DGA Announces Winners of 2003 Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards and Recipients of DGA 2004 Achievement Awards

56th DGA Awards Feature Film Peter Jackson

February 8, 2004

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:

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2003

Peter Jackson PETER JACKSON
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (New Line Cinema)

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

Mike Nichols MIKE NICHOLS
Angels in America (HBO)

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

Christopher Misiano CHRISTOPHER MISIANO
"25" The West Wing (NBC)

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

Timothy M. Van Patten 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

David Mallet DAVID MALLET
Cher - The Farewell Tour (NBC)
  • Associate Director/Stage Manager: Robert Grossman

This was David Mallet's first DGA Nomination.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Daytime Serials for 2003

Larry Carpenter 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

Nathaniel Kahn 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

David Fincher 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

Kevin Lima KEVIN LIMA
Eloise at Christmastime (ABC)

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.

Special Awards 2004

Lifetime Achievement Award

Mike Nichols

For distinguished achievement in Motion Picture Direction.

Honorary Life Member Award

Larry Auerbach

For recognition of outstanding creative achievement, or contribution to the Guild, or the profession of Directing.

Robert B. Aldrich Award

Jeremy Kagan

For extraordinary service to the Directors Guild of America and to its membership.

Frank Capra Achievement Award

Stephen Glanzrock
STEPHEN GLANZROCK

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

Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award

Peery Forbis
PEERY FORBIS

For an Associate Director or Stage Manager in Recognition of Service to the Industry and to the DGA.

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