Directors Guild Of America

Anyone expecting fireworks as the five Directors Guild of America Award nominees--two of whom were shut out of the Oscar nominations--shared a stage for a three-hour symposium Saturday morning would have been sorely disappointed. The five pros, in a mostly low-key manner, answered questions about their films and working styles.

The Directors Guild of America on Saturday night named Kathryn Bigelow best director of 2009 for "The Hurt Locker." Not only is it the first guild win for the 58-year-old filmmaker, it is the first time a woman has won the award. "This is the most incredible moment of my life," Bigelow said. "This is amazing. I'm so deeply stunned, honored and awed." Bigelow already has received the majority of critics' awards this year for her work on the harrowing Iraq war drama, including those from the Los Angeles Film Critics, New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics.

British director Michael Apted has been reelected president of the Directors Guild of America. Apted, 64, has served as president of the 13,000-member guild since 2003. His reelection this past weekend was expected. Apted's credits include "Coal Miner's Daughter," "Gorillas in the Mist" and "The World Is Not Enough."

"The Hurt Locker" continues to shock and awe this award season. The gripping Iraq war drama chronicling the lives of a bomb defusing unit has won best film and director for Kathryn Bigelow from the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn., New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics. On Thursday, the 58-year-old Bigelow was nominated for the Directors Guild of America Award for outstanding directorial achievement in feature film. Bigelow is only the seventh female director to be nominated for the top DGA Award.

Television awards: The Directors Guild of America nominees for the best made-for-TV movies, airing in 2003: Jane Anderson (HBO's "Normal"), Jeff Bleckner (ABC's "Meredith Willson's 'The Music Man' "), Rod Holcomb (FX's "The Pentagon Papers"), Richard Loncraine (HBO's "My House in Umbria"), and Mike Nichols (HBO's "Angels in America.")

Direct Contact: The Directors Guild of America will conduct a Film Student Open House Wednesday evening designed to give film hopefuls information about the guild and aid in their transition to professional filmmakers. Guild President Arthur Hiller will be among the speakers, and DGA members will lead focus groups on various aspects of directing.

The Directors Guild of America has selected five nominees for outstanding directorial achievement in commercials: Leslie Dektor, James Gartner, Stephen Kessler, Domenic Mastrippolito and Joe Pytka. The winner will be announced along with winners in other directing categories at the guild's 44th annual banquet March 14.

The Directors Guild of America named Deanna Devescovi chief financial officer and executive in charge of administration and human resources. Devescovi has worked for the guild since 1991. She replaces C.J. Bishop, who left to work in Washington.

The guild representing Hollywood's film and TV directors reached a partial agreement Tuesday with producers in contract negotiations, agreeing on the economic terms of a new three-year agreement. No details were announced pending a vote by members. The two sides in the dispute still must resolve unspecified "creative issues." The contract between the Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers expires on June 30.

The Directors Guild of America's national board voted unanimously Saturday to recommend ratification of a three-year contract with movie studios and television networks. The new contract would go into effect July 1 and run through 2005. The recommendation comes six months before the current contract expires. The 21-0 vote was taken at the board's regularly scheduled meeting in Los Angeles, according to a guild news release.

Some editions of The Times did not carry this article Sunday. The Directors Guild of America on Saturday named Danny Boyle the best director of 2008 for "Slumdog Millionaire." It's the first guild win for the 52-year-old British director. Boyle has won critics' groups honors, as well as the Golden Globe, Critics' Choice and the British Independent Film Award, for "Slumdog Millionaire."

"The Dark Knight" continues to soar this award season. Christopher Nolan, the director of the critical and commercial success, was nominated Thursday for the 61st annual Directors Guild of America award. It's the first time a director of a superhero movie has received such recognition from the DGA.

The Directors Guild of America named Joel and Ethan Coen the best directors of 2007 for "No Country for Old Men" Saturday night. It marks the first time a sibling team has won the guild award in this category. The last time a directing team took the guild's top honor was Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins' win for 1961's "West Side Story." Joel Coen, 53, had previously been nominated for the guild award for 1996's "Fargo."

Long before he became a lead negotiator for the Directors Guild of America, Gilbert Cates honed his skills as a fencer. In college he would spend hours some days lunging at "suspended doughnuts" to sharpen his aim before facing a human opponent. Cates is preparing for his next parry and thrust -- a labor negotiation with the major studios that could determine whether Hollywood returns to work any time soon.

More than 300 writers who are also directors are urging Directors Guild of America leaders to hold off for now their own contract talks with the studios while Hollywood's striking writers are engaged in their delicate negotiations. The writer-directors are seeking to block any gambit by the studios to undermine writers by first reaching a new contract with the DGA.

As film and TV writers are walking the picket line, the directors who bring their scripts to life are walking their own fine line. Directors are in a quandary over when to begin their contract talks with the major studios. Historically, directors have begun negotiations six to eight months before their contract expires. By that measure, they would have begun negotiations by now to replace their contract, which expires June 30.

The Directors Guild of America said Monday that its board has unanimously voted to renew Jay D. Roth's contract as national executive director through 2005. Roth, formerly an attorney representing labor organizations, assumed the guild's top management post in 1995; his current contract is not to expire until 2000. DGA President Jack Shea said the early renewal "lets our employers know that the DGA will continue to have strong, skillful leadership well into the next millennium."

"Justice League of America" is exactly the kind of movie Warner Bros. loves to make. Based on the classic DC Comics series, the script is filled with a dream team of recognizable superheroes -- Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash -- and could not only become its own franchise, but also could spin off individual character sequels, TV shows and merchandise (Green Lantern Underoos, anyone?).

The Directors Guild of America has announced that it won't allow studios or independent distributors to mail DVD screeners to its 13,400 members during the upcoming awards season, contending that the mailings might have an unfair advantage over films that are not able to be distributed due to limited marketing budgets.