March 11, 2001
The winners of the 2000 Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards and the recipients of 2001 DGA Lifetime Achievement Awards were announced tonight at the 53rd Annual DGA Awards Dinner at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. The DGA’s Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film, given this year to Ang Lee, is traditionally a near-perfect barometer for the Academy Award for Best Director. *Only four times since the DGA Award’s inception has the winner not gone on to receive the Best Director Oscar.
The winners of the 2000 Directors Guild of America Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement and the recipients of the 2001 DGA Lifetime Achievement Awards are:
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN FEATURE FILM
ANG LEE
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
(Sony Pictures Classics)
Unit Production Manager: Helen Li
First Assistant Directors: Lai Kai Keung, Sylvia Liu
Second Assistant Directors: Zhang Jin Ting, Zhou Ying Ying, Zhu Hong Bo, Xu Cheung Lin and Ta Bu Si
This is Ang Lee’s first DGA Award.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES FOR TELEVISION
JEFF BLECKNER
The Beach Boys: An American Family - ABC
Unit Production Manager: John Whitman
First Assistant Director: Yudi Bennett
Second Assistant Director: Jules Kovisars
Second Second Assistant Director: Franklyn Gottbetter
DGA Trainee: Tim Price
This is Bleckner's second DGA Award. In 1983 he won the DGA Award in the Dramatic Series Night category for his direction of the "Life in the Minors" episode of Hill Street Blues. Bleckner was also nominated in 1985 for the Movie for Television Do You Remember Love?.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMATIC SERIES NIGHT
THOMAS SCHLAMME
"Noel" (The West Wing) - NBC
Unit Production Manager: Neal Ahern, Jr.
First Assistant Director: Andrew Bernstein
Second Assistant Director: Dylan Massin
This is Thomas Schlamme's first DGA Award in this category and third DGA Award. He won the DGA Award in Comedy Series last year for the "Small Town" episode of Sports Night and in 1998 he won the DGA Award in Comedy Series for the pilot of Sports Night.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY SERIES
JAMES BURROWS
"Lows in the Mid-Eighties" (Will & Grace) - NBC
Unit Production Manager: Tim Kaiser
First Assistant Director: Dale White
Second Assistant Director: Caryn Rae Shick
Technical Coordinator: Russell D. Sherman
This makes Jim Burrows a four-time DGA Award winner. It was his seventeenth nomination which retains the title he took last year as the most nominated director when his sixteenth nomination for the "Yours, Mine, Ours" episode of Will & Grace broke his 1998 tie with George Schaefer. Burrows' first nomination came in 1981 for the Taxi episode "Jim the Psychic." In all, he was a ten-time nominee and two-time DGA Award winner for Cheers; in 1982, 1983 (winner), 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990 (winner), 1991 and 1992. He also won the DGA Award in 1993 for directing the pilot of Frasier, and was nominated in 1995 for the Friends episode "The One With the Birth," in 1997 for the pilot of Dharma and Greg and in 1998 for the pilot of Will & Grace.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSICAL VARIETY
BETH McCARTHY MILLER
Saturday Night Live with Val Kilmer and U2 - NBC
Associate Directors: Stefani Cohen, Robert Caminiti, Mark Jankeloff
Stage Managers: Gena Rositano Wilson, Christopher Kelly
This is Beth McCarthy Miller's first DGA Award.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DAYTIME SERIALS
JILL MITWELL
One Life to Live (Episode #8205) - ABC
Associate Directors: Owen Renfroe, Jamie Howarth
Stage Managers: Alan P. Needleman, Richard A. Manfredi
Production Assistant: Teresa Anne Cicala
This is Jill Mitwell's second DGA Award. In 1993 she received the Award for Best Director - Daytime Serials, for One Life to Live (Episode #6356).
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
GREG BEEMAN
Miracle in Lane 2 - The Disney Channel
Unit Production Manager: Christopher Morgan
First Assistant Director: Lisa Satriano
Second Assistant Director: Nicholas Satriano
This is Greg Beeman's first DGA Award.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMMERCIALS
LESLIE DEKTOR, Dektor Films
New Eyes Idea Exchange, Dangell/Publicis & Hal Riney
The Check Pocketcard, FCB/Chicago
The Run Home Idea Exchange, Dangell/Publicis & Hal Riney
Unit Production Manager: Marc Siegel
First Assistant Director: Frank Glenn
Second Assistant Director: Christopher Berger
This was Leslie Dektor's second win and twelfth DGA nomination, tying him with Joe Pytka for the most DGA nominations in this category. Dektor was nominated every year from 1984 through 1991, was also nominated in 1994 and 1999 and he won the award in 1992.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DOCUMENTARY
CHUCK BRAVERMAN
High School Boot Camp
Braverman Productions, Inc. (Discovery Channel)
This is Chuck Braverman’s first DGA Award.
PRESIDENTS AWARD - For leadership and extraordinary efforts in enhancing the welfare and image of the Directors Guild of America and the Industry
ROBERT E. WISE
HONORARY LIFE MEMBER - For recognition of outstanding creative achievement, or contribution to the Guild, or the profession of Directing
JACK VALENTI
ROBERT B. ALDRICH AWARD - For extraordinary service to the Directors Guild of America and to its membership
ROBERT BUTLER
TOM DONOVAN
FRANKLIN J. SCHAFFNER AWARD - For an Associate Director or Stage Manager in Recognition of Service to the Industry and to the DGA
ROBERT VAN RY
DGA Award Facts:
* Only four times since the DGA Award's inception in 1949 has the DGA Award winner not won the Academy Award:
- In 1968, Anthony Harvey won the DGA Award for The Lion in Winter while Carol Reed took home the Oscar® for Oliver!.
- In 1972, Francis Ford Coppola received the DGA's nod for The Godfather while the Academy selected Bob Fosse for Cabaret.
- In 1985, Steven Spielberg received his first DGA Award for The Color Purple while the Oscar® went to Sydney Pollack for Out of Africa.
- In 1995, Ron Howard was chosen by the DGA for his direction of Apollo 13 while Academy voters cited Mel Gibson for Braveheart.