On February 4, DGA members gathered in the Guild’s Los Angeles theater to celebrate the world of film for the smaller screen during the 2025 Meet the Nominees: Movies for Television & Limited Series event. Following a welcome by DGA Associate Western Executive Director Daniel Tenkman, Director and moderator Jon Avnet led the nominee Directors — Kevin Bray (The Penguin, “Top Hat”), Jennifer Getzinger (The Penguin, “A Great or Little Thing”), Helen Shaver (The Penguin, “Cent’anni”) and Steven Zaillian (Ripley) — in a lively discussion.
After screening clips highlighting each of the nominated projects, the Directors offered insights into how each became involved in their projects and the path they took to visualize the themes from the source material. The conversation illuminated their diverse creative paths, and spoke to the underlying spirit of collaboration — trusting and elevating their supportive directorial teams and crew from prep and planning through editing and post-production. They shared how those additional perspectives can provide powerful inspiration to the overall narrative experience and show trust on set.
Nominee Alfonso Cuarón (Disclaimer) was unable to attend.
About the Panelists:
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 KEVIN BRAY
The Penguin - “Top Hat” (HBO)
Unit Production Managers: Dana Robin, Bill Carraro
First Assistant Director: Jude Gorjanc
Second Assistant Director: Brad Robinson
Second Second Assistant Director: Matt Merksamer
Additional Second Assistant Director: Maritza Gomez
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Mike Buonanno
Location Manager: Keith Adams
In addition to his work on The Penguin, Bray’s directorial credits include the pilots for the series Clipped, Unprisoned, Grown-ish, Suits, and its spinoff Pearson; and episodes of The Franchise, The Patient, Loot, Insecure, Rap Sh!T, The Morning Show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Snowfall, Black-ish, Shameless and The Americans. He was previously nominated in the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series category in 2022 for Succession, “Retired Janitors of Idaho.” Bray has been a DGA member since 2001.
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 JENNIFER GETZINGER
The Penguin - “A Great or Little Thing” (HBO)
Unit Production Managers: Dana Robin, Bill Carraro
First Assistant Director: H.H. Cooper
Second Assistant Director: Eric Calatayud
Second Second Assistant Director: Matt Merksamer
Additional Second Assistant Director: Maritza Gomez
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Mike Buonanno
Location Manager: Keith Adams
In addition to her work on The Penguin, Getzinger’s directorial credits include episodes of The Hunting Wives, Westworld, Outlander, Counterpart, Jessica Jones, The Man in the High Castle, Dead to Me, Outer Range, The Morning Show and Ahsoka. She was previously nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series in 2009 for her Mad Men episode “The Gypsy and the Hobo,” in 2010 for her Mad Men episode “The Suitcase” and again in 2013 for her Mad Men episode “A Little Kiss.” Getzinger has been a DGA member since 2008.
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 HELEN SHAVER
The Penguin - “Cent’anni” (HBO)
Unit Production Managers: Dana Robin, Bill Carraro
First Assistant Director: H.H. Cooper
Second Assistant Director: Eric Calatayud
Second Second Assistant Director: Matt Merksamer
Additional Second Assistant Director: Maritza Gomez
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Mike Buonanno
Location Manager: Keith Adams
In addition to her work on The Penguin, Shaver’s directorial credits include episodes of The New Look, Maid, Lovecraft Country, Westworld, Snowpiercer, Vikings, Anne With an E, Orphan Black, 13 Reasons Why, Sneaky Pete, Person of Interest, Law and Order: SVU and Judging Amy. Shaver previously won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series in 2022 for Station Eleven, “Who’s There?” She has been a DGA member since 1997.
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 STEVEN ZAILLIAN
Ripley (Netflix)
Unit Production Managers: Clayton Townsend, Joe Guest (NY)
First Assistant Director: Peter Thorell
Second Assistant Directors: Justin Bischoff (NY), Nick Notte (NY)
Second Second Assistant Director: Melissa Morphet (NY)
Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi (NY)
In addition to his work on Ripley, Zaillian’s directorial credits include the features Searching for Bobby Fischer, A Civil Action and All the King's Men. Zaillian previously won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series in 2016 for The Night Of, “The Beach.” He has been a DGA member since 1992.
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 JON AVNET (Moderator)
Avnet is widely known for his landmark work in film and television, having directed, written and/or produced more than 100 films, movies for television and episodic series. His directorial credits include the features Three Christs, Righteous Kill, 88 Minutes, Up Close & Personal and Fried Green Tomatoes; the movies for television Have a Little Faith, Bunker Hill and Between Two Women; and episodes of Justified: City Primeval, Sneaky Pete, Boomtown and Call to Glory. He was nominated for the 2001 DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television/Miniseries for Uprising and again in that same category for his 2007 mini-series The Starter Wife. A DGA member since 1984, Avnet currently serves as a member of the DGA National Board, on the Western Directors Council and as a Trustee on the Pension & Health Plan. After previously serving as Co-Chair on past DGA Negotiations Committees, he served as Chair of the DGA Negotiations Committee in 2023. |