The Directors Guild of America took a huge leap this morning. They snubbed Steven Spielberg for “The Post” and ushered in a new era.Their nominees are all first timers but for one — Christopher Nolan. Greta Gerwig is the 8th woman ever to be nominated. Jordan Peele is only the second African American director after Lee Daniels to achieve a nomination. Peele was not only nominated for Best Film with “Get Out,” but overlapped in the First Feature category. Also snubbed were other more veteran directors like Joe Wright and Paul Thomas Anderson.
In the First Time Directors category the DGA nominated Taylor Sheridan for “Wind River,” a movie that was released by the Weinstein Company, did well at the box office, but was then removed from the studio by its financiers. It’s nice to see the DGA — which has since ousted Harvey Weinstein– didn’t penalize the film despite the mogul’s scandals.
If del Toro wins, he’ll be the third Mexican director to do so in the last five years– or technically fourth since 2013 because Alejandro Innaritu has won twice. (Alfonso Cuaron is the other.)
FILM
FEATURE FILM
Guillermo del Toro, “The Shape of Water”
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)
del Toro’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: J. Miles Dale
Production Manager: Dennis Chapman
First Assistant Director: Pierre Henry
Second Assistant Director: Tyler Delben
Greta Gerwig, “Lady Bird”
(A24)
Gerwig’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Lila Yacoub, Danielle Blumstein, Jamin O’Brien (New York Crew)
First Assistant Directors: Jonas Spaccarotelli, Cedric Vara (New York Crew)
Second Assistant Director: Brendan Lee, Dana Zolli (New York Crew)
Second Second Assistant Directors: Lillian Awa, Teri Barber
Martin McDonagh, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)
McDonagh’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Bergen Swanson
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Peggy Robinson
First Assistant Director: Peter Kohn
Second Assistant Director: Paula Case
Second Second Assistant Director: Spencer Taylor
Christopher Nolan, “Dunkirk”
(Warner Bros.)
Nolan’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: David Witz, Christine Raspillere (France Unit), Chris Brock (UK Unit), Nicky Tüske (Netherlands Unit)
First Assistant Directors: Nilo Otero, William Pruss (France Unit), Willem Quarles van Ufford (Netherlands Unit)
Second Assistant Director: Eric Lasko, Nicolas Baldino (France Unit), Alexis Chelli (France Unit), Clément Comet (France Unit)
Second Second Assistant Director: Alina Gatti
Jordan Peele, “Get Out”
(Universal Pictures)
Peele’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Marcei A. Brown, Rick A. Osako (Fairhope Unit)
First Assistant Director: Gerard DiNardi
Second Assistant Directors: Ram Paul Silbey, Marc Newland (Fairhope Unit), Jack McKenna (New York Unit)
Second Second Assistant Director: Maggie Ballard
Location Manager: Kurt Enger (New York Unit)
FIRST-TIME FEATURE FILM DIRECTOR:
Geremy Jasper, “Patti Cake$”
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Jasper’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Sara Blechman
First Assistant Director: Inna Braude
Second Assistant Director: Natasha Rivera
Second Second Assistant Director: Lucas Isabella
Additional Second Second Assistant Director: Alice Johnson
William Oldroyd, “Lady Macbeth”
(Roadside Attractions)
Oldroyd’s Directorial Team:
Production Manager: Robert K. Harm
Unit Manager: Eugene Galbrath
First Assistant Director: George Every
Second Assistant Director: Richard Stanley Jan Harris
Jordan Peele, “Get Out”
(Universal Pictures)
Peele’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Marcei A. Brown, Rick A. Osako (Fairhope Unit)
First Assistant Director: Gerard DiNardi
Second Assistant Directors: Ram Paul Silbey, Marc Newland (Fairhope Unit), Jack McKenna (New York Unit)
Second Second Assistant Director: Maggie Ballard
Location Manager: Kurt Enger (New York Unit)
Taylor Sheridan, “Wind River”
(Acacia Entertainment)
Sheridan’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Christopher H. Warner
First Assistant Director: Nicholas Harvard
Second Assistant Director: Jason Altieri
Second Second Assistant Director: Kristina Massie
Aaron Sorkin, “Molly’s Game”
(STX Entertainment)
Sorkin’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Lyn Lucibello-Brancatella, Stuart M. Besser, Michael Beugg (Los Angeles Unit)
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Bart Lipton (Los Angeles Unit)
First Assistant Director: Walter Gasparovic
Second Assistant Directors: Penny Charter, Travis Rehwaldt (New York Unit), Paula Case (Los Angeles Unit)
Second Second Assistant Directors: Conor Griff (New York Unit), Drew Ritson (New York Unit), Bryan Snodgrass (Los Angeles Unit)
Location Manager: Dena Ghieth (New York Unit)
