Dear Colleagues,

With the 2003/2004 DGA Awards season rapidly approaching, I want to take this opportunity to keep you apprised of some changes taking place this year, and to ask for your active participation. In addition to the accelerated schedule, the following changes have been made which will improve the quality and fairness of the selection process.

Beginning this year, Television Ballots sent to the general membership will be randomly alphabetized within each television category (Movies for Television, Dramatic Series Night, Comedy Series and Musical Variety). This is in response to director member requests that the ballot format be revised to promote fairness in the listings and encourage members to review the entire ballot carefully.

I am also pleased to announce that the DGA Commercial Award eligibility guidelines will expand this year to incorporate all commercials directed by a DGA member under a DGA agreement. In other words, we will now include foreign commercials. Our commercial directors represent some of the most creative and talented members of our Guild and industry and I feel that the DGA Commercial Award and nominations should accurately reflect their global contributions.

We recognize that the accelerated schedule may make it difficult for members to find ample time to view all the feature films to be considered and want to remind members about the opportunity to attend studio and distributor pre-nomination Academy consideration screenings in both private and commercial venues. This is how a great number of films for DGA Award consideration are viewed prior to their public release, and I encourage members to take advantage of these screenings.

The DGA Awards provide an opportunity to celebrate our contributions to the craft of directing as well as our outstanding directorial achievements; they also represent our highest honor and one of the industry's most coveted recognitions. Therefore, I'd like to encourage every member to make an effort to participate and to make sure that they're fully informed before they vote. It is up to us, as members of the DGA, to ensure that the nominees and recipients of each award represent the outstanding directorial achievements in that category. Members should never cast votes in categories where they do not feel knowledgeable and/or informed enough to make a responsible selection.

Lastly, I'd like to recognize and thank all of the director members who will donate their time and expertise to serve on the DGA Awards Nomination and Blue Ribbon Panels. Their work in evaluating entries and selecting nominees represents extremely generous service to the Guild.

Sincerely,
Michael Apted, President
Directors Guild of America.

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56th Annual DGA Awards Schedule

Honoring outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film, Documentary and Television

FEATURE FILM AWARD

• Mail Feature Film Nomination Ballots - Monday, December 8, 2003
  
• Deadline for Returning all Feature Film Nomination Ballots - Monday, January 5, 2004
  
• Announce Five Feature Film Nominees - Tuesday, January 6, 2004
  
• Mail Feature Film Final Ballots - Tuesday, January 6, 2004
  
• Membership Screening of Five Nominated Feature Films - Monday-Friday, January 12-16, 2004
  
• Deadline for Returning all Feature Film Final Ballots - Friday, January 30, 2004

DOCUMENTARY AWARD & TELEVISION AWARDS

• Mail Television, Commercials & Documentary Director Entry Forms - Wednesday, October 1, 2003
  
• Deadline for Submitting Television, Commercials & Documentary Entry Forms and Cassettes - Monday, December 1, 2003
  
• Mail Television Nomination Ballots - Wednesday, December 10, 2003
  
• Deadline for Returning all Television Nomination Ballots - Monday, January 5, 2004
  
• Announce Television Nominees Starting on - Thursday, January 8, 2004

56th ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER

• Mail Dinner Reservation Forms - Monday, December15, 2003
  
• Deadline for Returning all Dinner Reservation Forms - Friday, January 30, 2004
  
• DGA Awards Dinner, Century Plaza Hotel - Saturday, February 7, 2004

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DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURES ARTS & SCIENCES PRE-NOMINATION SCREENINGS Dear Member: We are pleased to advise you that the companies listed below have agreed to open their pre-nomination Academy consideration screening to DGA members. These screenings usually take place in commercial theatres. There will also be instances in which DGA members will be invited to attend pre-nomination screenings in studio-operated screening rooms. Each of the companies will advertise in the calendar of its screenings in local newspapers. The majority of the ads will invite DGA and Academy members. Your attendance to these screenings is subject to the RSVP procedures and/or conditions set forth in the advertisements. The companies participating include, but are not limited to, the following: Artisan Entertainment Castle Rock Entertainment Columbia/Tri-Star Pictures Dreamworks Pictures Fine Line Features First Look Pictures Focus Features Fox Searchlight Pictures Lions Gate Films Metro Goldwyn-Mayer Miramax Films New Line Cinema New Yorker Films Paramount Classics Paramount Pictures Samuel Goldwyn Company Screen Gems Films Sony Pictures Classics Twentieth Century Fox Universal Pictures Walt Disney Pictures Warner Bros. Admission is by DGA membership card only. Card may only be used by the member to whom it is authorized. Members may be accompanied by one guest. Please adhere to the guidelines set forth by each company.

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Should you have any questions regarding the DGA Awards or advance screenings, please contact the Laraine Savelle, the DGA's National Awards Coordinator in the DGA Awards Office at: (310) 289-2038. Or email her at Laraine@dga.org. If calling outside California, please call the Guild's toll free number at (800) 421-4173 and ask for ext. 2038.

National Executive Awards Administration, Marcel Giacusa

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