Nominees for the Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film Also Announced
Directors Guild of America President Lesli Linka Glatter announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2023.
“In a year full of so many extraordinary films, DGA members have nominated an incredible group of gifted storytellers,” said Glatter. “Their films fused technical prowess with unique artistic visions that captured the depth of the human experience and left an indelible impact on audiences around the world. Congratulations to these superb directors on their well-deserved nominations.”
The winners will be announced at the 76th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 10, 2024.
Here’s a fuller rundown of the nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2023 (in alphabetical order):
GRETA GERWIG
Barbie
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Michael Sharp
First Assistant Director: Josh Robertson
Second Assistant Directors: David Keadell, Matthew Milan (Los Angeles Unit)
YORGOS LANTHIMOS
Poor Things
(Searchlight Pictures)
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Oppenheimer
(Universal Pictures)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Thomas Hayslip, Nathan Kelly, Rafael Lima (New Jersey / New York Unit)
First Assistant Director: Nilo Otero
Second Assistant Director: Andrew Stahl
Second Second Assistant Director: Jesse Carmona
Additional Second Assistant Directors: Dixon McPhillips, Richard Molloy (New Jersey / New York Unit), AJ Jackson (New Jersey / New York Unit)
Location Manager: Patty Carey Perazzo (New Jersey / New York Unit)
ALEXANDER PAYNE
The Holdovers
(Focus Features)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Chris Stinson
First Assistant Director: Rod Smith
Second Assistant Director: John Nasraway
Second Second Assistant Director: Tim LaDue
MARTIN SCORSESE
Killers of the Flower Moon
(Apple Original Films / Paramount Pictures)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Daniel Lupi, Shea Kammer
First Assistant Director: Adam Somner
Second Assistant Director: Jeremy Marks
Second Second Assistant Director: Dominic Pacitti
Additional Second Assistant Director: Nuekellar Hardy
First-time feature directors
In addition, Glatter announced the five nominees for the Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film. The renaming of this award was introduced at last year’s ceremony, honoring the DGA’s late past-president Apted’s vision in establishing recognition of outstanding debut work in feature film direction.
The nominees for the Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film are: Cord Jefferson for American Fiction; Manuela Martelli for Chile ‘76; Noora Niasari for Shayda; A.V. Rockwell for A Thousand and One; and Celine Song for Past Lives.
Here’s a fuller rundown of each nominee:
CORD JEFFERSON
American Fiction
(Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios)
MANUELA MARTELLI
Chile ‘76
(Kino Lober)
NOORA NIASARI
Shayda
(Sony Pictures Classics / ORIGMA 45)
A.V. ROCKWELL
A Thousand and One
(Focus Features)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Jamin O’Brien
First Assistant Director: Daniel Lugo
Second Assistant Director: Teena Marie Delerme-Lugo
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Rob York
Second Second Assistant Director: Donté Bouyer
Additional Second Assistant Director: T.J. Hallett
Location Manager: Joanna Lu
CELINE SONG
Past Lives
(A24)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Kerry Johnson
First Assistant Director: Ben Kahn
Second Assistant Director: Geraldine Schubert
Second Second Assistant Director: Dan Levy
Location Manager: Joseph Mullaney
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Today, NBCUniversal officially launched their new content collection ExcellencE! on Peacock in partnership with mission-driven media company, Group Black. ExcellencE! serves as a new destination for the platform's content that resonates with NBCUniversal's cross-cultural audiences and helps advertisers connect with them. Starting today, Peacock subscribers can visit the ExcellencE! destination to view thousands of hours of diverse-led, inclusive programming such as "Bel-Air," "Martin," and "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," with additional original content to be added in 2025. This launch is part of NBCUniversal and Group Black's expanded partnership, which originated from Peacock's Black Excellence 365 program in 2023. Over 30 brands joined to support Black-led and diverse content all year-round. "NBCUniversal's deep library of inclusive programming is the perfect launching pad for the new ExcellencE! collection on Peacock. Together with Group Black, we are bringing thousands of hours of diverse-led content to a curated destination, enabling our audiences to better explore cultural conversations through storytelling. " - Val Boreland, Executive Vice President, Content Acquisitions, NBCUniversal Entertainment "ExcellencE! on Peacock will champion authentic voices and stories that reflect audiences' experiences everywhere," said Cavel Khan, Chief Growth Officer of Group Black. "This collection embodies what EXCELLENCE stands for – a platform where multicultural perspectives can thrive." For more information about ExcellencE! and its available content, visit https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/excellence. Read More