Director Nate Parker was nominated in the category of best first feature film for “The Birth of a Nation.”
In addition to it being his first DGA nomination, it’s the first major acknowledgement of the film, which a year ago, seemed poised to pick up a raft of accolades this season. But that was before the revelation of a woman who had been involved in a rape case against him – in which he was acquitted – committed suicide several years ago. In media interviews, Parker seemed unrepentant about the incident, which occurred in 1999 when he was a student at Penn State. (Parker’s friend, Jean Celestin, was convicted of sexual assault, but that conviction was later overturned.)
Awards season front runners Damien Chazelle, Barry Jenkins and Kenneth Lonergan are among the nominees.
“Lion” director Garth Davis received two nominations.
Another surprise, yet a sadly predictable one: only one woman was among the 10 major feature film nominees.
It was previously announced that Ridley Scott will receive the Guild’s top honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction, during the ceremonies.
The nominees for OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN FEATURE FILM FOR 2016 are (in alphabetical order):
La La Land
(Lionsgate)
Mr. Chazelle’s Directorial Team:
– Unit Production Manager: Michael Beugg
– First Assistant Director: Peter Kohn
– Second Assistant Director: Paula Case
– Assistant Unit Production Manager: Bart Lipton
– Second Second Assistant Director: Brett Robinson
– Additional Second Assistant Director: Dodi Rubenstein
This is Mr. Chazelle’s first DGA Award nomination.
GARTH DAVIS
Lion
(The Weinstein Company)
Mr. Davis’s Directorial Team:
– First Assistant Director: Chris Webb
– First Assistant Director: Ananya Rane (India Unit)
– Second Assistant Directors: Mark Ingram (Australia Unit), Sunny Tiku (India Unit), KP Singh (India Unit), Shaunak Kapur (India Unit)
This is one of two DGA Award nominations this year for Mr. Davis. He is also nominated in the First-Time Feature Film category for Lion. He was previously nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials in 2009 for “Shadow Puppets,” U.S. Cellular.
BARRY JENKINS
Moonlight
(A24)
Mr. Jenkins’s Directorial Team:
– Unit Production Manager: Jennifer Radzikowski
This is Mr. Jenkins’s first DGA Award nomination.
KENNETH LONERGAN
Manchester by the Sea
(Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)
Mr. Lonergan’s Directorial Team:
– Unit Production Manager: Declan Baldwin
– First Assistant Director: Michael J. Moore
– Second Assistant Director: David Blazina
– Second Second Assistant Directors: Tim LaDue, Scooter Perrotta
This is Mr. Lonergan’s first DGA Award nomination.
DENIS VILLENEUVE
Arrival
(Paramount Pictures)
Mr. Villeneuve’s Directorial Team:
– Unit Production Manager: Stan Wlodkowski
– First Assistant Director: Donald L. Sparks
– Second Assistant Director: Brigitte Goulet
– Second Second Assistant Director: Karine P. Labelle
This is Mr. Villeneuve’s first DGA Award nomination.
The nominees for OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT OF A FIRST-TIME FEATURE FILM DIRECTOR FOR 2016 are (in alphabetical order):
GARTH DAVIS
Lion
(The Weinstein Company)
Mr. Davis’s Directorial Team:
– First Assistant Director: Chris Webb
– First Assistant Director: Ananya Rane (India Unit)
– Second Assistant Directors: Mark Ingram (Australia Unit), Sunny Tiku (India Unit), KP Singh (India Unit), Shaunak Kapur (India Unit)
This is one of two DGA Award nominations this year for Mr. Davis. He is also nominated in the Feature Film category for Lion. He was previously nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials in 2009 for “Shadow Puppets,” U.S. Cellular.
KELLY FREMON CRAIG
The Edge of Seventeen
(STX Entertainment)
Ms. Fremon Craig’s Directorial Team:
– Unit Production Manager: Brendan Ferguson
– Production Manager: Dan Clarke
– First Assistant Director: James Bitonti
– Second Assistant Director: Daniel Mansfield
This is Ms. Fremon Craig’s first DGA Award nomination.
TIM MILLER
Deadpool
(Twentieth Century Fox)
Mr. Miller’s Directorial Team:
– Unit Production Manager: John J. Kelly
– First Assistant Director: James Bitonti
– Second Assistant Director: Daniel Mansfield
This is Mr. Miller’s first DGA Award nomination.
NATE PARKER
The Birth of a Nation
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Mr. Parker’s Directorial Team:
– Unit Production Manager: Mark Moran
– First Assistant Director: Tomas Deckaj
– Second Assistant Director: Mark C. Stevens
– Second Second Assistant Director: Scott Bowers
This is Mr. Parker’s first DGA Award nomination.
DAN TRACHTENBERG
10 Cloverfield Lane
(Paramount Pictures)
Mr. Trachtenberg’s Directorial Team:
– Unit Production Manager: Robert J. Dohrmann
– First Assistant Director: Jason Blumenfeld
– Second Assistant Director: Paul B. Uddo
– Second Second Assistant Director: Jonathan M. Warren
– Location Manager: Batou A. Chandler
This is Mr. Trachtenberg’s first DGA Award nomination.
DRAMATIC SERIES
THE DUFFER BROTHERS
Stranger Things, “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers”
(Netflix)
The Duffer Brothers’ Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Timothy Lonsdale
- First Assistant Director: Richard Denault
- Second Assistant Directors: Maria Battle Campbell, Kristina M. Peterson
- Second Second Assistant Director: Simeon Jones
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Franchesca Winters
This is Mr. Matt Duffer’s first DGA Award nomination.
This is Mr. Ross Duffer’s first DGA Award nomination.
RYAN MURPHY
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, “From the Ashes of Tragedy”
(FX)
Mr. Murphy’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Chip Vucelich
- First Assistant Director: Leo Bauer
- Second Assistant Director: Janell Sammelman
- Second Second Assistant Director: Matt Pexa
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Alicia Lewis
This is Mr. Murphy’s fourth DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series in 2014 for The Normal Heart; for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series in 2009 for the Glee pilot; and in 2010 for the Glee episode “The Power of Madonna.”
JONATHAN NOLAN
Westworld, “The Original”
(HBO)
Mr. Nolan’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Robert Del Valle
- First Assistant Director: Kim H. Winther
- Second Assistant Director: Jeff Okabayashi
- Second Second Assistant Directors: Michelene Mundo, Katie Pruitt
This is Mr. Nolan’s first DGA Award nomination.
MIGUEL SAPOCHNIK
Game of Thrones, “The Battle of the Bastards”
(HBO)
This is Mr. Sapochnik’s first DGA Award nomination.
JOHN SINGLETON
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, “The Race Card”
(FX)
Mr. Singleton’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Chip Vucelich
- First Assistant Director: Dan Shaw
- Second Assistant Director: Matt Pexa
- Second Second Assistant Directors: Kim Richards, Kyle Hollingsworth
This is Mr. Singleton’s first DGA Award nomination.
***
COMEDY SERIES
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series for 2016 are (in alphabetical order):
ALEC BERG
Silicon Valley, “Daily Active Users”
(HBO)
Mr. Berg’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Tyler Romary
- First Assistant Director: Nick Mastandrea
- Second Assistant Director: Sally Brunski
- Second Second Assistant Director: Kim Richards
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Kathleen D. Brennan
This is Mr. Berg’s first DGA Award nomination.
DONALD GLOVER
Atlanta, “B.A.N.”
(FX)
Mr. Glover’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Alex Orr
- First Assistant Director: Veronica A. Hodge‑Hampton
- Second Assistant Director: Jason Graham
- Second Second Assistant Director: Danielle King
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Mike Brune
This is Mr. Glover’s first DGA Award nomination.
MIKE JUDGE
Silicon Valley, “Founder Friendly”
(HBO)
Mr. Judge’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Tyler Romary
- First Assistant Director: James “Billy” Burton
- Second Assistant Director: Thomas Boucher
- Second Second Assistant Director: Kim Richards
This is Mr. Judge’s third DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this same category in 2014 for the Silicon Valley episode “Minimum Viable Product” and in 2015 for the Silicon Valley episode “Binding Arbitration.”
BECKY MARTIN
Veep, “Inauguration”
(HBO)
Ms. Martin’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: David Hyman
- First Assistant Director: Dale Stern
- Second Assistant Director: Michelle Gritzer
- Second Second Assistant Director: Chris Riddle
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Gary Cotti
This is Ms. Martin’s first DGA Award nomination.
DALE STERN
Veep, “Mother”
(HBO)
Mr. Stern’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: David Hyman
- First Assistant Director: Michelle Gritzer
- Second Assistant Director: Jeff Rosenberg
- Second Second Assistant Director: Chris Riddle
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Cecilia Sweatman
This is Mr. Stern’s first DGA Award nomination.
***
MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND MINI‑SERIES
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini‑Series for 2016 are (in alphabetical order):
RAYMOND DE FELITTA
Madoff
(ABC)
Mr. De Felitta’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Moshe Bardach
- First Assistant Director: Scott Lazar
- Second Assistant Director: David Fischer
- Second Second Assistant Director: Ramona Murphy-Adair
- Location Manager: Eddy Collyns
This is Mr. De Felitta’s first DGA Award nomination.
THOMAS KAIL (Directed By)
ALEX RUDZINSKI (Live Television Direction By)
Grease Live!
(FOX)
Directorial Team:
- Associate Directors: Carrie Havel, Adam Mishler, Brad Duns
- Head Stage Manager: Garry Hood
- Stage Managers: Jennifer Marquet, John Esposito, Jonathan Marks, Rob Sellers Jr., Dani Farrelly, Paul Forrest, Roy Friedland, Chris Hines, Roxanne Lozano, Drina Mohacsi, Tshaka Stewart, Mike Strauss, Cheryl Teetzel-Moore, Ari Woog
This is Mr. Kail’s first DGA Award nomination.
This is Mr. Rudzinski’s second DGA Award nomination. He is also nominated in this same category this year with Kenny Leon for Hairspray Live!
KENNY LEON (Directed By)
ALEX RUDZINSKI (Live Television Direction By)
Hairspray Live!
(NBC)
Directorial Team:
- Associate Directors: Carrie Havel, Brad Duns, Amy Wilcox‑Barker
- Stage Managers: Garry Hood, John Esposito, Dani Farrelly, Roy Friedland, Paul Forrest, John Hill, Chris Hines, Roxanne Lozano, Jonathan Marks, Jennifer Marquet, Donna Parker, Cody Renard Richard, Rob Sellers Jr., Murray Siegel, Jackie Stathis, Mike Strauss
This is Mr. Leon’s third DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this same category in 2008 for A Raisin in the Sun and in 2015 with Matthew Diamond for The Wiz Live!
This is Mr. Rudzinski’s second DGA Award nomination. He is also nominated in this same category this year with Thomas Kail for Grease Live!
JAY ROACH
All the Way
(HBO)
Mr. Roach’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Scott Ferguson
- First Assistant Director: Josh King
- Second Assistant Director: Aaron Fitzgerald
- Second Second Assistant Directors: Jason C. Brown, Matthew Milan
This is Mr. Roach’s third DGA Award nomination. He previously won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series in 2008 for Recount and in 2012 for Game Change.
STEVEN ZAILLIAN
The Night Of, “The Beach”
(HBO)
Mr. Zaillian’s Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Greer Yeaton
- First Assistant Director: Michael Steele
- Second Assistant Director: Ginger Gonzalez
- Second Second Assistant Director: Rachel Iovine
- Location Manager: Shane Haden
This is Mr. Zaillian’s first DGA Award nomination.
