March 9, 2002
The winners of the 2001 Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards and the recipients of the DGA's 2002 Lifetime Achievement Awards were announced tonight at the 54th Annual DGA Awards Dinner at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.
Carl Reiner hosted the Awards ceremony which attracted a record 1,600 guests, including the full slate of presenters: Gillian Anderson (The X-Files), Halle Berry (Monster's Ball), Gilbert Cates (A Death in the Family and producer of numerous Academy Awards), Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind), Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind), Faye Dunaway (Mid-Century), James Franco (James Dean), Josh Hartnett (Black Hawk Down), Arthur Hiller (Silver Streak), Don Johnson (Nash Bridges), Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge), Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Sir Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring), Joe Pantoliano (Memento), Guy Pearce (Memento), Will Smith (Ali), Leelee Sobieski (Uprising) and Tom Wilkinson (In the Bedroom).
The DGA's Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film has traditionally served as a near-perfect barometer for the Academy Award for Best Director. Only five times since the DGA Award's inception in 1949 has the winner not gone on to receive the Academy Award for Best Director.
The winners of the 2001 Directors Guild of America Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement, and the recipients of the Guild's 2002 Lifetime Achievement Awards, are:
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film
RON HOWARD
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
(Studio: Universal Pictures, Dreamworks Pictures)
Mr. Howard's Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Kathleen McGill
- First Assistant Director: Aldric La'Auli Porter
- Second Assistant Director: Kristen Bernstein
- Second Second Assistant Director: Noreen R. Cheleden
- DGA Trainee: Jane Ferguson
This is Howard's second DGA Award. He won the Award in 1995 for his direction of Apollo 13.
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television
FRANK PIERSON
Conspiracy - HBO
This is Pierson's first DGA Award
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series Night
ALAN BALL
Pilot - Six Feet Under - HBO
- Unit Production Manager: Robert Del Valle
- First Assistant Director: Alan Connell
- Second Assistant Director: Jack Steinberg
- Second Second Assistant Director: Ruby Stillwater
- DGA Trainee: Craig Amendola
This is Ball's first DGA Award.
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series
TODD HOLLAND
"Bowling" - Malcolm in the Middle - FOX
- Unit Production Manager: James Simons
- First Assistant Director: Cynthia Potthast
- Second Assistant Director: Matt Marshall
- Second Second Assistant Director: Algric Leo Chaplin
This is Holland's first DGA Award.
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety
JOEL GALLEN and BETH McCARTHY-MILLER
America: A Tribute to Heroes - Multiple
- Associate Directors: Wendy Charles Acey, Stefani Cohen
- Stage Managers: Gary Natoli, Christopher J. Kelly, Arthur Lewis, Lynn Finkel, Alan Breton, John Esposito, Rita Cossette, Denny Barry, Lionel Pasamonte, Harve Levine
This is Gallen's first DGA Award and McCarthy-Miller's second. McCarthy-Miller won the Award in 2000 for her direction of the Val Kilmer/U2 episode of Saturday Night Live.
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Daytime Serials
WILLIAM LUDEL
General Hospital (Show #9801) - ABC
- Associate Directors: Howard Ritter, Christine Magarian, Ronald E. Cates
- Stage Managers: Craig McManus, Susan Diamant-Neigher, Kathleen Ladd
- Production Associates: Denise Van Cleave, Penny Pengra
This is Ludel's second DGA Award for directing episodes of General Hospital. He took home his first Award in 1995.
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs
AMY SCHATZ
'Twas the Night - HBO
This is Schatz's second DGA Award. In 1999 she won the Award in this category for her direction of Goodnight Moon & Other Sleepytime Tales.
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials
BOB KERSTETTER
Production Company: Tool of North America
"Worker" Musco Olives - Black Rocket
- First Assistant Director: Peter S. Jackson
- Second Assistant Director: John Mattern
"Orphanage" Musco Olives - Black Rocket
- First Assistant Director: Peter S. Jackson
- Second Assistant Director: John Mattern
"Birds" Musco Olives - Black Rocket
- First Assistant Director: Peter S. Jackson
- Second Assistant Director: John Mattern
This is Kerstetter's first DGA Award.
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentaries
CHRIS HEGEDUS & JEHANE NOUJAIM
Startup.com
Production Companies: Pennebaker Hegedus Films & Noujaim Films
An Artisan Entertainment Theatrical Release
This is the first DGA Award for both Hegedus and Noujaim.
HONORARY LIFE MEMBER AWARD - For recognition of outstanding creative achievement, or contribution to the Guild, or the profession of Directing.
DELBERT MANN
ROBERT B. ALDRICH AWARD - For extraordinary service to the Directors Guild of America and to its membership.
DGA NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT EDWIN SHERIN
FRANK CAPRA ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - For an Assistant Director or Unit Production Manager in Recognition of Career Achievement in the Industry and Service to the DGA.
BURT BLUESTEIN
FRANKLIN J. SCHAFFNER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - For an Associate Director or Stage Manager in Recognition of Service to the Industry and to the DGA.
ANITA COOPER-AVRICK
Note: Only five times since the DGA Award's inception in 1949 has the DGA Award winner not won the Best Director Academy Award:
- 1968: Anthony Harvey won the DGA Award for The Lion in Winter while Carol Reed took home the Oscar® for Oliver!.
- 1972: Francis Ford Coppola received the DGA's nod for The Godfather while the Academy selected Bob Fosse for Cabaret.
- 1985: Steven Spielberg received his first DGA Award for The Color Purple while the Oscar® went to Sydney Pollack for Out of Africa.
- 1995: Ron Howard was chosen by the DGA for his direction of Apollo 13 while Academy voters selected Mel Gibson for Braveheart.
- 2000: Ang Lee was chosen by the DGA for his direction of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon while Steven Soderbergh won the Best Director Academy Award for Traffic.