February 4, 2007
LOS ANGELES, CA - The winners of the 2006 Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards and the recipients of the Guild's 2007 Career Achievement Awards were announced tonight during the 59th Annual DGA Awards Dinner at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Martin Scorsese won the DGA's Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for The Departed.
Following the welcome from DGA President Michael Apted to an audience of more than 1,600 guests, Actor/Director/Comedian Carl Reiner hosted the Awards ceremony for the twentieth time. Presenters included: Alan Arkin and Steve Carrell (Little Miss Sunshine), Maria Bello (World Trade Center), Director Guillermo del Toro, Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed), Aaron Eckhart (The Black Dahlia), America Ferrera (Ugly Betty), ABC News Anchor Charles Gibson, Director Walter Hill (Broken Trail), Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives), Steve Martin (The Pink Panther), Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica), Dame Helen Mirren (The Queen), Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer), DGA Second Vice President Ed Sherin, Leelee Sobieski (The Wicker Man), Director Steven Spielberg (Munich), Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and Chandra Wilson (Grey's Anatomy).
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 six 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 2006 Directors Guild of America Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement, and the recipients of the Guild's 2007 Career Achievement Awards are:
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2006
MARTIN SCORSESE
The Departed
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
Mr. Scorsese's Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Carol Cuddy
- First Assistant Director: Joseph Reidy
- Second Assistant Director: Amy Lauritsen
- Second Second Assistant Directors: John Silvestri, Carla Raij
This is Mr. Scorsese's seventh DGA Feature Film Award nomination and first win. He was previously nominated for The Aviator (2004), Gangs of New York (2002), The Age of Innocence (1993), Goodfellas (1990), Raging Bull (1980) and Taxi Driver (1976). In 1999 Scorsese was presented with the Filmmaker Award at the inaugural DGA Honors Gala and he won the DGA's highest artistic honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award (for distinguished achievement in film direction) in 2003.
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television for 2006
WALTER HILL
Broken Trail
(AMC)
This is Mr. Hill's second DGA Award win. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television - Dramatic Series Night - in 2004 for the pilot for Deadwood.
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series Night for 2006
JON CASSAR
24 - "7:00am - 8:00am"
FOX
- Unit Production Manager: Michael Klick
- First Assistant Director: Nicole Burke
- Second Assistant Director: Mark Rabinowitz
- Second Second Assistant Directors: Rebecca Gaither, Scott Remick
This is Mr. Cassar's first win and second nomination. He was nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series Night in 2003 for 24 ("7:00 am-8:00 am").
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series for 2006
RICHARD SHEPARD
Ugly Betty - "Pilot"
ABC
- Unit Production Manager: Margot Lulick
- First Assistant Director: Christopher Surgent
- Second Assistant Director: Takahide Kawakami
- Second Second Assistant Director: Patrick McDonald
- DGA Trainee: Jennifer Wilkins
This is Mr. Shepard's first DGA Award.
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety for 2006
ROB MARSHALL
Tony Bennett: An American Classic
NBC
- Associate Director: Yudi Bennett
- Stage Managers: Barbara J. Roche, Lee Grant and Murray Siegel
This is Mr. Marshall's second win and third DGA Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film in 2002 for Chicago. He was also nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety in 1999 for Annie.
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs for 2006
TONY SACCO
Treasure Hunters - "Episode #101"
NBC
- Segment Director: Craig Spirko
- Associate Director: Javier Winnik
This is Mr. Sacco's first DGA Award.
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Daytime Serials for 2006
JILL MITWELL
One Life To Live - "Episode #9779"
ABC
- Associate Directors: Teresa Anne Cicala, Paul Glass
- Stage Managers: Richard A. Manfredi, Alan P. Needleman
- Production Associate: Nathalie Rodriguez
This is Ms. Mitwell's third win and seventh DGA Award nomination in this category. She won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Daytime Serials for One Life to Live "Episode #8295" in 2000 and "Episode #6356" in 1993. She was nominated for One Life to Live "Episode #8691" in 2002, "Episode #8012" in 1999, "Episode #7761" in 1998, and "Episode #7285" in 1996.
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for 2006
ARUNAS MATELIS
Before Flying Back to the Earth
Studio Nominum, Tag/Traum
This is Mr. Matelis' first DGA Award.
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for 2006
DANTE ARIOLA
Production Company: MJZ
First Taste, Coca Cola - Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam
- Unit Production Manager: Natalie Gillian Hill
- First Assistant Director: Gregory G. McCollum
- Second Assistant Director: John Ray Elmore
- Second Second Assistant Director: Vance Zanin
Snowball, Traveler's Insurance - Fallon MN
- Unit Production Manager: Natalie Gillian Hill
- First Assistant Director: Gregory G. McCollum
- Second Assistant Director: John Ray Elmore
- Second Second Assistant Director: Clark Credle
Human, Johnny Walker - Bartle Bogle Hegarty
- Unit Production Manager: Brady Vant Hull
- First Assistant Director: Haze J. F. Bergeron III
- Second Assistant Director: Ryan E. Lippert
This is Mr. Ariola's first win and fourth DGA Award nomination in this category. He was nominated in 2004 for Money Tree (Barclay's), Urban Legend (Levi's), and Circus (Stella), in 2002 for Butcher (Bank of America), Cheese (Buddy Lee) and Signs (Sony Playstation 2), and in 2000 for Taxi (Hewlett Packard), Tickets (Hewlett Packard) and Elephant (Nike).
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs for 2006
KENNY ORTEGA
High School Musical
Disney Channel
- Unit Production Manager: Donald R. Schain
- First Assistant Directors: Matias Alvarez
- Second Assistant Director: Tobijah Tyler
This is Mr. Ortega's first DGA Award.
Service and Achievement Awards
2007 DGA Honorary Life Member Award
CARL REINER
For service to the Directors Guild of America and Outstanding Creative Achievements.
2007 Robert B. Aldrich Service Award
PARIS BARCLAY and TAYLOR HACKFORD
For extraordinary service to the Directors Guild of America and its membership.
2007 Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award
TERRY BENSON
For an Associate Director or Stage Manager in Recognition of Career Achievement in the Industry and Service to the Directors Guild of America.
2007 Lifetime Achievement in News Direction Award
GEORGE PAUL