Directors Guild Announces Their Nominees for Best Director in Feature Film

The Directors Guild of America has announced their nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2012. While there were a few nominees that were locks (Affleck, Bigelow, Spielberg, and most likely, Lee), that fifth slot was left open to a few directors including Tom Hooper, Quentin Tarantino, and David O. Russell. However, It was Tom Hooper who took it for his excellent work on "Les Misérables." As that was my favorite film of the year, he's easily got my support to win.

Most of you probably already know that this award is an excellent indicator of who will be taking home the Best Director Oscar in February. The winner has a 90% chance of doing so given that the DGA and the Academy almost always agree on the best director of the year, so be sure to check back when the winner is announced on February 2.

Check out a complete list of nominees below:

BEN AFFLECK

Argo

(Warner Bros. Pictures)

Mr. Affleck’s Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Manager: Amy Herman
• First Assistant Director: David Webb
• Second Assistant Director: Ian Calip
• Second Second Assistant Directors: Clark Credle, Gavin Kleintop
• First Assistant Director (Turkey Unit): Belkis Turan

This is Mr. Affleck’s first DGA Feature Film Award nomination.

KATHRYN BIGELOW

Zero Dark Thirty

(Columbia Pictures)

Ms. Bigelow’s Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Manager: Colin Wilson
• First Assistant Director: David A. Ticotin
• Second Assistant Directors: Ben Lanning, Sarah Hood
• First Assistant Director (Jordan Unit): Scott Robertson
• Second Assistant Directors (Jordan Unit): Jonas Spaccarotelli, Yanal Kassay
• Second Second Assistant Director (Jordan Unit): Tarek Afifi
• Unit Production Manager (India Unit): Rajeev Mehra

This is Ms. Bigelow’s second DGA Feature Film Award nomination. She won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for The Hurt Locker in 2009.

TOM HOOPER

Les Misérables

(Universal Pictures)

Mr. Hooper’s Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Manager: Patrick Schweitzer
• First Assistant Director: Ben Howarth
• Second Assistant Director: Harriet Worth
• Second Second Assistant Director: Dan Channing Williams

This is Mr. Hooper’s second DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for The King’s Speech (2010) and was previously nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television/Mini-Series for John Adams in 2008.

ANG LEE

Life of Pi

(Twentieth Century Fox)

Mr. Lee’s Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Manager: Michael J. Malone
• Unit Production Manager (Taiwan): Leo Chen
• First Assistant Directors: William M. Connor, Cliff Lanning
• Second Assistant Directors: Robert Burgess, Ben Lanning
• Unit Production Manager (India Unit): Sanjay Kumar
• First Assistant Director (India Unit): Nitya Mehra
• Second Assistant Director (India Unit): Ananya Rane
• Second Second Assistant Directors (India Unit): Namra Parikh, Freya Parekh
• Second Assistant Directors (Montreal Unit): Derek Wimble, Renato De Cotiis

This is Mr. Lee’s fourth DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and was nominated for Sense and Sensibility in 1995.

STEVEN SPIELBERG

Lincoln

(DreamWorks Pictures/Twentieth Century Fox)

Mr. Spielberg’s Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Manager: Susan McNamara
• First Assistant Director: Adam Somner
• Second Assistant Director: Ian Stone
• Second Second Assistant Directors: Eric Lasko, Trevor Tavares

This is Mr. Spielberg’s eleventh DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film three times for Saving Private Ryan (1998), Schindler’s List (1993) and The Color Purple (1985). He was also nominated in this category for Munich (2005), Amistad (1997), Empire of the Sun (1987), E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Jaws (1975). Mr. Spielberg was honored with the DGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.