It looks like it’s really happening.  Ben Affleck took home the Directors Guild of America last night for his work on Argo.   With Argo taking the DGA, PGA, SAG, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice, it’s the most rewarded film of the year.

Some other cool, and probably overlooked winners.  Lena Dunham won her first DGA for directing the “Pilot” for HBO’s hit-show “Girls.”  Her and that show is a non-stopping machine at this point and could upset and break the streak of “Modern Family” at next year’s Emmy Awards.

Rian Johnson, writer of Looper (2012) won his first DGA for directing an episode of “Breaking Bad” along with Oscar-nominated director Alejandro Gonzalez Inaritu for directing two hit commercials.

Read the Full Press Release down below along with other winners:

LOS ANGELES – The winners of the Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards for 2012 were announced tonight during the 65^th Annual DGA Awards Dinner at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles. Ben Affleck won the DGA’s Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for Argo.

Director/producer/actor Kelsey Grammer hosted the ceremony before an audience of more than 1,600 guests. Presenters included (in alphabetical order): Frank Capra III; Cedric the Entertainer; Bryan Cranston; Peter Fonda; Kelsey Grammer; Dave Grohl; DGA President Taylor Hackford; Anne Hathaway; Michel Hazanavicius; Helen Hunt; Hugh Jackman; Famke Janssen; Norman Jewison; Suraj Sharma; Martin Short; DGA National Vice President Steven Soderbergh; Chris Spencer; George Stevens, Jr.; Eric Stonestreet; Quvenzhané Wallis; and Sam Waterston.

 

The winners of the 2012 DGA Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement are:

 

 

BEN AFFLECK

Argo

(Warner Bros. Pictures)

Mr. Affleck’s Directorial Team:

• ·         Unit Production Manager:  Amy Herman
• ·         First Assistant Director:  David Webb
• ·         Second Assistant Director:  Ian Calip
• ·         Second Second Assistant Directors: Clark Credle, Gavin Kleintop
• ·         First Assistant Director (Turkey Unit): Belkis Turan

This is Mr. Affleck’s first DGA Feature Film Award win.

ALEJANDRO G. IÑÁRRITU

Anonymous Content

Best Job, Proctor and Gamble – Wieden + Kennedy

• ·         First Assistant Director: Peter Kohn
• ·         Second Assistant Director: Michelle Schrauwers
• ·         Second Second Assistant Directors: Heather Anderson, Blake Perkinson

This is Mr. Iñárritu’s first DGA Award win and second nomination. He was previously nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for Babel in 2006.

RIAN JOHNSON

Breaking Bad, “Fifty-One”

(AMC)

Mr. Johnson’s Directorial Team:

• ·         Unit Production Manager: Stewart A. Lyons
• ·         Assistant Unit Production Manager: James Paul Hapsas
• ·         First Assistant Director: Ben Scissors
• ·         Second Assistant Director: Louis Lanni
• ·         Second Second Assistant Director: Anna Ramey
• ·         Additional Second Assistant Director: Joann Connolly

This is Mr. Johnson’s first DGA Award win.

BRIAN SMITH

Master Chef, “Episode #305”

(FOX)

Mr. Smith’s Directorial Team:

• ·         Associate Director: Anna Moulaison-Moore
• ·         Stage Manager: Drew Lewandowski

This is Mr. Smith’s first DGA Award win and third nomination. He was previously nominated in this category in 2010 and 2011 for episodes “103” and “201” of Master Chef.

JAY ROACH

Game Change

(HBO)

Mr. Roach’s Directorial Team:

• ·         Unit Production Manager: Mary Kane
• ·         First Assistant Director: Josh King
• ·         Second Assistant Director: Emily McGovern
• ·         Second Second Assistant Director: Brian F. Relyea

This is Mr. Roach’s second DGA Award win and second nomination.  He previously won the DGA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series for Recount in 2008. 

GLENN WEISS

66^th Annual Tony Awards

(CBS)

Mr. Weiss’ Directorial Team:

• ·         Associate Directors: Ken Diego, Robin Abrams, Stefani Cohen, Ricky Kirshner
• ·         Stage Managers: Garry Hood, Phyllis Digilio-Kent, Peter Epstein, Andrew Feigin, Lynn Finkel, Doug Fogel, Jeffry Gitter, Dean Gordon, Arthur Lewis, Jeffrey M. Markowitz, Joey Meade, Tony Mirante, Cyndi Owgang, Jeff Pearl, Elise Reaves, Lauren Class Schneider

This is Mr. Weiss’ fourth DGA Award win and ninth nomination.  He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety in 2007, 2010 and 2011 for the 61^st, 64^th and 65^th Annual Tony Awards. He was previously nominated in this category in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008 for the 55th, 56th, 59th, 60th, and62nd Annual Tony Awards.

JILL MITWELL

One Life To Live, “Between Heaven and Hell”

(ABC)

Ms. Mitwell’s Directorial Team:

• ·         Associate Directors: Tracy Casper Lang, Teresa Cicala, Michael Sweeney, Paul S. Glass
• ·         Stage Managers: Alan Needleman, Keith Greer, Tracy Casper Lang, Leah M. Weber
• ·         Production Associates: Nathalie Rodriguez, Kevin Brush

This is Ms. Mitwell’s fourth DGA Award and ninth nomination and all for her direction of One Life to Live. She won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Daytime Serials three times for One Life to Live, “Episode #9779” in 2006, “Episode #8295” in 2000 and “Episode #6356” in 1993. She was nominated five additional times for One Life to Live episodes “Starr X’d Lovers, The Musical, Part Three” in 2010, “Episode #8691” in 2002, “Episode #8012” in 1999, “Episode #7761” in 1998, and “Episode #7285” in 1996.

PAUL HOEN

Let it Shine

(Disney Channel)

Mr. Hoen’s Directorial Team:

• ·         Unit Production Manager: Katie Willard Troebs
• ·         First Assistant Director:  Daniel Coffie
• ·         Second Assistant Director: Todd Turner
• ·         Second Second Assistant Director: D. Scott Kirkley

This is Mr. Hoen’s second DGA Award win and sixth nomination.  He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Program in 2007 for Jump In and was previously nominated in this category in 2000 for the Even Stevens episode “Take My Sister… Please,” in 2004 for Searching for David’s Heart, in 2008 forCheetah Girls: One World and in 2010 for Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.

MALIK BENDJELLOUL

Searching For Sugar Man

Sony Pictures Classics

Passion Pictures Production

Canfield Pictures & The Documentary Company

Red Box Films

This is Mr. Bendjelloul’s first DGA Award win.

LENA DUNHAM

Girls, “Pilot”

(HBO)

Ms. Dunham’s Directorial Team:

• ·         Unit Production Managers: Regina Heyman, Ilene S. Landress
• ·         First Assistant Director: Mark McGann
• ·         Second Assistant Director: Jason Ivey
• ·         Second Second Assistant Director: Marcos Gonzalez Palma

This is Ms. Dunham’s first DGA Award win.

Milos Forman – Lifetime Achievement Award

In recognition of distinguished achievement in Motion Picture Direction

Michael Apted – Robert B. Aldrich Award

In recognition of extraordinary service to the Directors Guild of America and to its membership.

Eric Shapiro – Lifetime Achievement Award in News Direction

In recognition of distinguished achievement in News Direction

Susan Zwerman – Frank Capra Achievement Award

Given to an Assistant Director or Unit Production Manager in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the Directors Guild of America.

Dency Nelson – Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award

Given to an Associate Director or Stage Manager in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the Directors Guild of America.

# # #

About the DGA: 

In the 77 years since its founding in 1936, the DGA has fought for the economic and creative rights of its members; protected their ability to financially benefit from the reuse of their work; established strong pension and health plans; and established jurisdiction in new technologies and distribution platforms.  Today we represent 15,000 directors and members of the directorial team working in film, television, commercials, new media and other audiovisual media.

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