Meet the Nominees: Documentaries

February 7, 2015

67th Annual DGA Awards

On February 6, DGA members and guests enjoyed the 2015 edition of the Meet the Nominees: Documentary symposium in the Guild’s Los Angeles Theater One. Nominees Dan Krauss (The Kill Team), Charlie Siskel (Finding Vivian Maier), Jesse Moss (The Overnighters), Laura Poitras (Citizenfour) and Orlando von Einsiedel (Virunga).

The evening opened with an introduction by DGA Past President/National Board Member Taylor Hackford followed by a screening of clips from the nominated documentaries. Then the nominees joined DGA Awards Documentary Committee Co-Chairs Freida Mock and James Moll for a discussion about the making of their films.

The symposium was followed by a reception where DGA members and guests could mingle with the nominees.

Nominee John Maloof (Finding Vivian Maier) was unable to attend the symposium.

Pictures & Video

photos by Tonya Wise

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FULL TALK (44:08): Freida Mock and James Moll lead the directors in a discussion of their nominated films.

DGA Past President Taylor Hackford and Documentary Awards Committee Co-Chairs Freida Mock and James Moll kick off the event.

HIGHLIGHT: Laura Poitras describes the uncertain situation she encountered at her first meeting with Edward Snowden while making Citizenfour.

HIGHLIGHT: In addition to the photographs that have made her posthumously famous, Charlie Siskel also used other audio and film recordings Vivian Maier left behind to visually reinforce the stories told in the film.

HIGHLIGHT: Dan Krauss discusses the different visual styles he employed to separate time periods in The Kill Team.

HIGHLIGHT: Jesse Moss talks about the close relationship he forged both on camera and off, with his main character Jay Reinke in The Overnighters.

HIGHLIGHT: Orlando von Einsiedel put himself at risk to film battle scenes during the M23 Rebellion in the Congo to show the realities of the day to day lives of his characters in Virunga.

DGA Documentary Awards Committee Co-Chair James Moll, Documentary Nominees Laura Poitras, Jesse Moss, Dan Krauss, Charlie Siskel, and Orlando von Einsiedel, Committee Co-Chair Freida Mock, and DGA Past President Taylor Hackford.

DGA Past President Taylor Hackford welcomes the audience.

DGA Documentary Awards Committee Co-Chairs James Moll and Freida Mock introduce the nominees to the audience.

Documentary Nominees Dan Krauss, Charlie Siskel, Jesse Moss, Laura Poitras and Orlando von Einsiedel, join DGA Documentary Awards Committee Co-Chairs James Moll and Freida Mock on the stage.