The Directors Guild of America have unveiled their nominees for the 72nd annual DGA Awards. Vying for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film prize are Bong Joon Ho (Parasite), Sam Mendes (1917), Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Martin Scorsese (The Irishman) and Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit). Notable absences include other Oscar contenders Pedro Almodóvar (Pain and Glory), Todd Phillips (Joker), Clint Eastwood (Richard Jewell), James Mangold (Ford v Ferrari) and Rian Johnson (Knives Out).
No women made the cut under the Feature Film category; however, female filmmakers are well represented in the First-Time Feature category. Those rookies include Mati Diop (Atlantics), Alma Ha’rel (Honey Boy), Melina Matsoukas (Queen & Slim), Tyler Nilson & Mike Schwartz (The Peanut Butter Falcon) and Joe Talbot (The Last Black Man in San Francisco). Notably absent from this list is Booksmart director Olivia Wilde.
The ceremony will take place January 25 at the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Los Angeles.
Check out the full list of film nominations for the 72nd DGA Awards below (including both the film and television categories):
Film Categories
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM FOR 2019
BONG JOON HO
Parasite
(Neon)
Mr. Bong’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Park Min Chul
- First Assistant Director: Kim Seong Sik
SAM MENDES
1917
(Universal Pictures)
Mr. Mendes’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Managers: Callum McDougall, Hannah Godwin
- First Assistant Director: Michael Lerman
- Second Assistant Director: Joey Coughlin
MARTIN SCORSESE
The Irishman
(Netflix)
Mr. Scorsese’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Managers: John A. Machione, Carla Raij
- First Assistant Director: David Webb
- Second Assistant Director: Jeremy Marks
- Second Second Assistant Director: Trevor Tavares
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Ryan Robert Howard
- Location Manager: Kip Myers
QUENTIN TARANTINO
Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood
(Columbia Pictures)
Mr. Tarantino’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Managers: Georgia Kacandes, Nathan Kelly
- First Assistant Director: William Paul Clark
- Second Assistant Director: Christopher T. Sadler
- Second Second Assistant Director: Brendan “Bear” Lee
- Additional Second Assistant Directors: Debbie Chung, Katie Pruitt
TAIKA WAITITI
Jojo Rabbit
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Mr. Waititi’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Managers: Václav Mottl, Pavel Voráček
- First Assistant Director: Mark Taylor
- Second Assistant Director: Martina Götthansová
- Second Second Assistant Director: Martina Frimelová
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT OF A FIRST-TIME FEATURE FILM DIRECTOR FOR 2019
MATI DIOP
Atlantics
(Netflix)
Ms. Diop’s Directorial Team:
- First Assistant Director: Vincent Prades
ALMA HAR’EL
Honey Boy
(Amazon Studios)
Ms. Har’el’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: David Grace
- First Assistant Director: Sean Vawter
- Second Assistant Director: Colin Flaherty
- Second Second Assistant Director: Sarah Balboa
MELINA MATSOUKAS
Queen & Slim
(Universal Pictures)
Ms. Matsoukas’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Managers: Pamela Hirsch, Max Berryhill (Los Angeles Unit)
- First Assistant Directors: HH Cooper, Joe Suarez (Los Angeles Unit)
- Second Assistant Directors: James Roque, Johnny Recher (Los Angeles Unit)
- Second Second Assistant Directors: Sumner Boissiere, Tami Kumin (Ohio Unit)
TYLER NILSON & MICHAEL SCHWARTZ
The Peanut Butter Falcon
(Roadside Attractions)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Manu Gargi
- First Assistant Director: James Grayford
- Second Assistant Director: Dee Jones
- Second Second Assistant Director: Michael McKay
JOE TALBOT
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
(A24 Films)
Mr. Talbot’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Natalie Teter
- First Assistant Director: Hilton J. Day
- Second Assistant Director: Dominic Martin
- Second Second Assistant Director: Jeremiah Kelleher
- Additional Second Second Assistant Director: Alex Gilbert
Television Categories
MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND LIMITED SERIES
AVA DuVERNAY
When They See Us
(Netflix)
Ms. DuVernay’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Managers: John P. Fedynich, Amy Kaufman
• First Assistant Director: H.H. Cooper
• Second Assistant Director: Jamiyl Campbell
• Second Second Assistant Director: Amrita Kundu
• Additional Second Assistant Director: Kyler Griffin
VINCE GILLIGAN
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
(Netflix)
Mr. Gilligan’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Managers: Robin Le Chanu, Charles Newirth
• First Assistant Director: John Wildermuth
• Second Assistant Director: Katy Galow
• Second Second Assistant Director: Nathan E. Davis
• Additional Second Assistant Directors: Melissa Bosco-Laude, Chad Goyette
THOMAS KAIL
Fosse/Verdon, “Nowadays”
(FX Networks)
Mr. Kail’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Manager: Erica Kay
• First Assistant Director: Deanna Leslie Kelly
• Second Assistant Director: Brad Robinson
• Second Second Assistant Directors: Billy Brennan, Findlay Zotter
• Location Manager: Ryan Smith
JOHAN RENCK
Chernobyl
(HBO)
MINKIE SPIRO
Fosse/Verdon, “All I Care About Is Love”
(FX Networks)
Ms. Spiro’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Manager: Erica Kay
• First Assistant Director: Marcos González Palma
• Second Assistant Director: Steven Lafferty
• Second Second Assistant Directors: Billy Brennan, Findlay Zotter
• Location Manager: Ryan Smith
JESSICA YU
Fosse/Verdon, “Glory”
(FX Networks)
Ms. Yu’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Manager: Erica Kay
• First Assistant Director: Deanna Leslie Kelly
• Second Assistant Director: Brad Robinson
• Second Second Assistant Directors: Billy Brennan, Findlay Zotter
• Location Manager: Ryan Smith
VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING
PAUL G. CASEY
Real Time With Bill Maher, “1730”
(HBO)
Mr. Casey’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Director: Stacy Talbot
• Stage Managers: Patrick Whitney, Brian Anderson
NORA S. GERARD
CBS Sunday Morning, “40th Anniversary”
(CBS)
Ms. Gerard’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Directors: Jessica Frank, Kate D’Arcy Coleman, Patricia Long Finnegan, Jyll Phillips-Friedman, Catherine Liberatore Kay
• Stage Managers: Mark Dicso, Brian McGuire
JIM HOSKINSON
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “A. Ocasio-Cortez; Incubus”
(CBS)
Mr. Hoskinson’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Directors: Yvonne De Mare, Karen Yaeger
• Stage Managers: Mark McKenna, Jeff Leib
DON ROY KING
Saturday Night Live, “E. Murphy; Lizzo”
(NBC)
Mr. King’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Mike Poole
• Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly
PAUL PENNOLINO, CHRISTOPHER WERNER
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, “SLAPP Suits”
(HBO)
Directorial Team:
• Associate Director: Elliot Mendelson
• Stage Managers: Mark McKenna, Craig Spinney, John Scott Wilson
*** REALITY PROGRAMS
HISHAM ABED
Queer Eye, “Black Girl Magic”
(Netflix)
JASON COHEN
Encore!, “Annie”
(Disney+)
Mr. Cohen’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Director: Daniel Shultz
JON FAVREAU
The Chef Show, “Hog Island”
(Netflix)
Mr. Favreau’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Director: Annie Johnson
ASHLEY S. GORMAN
First Responders Live, “103”
(FOX)
Mr. Gorman’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Directors: Jamie Marshall Bennett, Don Frillici, Ryan Neary
• Stage Manager: Roy Friedland
PATRICK McMANUS
American Ninja Warrior, “1116 Las Vegas National Finals Night 4”
(NBC)
Mr. McManus’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Directors: David Massey, Sean Galvin
• Stage Managers: Joseph R. Osborne, Wolfgang Delgado
*** CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
DEAN ISRAELITE
Are You Afraid of the Dark?, “Part One: Submitted for Your Approval”
(Nickelodeon)
Mr. Israelite’s Directorial Team:
• First Assistant Director: Pete Whyte
JACK JAMESON
Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Special
(HBO Documentary Films)
Mr. Jameson’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Directors: Yori Tondrowski, Ken Diego
• Stage Managers: Frank Campagna, Phyllis Digilio-Kent, Shawn Havens
LUKE MATHENY
Ghostwriter, “Ghost in Wonderland, Part 1”
(Apple TV+)
AMY SCHATZ
Song of Parkland
(HBO Documentary Films)
BARRY SONNENFELD
A Series of Unfortunate Events, “Penultimate Peril: Part 1”
(Netflix)
COMMERCIALS
FREDRIK BOND
(MJZ)
Lighter Than Air, HP Elite Dragonfly – Media Monks
• Unit Production Manager: Line Postmyr
• First Assistant Director: Peter Kohn
Take it Lightly, Coca-Cola Light – Ingo
Nap, iPhone – Apple
• Unit Production Manager: Line Postmyr
• First Assistant Director: Peter Kohn
• Second Assistant Director: Heather Anderson
SPIKE JONZE
(MJZ)
Dream It, Squarespace – Squarespace
• First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith
The New Normal, Medmen – Mekanism
• First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith
• Second Assistant Directors: David Marnell, Jeff Tavani
MARK MOLLOY
(Smuggler)
Underdogs, Apple – Apple
RIDLEY SCOTT
(RSA Films)
The Seven Worlds, Hennessy X.O. – DDB Paris
DOUGAL WILSON
(Furlined)
Train, AT&T – BBDO NY
• First Assistant Director: Peter Kohn
• Second Assistant Director: Aaron Fitzgerald
DOCUMENTARY
STEVEN BOGNAR and JULIA REICHERT
American Factory
(Netflix)
FERAS FAYYAD
The Cave
(National Geographic Documentary Films)
ALEX HOLMES
Maiden
(Sony Picture Classics)
LJUBOMIR STEFANOV & TAMARA KOTEVSKA
Honeyland
(Neon)
NANFU WANG and JIALING ZHANG
One Child Nation
(Amazon Studios)
What do you make of this year’s nominations for the Directors Guild of America awards? Which picks do you agree with? Who did the DGA severely overlook? Jump down to the comments below and let me know your thoughts! I want to hear from you!
