The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has named its nominees for Best Commercial Director of 2014: Nicolai Fuglsig of MJZ; Lauren Greenfield of Chelsea Pictures; Emmett and Brendan Malloy (a.k.a. The Malloys) of HSI, Daniel Mercadante and Katina Hubbard (now known as The Mercadantes) whose nominated work was done at Epoch Films (this directorial team has since joined Park Pictures); and Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks.
Murro is a two-time DGA Award winner and has been nominated eight times in his career. He won the DGA Award in 2004 (for adidas’ “Carry,” Starbucks’ “Glen” and eBay’s “Toy Boat”) and again in 2011 (for DirecTV’s “Hot House,” Heineken Premium Light’s “Handlebar Moustache”, Volkswagen Tiguan’s “Pinata” and EA Battlefield 3’s “Is It Real?”).
Fuglsig has earned his second career DGA nomination. He won the DGA Award in 2007 for Guinness’ “Tipping Point,” JCPenney’s “It’s Magic” and Motorola’s “TJourney.”
Greenfield earned her first DGA commercial nomination and second nomination overall. She was previously nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary in 2012 for Queen of Versailles.
Emmett and Brendan Malloy are first-time DGA nominees as are Mercadante and Hubbard.
Fuglsig continues what has become a DGA Awards tradition for MJZ. This marks the 16th time in the last 17 years that MJZ has had at least one director nominated for the DGA commercials honor. MJZ directors have won the DGA Award for four of the past nine years (a different MJZ helmer each time).
Bodies of work
Murro’s latest nomination came on the basis of Guinness’ “Empty Chair” for BBDO NY and Dodge’s “Ahead of Their Time” out of Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Fuglsig’s nomination is for Guinness’ “Sapeurs” from AMV BBDO, London, and FEMA’s “Waiting” for Deutsch NY.
Greenfield’s nomination is for Always’ “#LikeAGirl” from Leo Burnett, Chicago.
Brendan and Emmett Malloy earned their first nomination for Nike’s “The Huddle” via Wieden+Kennedy.
And Mercadante and Hubbard scored their first nomination for Dick’s Sporting Goods’ “Sports Matter” from Anomaly NY, and Facebook’s “We Are Not Alone” and “Big Sister” from Wieden+Kennedy.
The DGA Awards are in their 67th year. The DGA opened up the annual competition to commercial directors in 1980. This year’s DGA Award winners across all categories–including features, TV, documentaries and commercials–will be announced and honored during a gala dinner and ceremony on Saturday evening, February 7, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
