was nominated for the DGA’s top prize, Cooper was generally considered the prohibitive favorite to walk away with the DGA Award for A First-Time Feature Director. However, that honor instead went to Bo Burnham who too made an auspicious directorial debut with Eighth Grade (A24).
Still in accepting his Outstanding Achievement in Feature Film nomination medallion for A Star is Born, Cooper expressed deep gratitude for such recognition from his peers. He noted that this was his third time on stage at the DGA Awards–the first two times presenting nomination medallions to directors David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook, and Clint Eastwood for American Sniper. Cooper starred in both those films, delivering Oscar-nominated performances. Now to be at the DGA Awards as the recipient of a medallion as a director, said Cooper, is a dream come true.
TV
In addition to McKay for Succession, other DGA Award TV winners included Bill Hader for Barry (HBO) which topped the Comedy Series category, and Ben Stiller for Escape at Dannemora (Showtime), honored in the Movies for Television and Limited Series category. Both Hader and Stiller won as first-time DGA nominees.
Topping the Commercials category was Spike Jonze of MJZ for Apple Homepod’s “Welcome Home” out of TBWAMedia Arts Lab. This marked Jonze’s first career DGA Award win. He had been nominated twice previously–once for adidas, Miller Beer and Gap commercials in 2006, and for the feature Being John Malkovich in 1999.
Here’s a full rundown of the evening’s DGA Award winners:
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN FEATURE FILM
ALFONSO CUARÓN
Roma
(Netflix)
Mr. Cuarón’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Manager: Ana Hernández
• First Assistant Director: René U. Villareal
• Second Assistant Director: María Dioni
• Second Second Assistant Directors: Luis Fernando Vásquez, Julián ‘Chico’ Valdés
This was Mr. Cuarón’s second DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He won the DGA Award
for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film in 2013 for Gravity.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT OF A FIRST-TIME FEATURE FILM DIRECTOR
BO BURNHAM
Eighth Grade
(A24)
Mr. Burnham’s Directorial Team:
• First Assistant Director: Dan Taggatz
• Second Assistant Director: Vic Coram
• Second Second Assistant Director: Evelyn Fogleman
This was Mr. Burnham’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMATIC SERIES
ADAM MCKAY
Succession, “Celebration”
(HBO)
Mr. McKay’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Manager: Regina Heyman
• First Assistant Director: Amy Lauritsen
• Second Assistant Director: Scott Bowers
• Second Second Assistant Director: Nicholas Notte
• Location Managers: Michael Kriaris, Patty Carey
This was Mr. McKay’s third DGA Award nomination. He also received a nomination this year for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award for Vice. Mr. McKay was previously nominated for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award for The Big Short in 2015.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY SERIES
BILL HADER
Barry, “Chapter One: Make Your Mark”
(HBO)
Mr. Hader’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Mark Tobey, Aida Rodgers
First Assistant Director: Dale Stern
Second Assistant Director: Michelle Gritzer
Second Second Assistant Director: Chris Riddle
Additional Second Assistant Director: Gary Cotti
This was Mr. Hader’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND LIMITED SERIES
BEN STILLER
Escape at Dannemora
(Showtime)
Mr. Stiller’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Adam Brightman, Bill Carraro
First Assistant Directors: Lisa M. Rowe, Lyda Blank, Phillip A. Patterson
Second Assistant Director: Kevin R. Shields
Second Second Assistant Director: Luke A. Crawford
Location Manager: Hyo Park
This was Mr. Stiller’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING
DON ROY KING
Saturday Night Live, “Adam Driver; Kanye West”
(NBC)
Mr. King’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Bob Caminiti
Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly
This was Mr. King’s thirteenth DGA Award nomination. He previously won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in this category for Saturday Night Live, “Host: Jimmy Fallon” in 2017, Saturday Night Live, “Host: Dave Chappelle” in 2016 and for Saturday Night Live “Host: Justin Timberlake” in 2013. Mr. King also won the DGA Award for Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials for Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special in 2015. He was previously nominated for Saturday Night Live episodes in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014, and in 2015 in the Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming category for the Saturday Night Live episode, “Host: Tracy Morgan/Musical Guest: Demi Lovato.”
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – SPECIALS
LOUIS J. HORVITZ
The 60th Grammy Awards
(CBS)
Mr. Horvitz’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Richard A. Preuss, Ron Andreassen, Kate Hollanda, Sabrina Rufo
Mishler, Booey Kober
Stage Managers: Garry Hood, Doug Smith, Benny Almonte, Joey Despenzero, Peter
Epstein, John Esposito, Andy Feigin, Doug Fogel, Tyler Goldman, Jeffry Gitter, Phyllis
Digilio-Kent, Arthur Lewis, Julie Lorusso, Jeff Markowitz, Seth Mellman, Cyndi
Owgang, Jeff Pearl, Alfonso Pena, Annette Powlis, Kyle Ramdeen, Lauren Schneider,
Eddie Valk, Karen Tasch Weiss
This was Mr. Horvitz’s nineteenth DGA Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety in 1997 for The Kennedy Center Honors. He was also nominated for The Kennedy Center Honors in 1993, 2001, 2009, 2011 and 2014. In 2013, he was nominated for The 55th Annual Grammy Awards and was previously nominated for The 70th, 71st, 72nd, 74th, 75th, 76th, 77th, 79th and 80th Annual Academy Awards, along with Sinatra: 80 Years My Way in 1995 and Live Aid Concert in 1985.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY PROGRAMS
RUSSELL NORMAN
The Final Table, “Japan”
(Netflix)
Mr. Norman’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Carrie Havel
Lead Stage Manager: Jonathan Marks
Stage Managers: Daniel Curran, Mickel Picco
This was Mr. Norman’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
JACK JAMESON
Sesame Street, “When You Wish Upon a Pickle: A Sesame Street Special”
(HBO)
Mr. Jameson’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Ken Diego
Stage Managers: Shawn Havens, Mike Walker, Theresa Anderson
This was Mr. Jameson’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMMERCIALS
SPIKE JONZE
(MJZ)
"Welcome Home," Apple Homepod – TBWA Media Arts Lab
• Unit Production Managers: Vincent Landay, Natalie Hill
• First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith
• Second Assistant Directors: Dave Marnell, Robert Kay, Nadeem Ashayer
• Second Second Assistant Director: Jeff Tavani
This was Mr. Jonze’s third DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this category in 2006 for Hello Tomorrow (Adidas), Penguin (Miller Beer) and Pardon Our Dust (Gap). He was also nominated for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award for Being John Malkovich in 1999.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DOCUMENTARY
TIM WARDLE
Three Identical Strangers
(Neon and CNN Films)
This was Mr. Wardle’s first DGA Award nomination.
HONORARY LIFE MEMBER & SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS
- Lifetime Achievement Award in Television: Live TV directing legend Don Mischer was the recipient of the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Television Direction.
- DGA Diversity Award: FX Networks was the recipient of the Guild’s 2019 Diversity Award for the network’s commitment to, and leadership in, inclusive hiring in DGA-covered categories.
- Special Service Awards: Kathleen McGill received the DGA’s 2019 Frank Capra Achievement Award in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the Guild.
- Mimi (Marian) Deaton received the DGA’s 2019 Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the Guild.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More