Scenes from the 56th Annual DGA Awards
LOS ANGELES, CA: The winners of the 2003 Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards and the recipients of the DGA's 2004 Lifetime Achievement Awards were announced tonight at the 56th Annual DGA Awards Dinner at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.

Carl Reiner hosted the Awards ceremony which attracted a record 1,750 guests, including the full slate of presenters: Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), Maria Bello (The Cooler), Bob Butler (The Division), Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider), Gil Cates (A Death in the Family and producer of numerous Academy Awards), Patricia Clarkson (The Station Agent), James D'Arcy (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World), Kristin Davis (Sex and the City), Buck Henry (To Die For), Djimon Hounsou (In America), Angelica Huston (Agnes Browne), Christine Lahti (Chicago Hope), Laura Linney (Mystic River), Tobey Maguire (Seabiscuit), Garry Marshall (The Princess Diaries), Rob Marshall (Chicago), Helen Mirren (Calendar Girls), Janel Moloney (The West Wing), Sean Penn (Mystic River), Dan Petrie, Sr. (Inherit the Wind), Naomi Watts (21 Grams) and Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King).

The DGA's Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film has traditionally served as a near-perfect barometer for the Academy Award for Best Director. Only six times since the DGA Award's inception in 1949 has the winner not gone on to receive the Academy Award for Best Director.

The winners of the 2003 Directors Guild of America Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement, and the recipients of the Guild's 2004 Lifetime Achievement Awards, are:
table of contents - winners
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2003

Mr. Jackson's Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Managers: Nikolas Korda, Zane Weiner
  • First Assistant Director: Carolynne Cunningham
  • Key Second Assistant Directors: Guy Campbell, Marc Ashton

    This was Mr. Jackson's third nomination. Mr. Jackson has received two previous nominations for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002).
    Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies For Television for 2003

    Mr. Nichols' Directorial Team:

    • Unit Production Managers: Jan Foster, Patricia Doherty Hess
    • First Assistant Director: Mike Haley
    • Second Assistant Director: Amy Lauritsen
    • Second Second Assistant Director: Jennifer Truelove
    • DGA Trainees: Nate Grubb, Peter Koob

    This was Mike Nichols' fourth DGA nomination and his first in the category of Movies for Television. He has been nominated for three of his feature films: Working Girl in 1988, The Graduate in 1967, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 1966. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for The Graduate.
    Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series Night for 2003

    Mr. Misiano's Directorial Team:

    • Unit Production Manager: Dylan Massin
    • First Assistant Director: Douglas S. Ornstein
    • Second Assistant Director: Catherine Bond
    • Second Second Assistant Director: Cary Jones

    This was Christopher Misiano's first DGA Nomination.
    Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series for 2003
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    TIMOTHY M. VAN PATTEN

    "Boy Interrupted"
    Sex and the City

    (HBO)

    Mr. Van Patten's Directorial Team:

    • Unit Production Managers: Jane Raab, Margo Myers
    • First Assistant Director: Bettiann Fishman
    • Second Assistant Director: Peter Soldo
    • Second Second Assistant Director: Andrea O'Connor
    • Additional Second Assistant Directors: Jesse Nye, Mikki Ziska

      This was Van Patten's second DGA nomination. He was nominated last year in the category of Dramatic Series Night for The Sopranos episode, "Whoever Did This."
    Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety for 2003
    • Associate Director/Stage Manager: Robert Grossman

    This was David Mallet's first DGA Nomination.
    Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Daytime Serials for 2003
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    LARRY CARPENTER

    One Life To Live
    (Episode #8849)

    (ABC

    Mr. Carpenter's Directorial Team:

    • Associate Directors: Danielle Faraldo, Tracy Casper Lang,
      Mary Ryan
    • Stage Managers: Alan P. Needleman, Richard A. Manfredi
    • Production Associate: Teresa Anne Cicala, Anthony J. Wilkinson

    This was Carpenter's second DGA Nomination. He was nominated last year for his direction of One Life To Live, (Episode #8655).
    Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for 2003
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    NATHANIEL KAHN

    My Architect

    (The Louis Kahn Project, Inc.
    HBO/Cinemax Documentary Films
    New Yorker Films)

    This was Nathaniel Kahn's first DGA Nomination.
    Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for 2003
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    DAVID FINCHER

    Production Company:
    Anonymous Content

    Mr. Fincher's Commercials and Directorial Teams:

    Gamebreakers, nikegridiron.com - Wieden & Kennedy

    • First Assistant Director: Bob Wagner
    • Second Assistant Director: Maria Mantia

    Speed Chain, Nike - Wieden & Kennedy

    • First Assistant Director: Bob Wagner
    • Second Assistant Director: Michael A McCue

    Beauty for Sale, Xelibri Phones - Motner

    • First Assistant Director: Bob Wagner
    • Second Assistant Director: Michael A. McCue
    • Second Second Assistant Director: Maria Mantia

      • This was David Fincher's first DGA Award nomination.
    Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs for 2003

    Mr. Lima's Directorial Team:

    • Production Manager: Margot Lulick
    • First Assistant Directors: David Wechsler, Walter Gasparovic
    • Second Assistant Director: Eric Yellin
    • Second Second Assistant Director: Murphy Occhino

    This was Kevin Lima's first DGA Nomination.
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    		 Lifetime Achievement Award

    For distinguished achievement in Motion Picture Direction.
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    Honorary Life Member Award

    For recognition of outstanding creative achievement, or contribution to the Guild, or the profession of Directing.
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    		 Robert B. Aldrich Award

    For extraordinary service to the Directors Guild of America and to its membership.
    click image for larger view

    Frank Capra Achievement Award

    STEPHEN GLANZROCK

    For an Assistant Director or Unit Production Manager in Recognition of Career Achievement in the Industry and Service to the DGA.
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    Franklin J. Schaffner
    Achievement Award

    PEERY FORBIS

    For an Associate Director or Stage Manager in Recognition of Service to the Industry and to the DGA.
    Previous Releases
    DGA Feature Film Award nominee Sofia Coppola - Photo by Yoshio Sato - © 2003 Focus Features - click image for details
    DGA Feature Film Award nominee Clint Eastwood. - Photo by Merie W. Wallace - © 2003 Warner Brothers Ent. - click image for details.
    DGA Feature Film Award nominee Peter Jackson. - Photo by Pierre Vinet - © 2003 - New Line Productions - click image for details.
    SOFIA COPPOLA
    Lost in Translation

    CLINT EASTWOOD
    Mystic River

    PETER JACKSON
    The Lord of the Rings:
    The Return of the King
    DGA Feature Film Award nominee Gary Ross. - Photo by Francois Duhamel. - © 2003 Universal Pictures and DreamWorks LLC. - click image for details.
    DGA Feature Film Award nominee Peter Weir. - Photo by Steven Vaughan - © and TM 2003 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and Universal Studios and Miramax Film Corp. - click image for details.
    		 DGA Award Medallion

    The winner will be announced at the 56th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, February 7, 2004 at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.

    GARY ROSS
    Seabiscuit

    PETER WEIR
    Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
    Nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies For Television for 2003
    Jane Anderson - photo by Melissa Moseley/HBO - click image for larger view
    Jeff Bleckner - click image for larger view
    Rod Holcomb - click image for larger view

    JANE ANDERSON
    Normal

    JEFF BLECKNER
    Meredith Willson's
    The Music Man

    ROD HOLCOMB
    The Pentagon Papers
    Richard Loncraine- click image for larger view
    Mike Nichols- click image for larger view
    Click here for full story

    RICHARD LONCRAINE
    My House in Umbria

    MIKE NICHOLS
    Angels in America
    LANCE ACORD
    DAVID FINCHER - photo courtesy PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
    ERROL MORRIS - photo 2003 Sony Pictures Entertainment

    LANCE ACORD

    DAVID FINCHER

    ERROL MORRIS
    NOAM MURRO
    JOE PYTKA
    Click here for full story

    NOAM MURRO

    JOE PYTKA
    SAM GREEN & BILL SIEGEL - click image for larger view and details
    ANDREW JARECKI - click image for larger view and details
    NATHANIEL KAHN - click image for larger view and details

    SAM GREEN &
    BILL SIEGEL
    The Weather Underground

    ANDREW JARECKI
    Capturing the Friedmans

    NATHANIEL KAHN
    My Architect
    ERROL MORRIS - click image for larger view and details
    JOSE PADILHA - click image for larger view and details
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    ERROL MORRIS
    The Fog of War

    JOSE PADILHA
    Bus 174
    DGA Honorary Life Member recipient Larry Auerbach - photo by Jennifer Altman - click image for full story.
    DGA Robert B. Aldrich Award recipient Jeremy Kagan - photo by Elisa Haber - click image for full story.

    LARRY AUERBACH
    Honorary Life Member Award

    JEREMY KAGAN
    Robert B. Aldrich Award
    DGA Frank Capra Achievement Award recipient Stephen Glanzrock - photo by Jennifer Altman - click image for full story.
    DGA Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award recipient Peery Forbis - photo by Elisa Haber - click image for full story.

    STEPHEN GLANZROCK
     Frank Capra Achievement Award

    PEERY FORBIS
    Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award
    Academy Award-winning director Mike Nichols to receive
    Guild's highest tribute at 56th Annual DGA Celebration
    Mike Nichols- click image for larger view

    Director Mike Nichols has been selected to receive the Directors Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of Nichols' distinguished career in motion picture directing. As the Guild's highest tribute, the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Nichols, one of the industry's finest practitioners, at the 56th Annual DGA Awards on February 7, 2004.
    DGA Sets Host/Presenters for 56th Annual Awards