January 13, 2004
LOS ANGELES, CA - Directors Guild of America President Michael Apted and Awards Committee Chairperson Howard Storm today announced the DGA's nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement for 2003 in the television categories of Dramatic Series Night, Comedy Series, Musical Variety, Daytime Serials and Children's Programs. The winners of all five categories will be announced at the 56th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, February 7, 2004 at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.
"The DGA Television Nominees represent an extraordinarily talented and diverse group," said DGA President Michael Apted. "Through the vast reach of television, these twenty-five directors have touched the lives of people all over the globe, and I'd like to commend them on their superb work and congratulate each of them on their nominations."
The nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series, Night, are:
ALAN BALL
"I'm Sorry I'm Lost" Six Feet Under - HBO
- Unit Production Manager: Robert Del Valle
- First Assistant Director: Alan Connell
- Second Assistant Director: Mark Hansson
- Second Second Assistant Director: Cara McCastlain
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Edward Kalpa
This is Ball's second DGA Nomination. In 2001, he was nominated and won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Dramatic Series Night for the pilot episode of Six Feet Under.
KATHY BATES
"Twilight" Six Feet Under - HBO
- Unit Production Manager: Robert Del Valle
- First Assistant Director: Scottie Gissel
- Second Assistant Director: Mark Hansson
- Second Second Assistant Director: Cara McCastlain
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Edward Kalpa
This is Bates' first DGA Nomination.
JON CASSAR
"7:00 AM - 8:00 AM" 24 - FOX
- Unit Production Manager: Robin Chamberlin
- First Assistant Director: Michael Klick
- Second Assistant Director: Nicole Burke
- Second Second Assistant Directors: Mark Rabinowitz, Rebecca Levinson
This is Cassar's first DGA Nomination.
CHRISTOPHER MISIANO
"25" The West Wing - NBC
- Unit Production Manager: Dylan Massin
- First Assistant Director: Douglas S. Ornstein
- Second Assistant Director: Catherine Bond
- Second Second Assistant Director: Cary Jones
This is Misiano's first DGA Nomination.
ALAN POUL
"Nobody Sleeps" Six Feet Under - HBO
- Unit Production Manager: Robert Del Valle
- First Assistant Director: Scottie Gissel
- Second Assistant Director: Mark Hansson
- Second Second Assistant Director: Cara McCastlain
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Edward Kalpa
This is Poul's first DGA Nomination.
The nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement for Comedy Series are (in alphabetical order):
JAMES BURROWS
"Last Ex to Brooklyn" Will & Grace - NBC
- Unit Production Manager: Tim Kaiser
- First Assistant Director: Dale White
- Second Assistant Director: Caryn Rae Shick
- Technical Coordinator: Russell D. Sherman
This is Burrows' twentieth DGA Nomination. The Four-time DGA Award winner received his first nomination in 1981 for the Taxi episode, "Jim the Psychic." He was a ten-time nominee and two-time winner for Cheers in 1982, 1983 (winner), 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990 (winner), 1991 and 1992. He won the DGA Award again in 1993 for the pilot episode of Frasier, and in 1995 was nominated for the Friends episode, "The One with the Birth." He received the nomination in 1997 for the Dharma and Greg pilot, and was also nominated for Will & Grace from 1998-2002, winning the award in 2000 for his direction of the episode, "Lows in the Mid-Eighties."
MICHAEL ENGLER
"Hop, Skip & A Week" Sex and the City - HBO
- 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 Director: Jennifer Loeb
This is Engler's second nomination. He was nominated in 2001 for the Sex and the City episode, "My Motherboard, Myself."
MICHAEL PATRICK KING
"Great Sexpectations" Sex and the City - HBO
- 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: Anne M. Carroll, Mikki Ziska
This is King's third DGA Nomination for his directing work on Sex and the City. He was nominated last year for the episode, "Plus One is the Loneliest Number," and in 2001 for "The Real Me."
TIMOTHY M. VAN PATTEN
"Boy Interrupted" Sex and the City - HBO
- 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 is 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."
JAMES WIDDOES
"Goodbye" 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter - ABC
- Unit Production Manager: Alan Padula
- First Assistant Director: Lynn McCracken
- Second Assistant Director: Elizabeth Hebert
- Associate Director/Technical Coordinator: Pat Fischer Doak
This is Widdoes' first DGA Nomination.
The nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement for Musical Variety are (in alphabetical order):
MARTY CALLNER
Rolling Stones: Licks World Tour Live at Madison Square Garden - HBO
- Associate Director: Sandra Restrepo
- Stage Managers: Randall Gladstein, Cheryl Teetzel, Jeffry Gitter
This is Callner's third DGA Nomination. He was nominated last year for Robin Williams Live on Broadway and in 1998 for "I'm Telling You for the Last Time," Jerry Seinfeld Live on Broadway.
LOUIS J. HORVITZ
The 75th Annual Academy Awards - ABC
- Associate Directors: James Tanker, Wendy Acey, Michael Polito, Richard Preuss, Deborah Read, Sharon Taylor, Timothy H. Kettle, Christine Clark, Cynthia Sanchez-Mattson, Ronni Fisher, Anne Rickey, David Kelmachter, Barbara J. Roche, Lauren J. Singer
- Stage Managers: Garry W. Hood, Denny Barry, Steven Burgess, Rita Cossette, John Esposito, Valdez Flagg, Jeffry Gitter, Peter M. Margolis, Gary Natoli, Dency Nelson, Vincent Poxon, Jason Seligman, Robert Sellers, Jr., Doug Smith, David Wader
This is Horvitz's tenth DGA Nomination. He received his first nomination in 1985 for Live Aid Concert. He was nominated again in 1993 for The Kennedy Center Honors, in 1995 for Sinatra: 80 Years My Way, and in 1997 for The Kennedy Center Honors, which took home the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety. He received his next three DGA Nominations for The 70th Annual Academy Awards, The 71st Annual Academy Awards and The 72nd Annual Academy Awards. He garnered another DGA Nomination in 2002 for The Kennedy Center Honors and again last year for The 74th Annual Academy Awards.
DAVID MALLET
Cher - The Farewell Tour - NBC
- Associate Director/Stage Manager: Robert Grossman
This is Mallet's first DGA Nomination.
BETH McCARTHY-MILLER
Saturday Night Live with Christopher Walken & The Foo Fighters - NBC
- Associate Directors: Stefani Cohen, Robert Caminiti, Mark Jankeloff
- Stage Managers: Gena Rositano Wilson, Chris Kelly
This is McCarthy-Miller's fourth DGA Nomination. In 2002, she won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Musical Variety for America: A Tribute to Heroes (co-directed with Joe Gallen). She was also nominated in 1999 for the 25th Anniversary episode of Saturday Night Live. McCarthy-Miller won her second DGA Award in 2001 for her direction of the Val Kilmer/U2 episode of Saturday Night Live.
CHUCK O'NEIL
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - Comedy Central
- Associate Director: Paul A.J. Pennolino
- Stage Manager: Craig Spinney
This is O'Neil's first DGA Nomination.
The nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement for Daytime Serials are (in alphabetical order):
LARRY CARPENTER
One Life To Live, (Episode #8849) - ABC
- 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 is Carpenter's second DGA Nomination. He was nominated last year for his direction of One Life To Live, (Episode #8655).
ANDREW LEE & JEFF RABIN
Port Charles, (Episode #1561) - ABC
- Associate Directors: Jo Ann Smith, Jeff Rabin
- Stage Managers: Michele Azenzer, Lisa Kaseff, Lisa Winther-Huston
- Production Associates: Lisabeth Markman, Marika Kushel Brancato
This is both Lee's and Rabin's first DGA Nomination.
SALLY McDONALD
The Young & The Restless, (Episode #7784) - CBS
- Associate Directors: Marc Beruti, Christopher Mullen, Robbin Phillips, Jennifer Scott
- Stage Managers: Donald E. Jacob, Herbert Weaver, Jr., Thomas McDermott
- Production Associates: Nora Wade, Vesper Cleary
This is McDonald's second DGA Nomination. In 1998, she was nominated for her direction of The Young & The Restless, (Episode #6437).
SUSAN STRICKLER
Guiding Light, (Episode #14279) - CBS
- Associate Director: Irene Pace
- Stage Managers: Ann Vettel, Adam Reist, Joseph Willmore
- Production Associate: Charles Grayauskie
This is Strickler's second DGA Nomination. She was nominated for and won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Daytime Serials in 1992 for her direction of Another World, (Episode #7022).
ANGELA TESSINARI
All My Children, (Episode #8722) - ABC
- Associate Directors: Anthony Pascarelli, Shirley Simmons, Barbara Simmons, Karen Johnson
- Stage Managers: Rusty Swope, Penny Bergman
- Production Associate: Jennifer Minda
This is Tessinari's second DGA Nomination. In 2001, she was nominated for All My Children, (Episode #8186).
The nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement for Children's Programs are (in alphabetical order):
PETER M. GILBERT
A Time for Dancing - Showtime
- Unit Production Managers: Jeremiah Samuels, Kate Axelrod
- First Assistant Director: Louis Milito
- Second Assistant Director: Tia Ardran
- Second Second Assistant Directors: Stacy Murphy, Fred Mandel
This is Gilbert's second DGA Nomination. In 1998, he won (along with Jerry Blumenthal and Gordon Quinn) the DGA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Documentary for Vietnam: Long Time Coming.
KEVIN HOOKS
Sounder - ABC
This is Hooks' third DGA Nomination. He was nominated in 2000 for The Color of Friendship and, in the category of Dramatic Shows Daytime, for the School Break Special "Home, Sweet Homeless" in 1988.
KEVIN LIMA
Eloise at Christmastime - ABC
- Production Manager: Margot Lulick
- First Assistant Directors: David Wechsler, Walter Gasparovic
- Second Assistant Director: Eric Yellin
- Second Second Assistant Director: Murphy Occhino
This is Lima's first DGA Nomination.
SEAN MCNAMARA
The Even Stevens Movie - Disney Channel
- Unit Production Managers: David Brookwell, David Grace
- First Assistant Director: Ross Novie
- Second Assistant Directors: Aaron Penn, Caroline F. Stephenson
This is McNamara's third DGA Nomination. He was nominated in 2001 and 2000 for the "Very Scary Story" and "Easy Way" episodes, respectively, of Even Stevens.
OZ SCOTT
The Cheetah Girls - The Disney Channel
This is Scott's first DGA Nomination.