Director’s Guild Diversifies its Awards Contenders

The list is out for the 70th Annual Director’s Guild Awards and among the list of five in each of the two categories, both a female director as well as two with ethnic diversity have been nominated for the coveted award.  For Outstanding Directional Achievement the following nomination include, Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water, Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird, Martin McDonagh for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Christopher Nolan for Dunkirk and Jordan Peele for Get Out.

The other award features first time directors and two of the nominated were novice directors who did their own original screenplays. Jordan Peele is one of those who is nominated for both awards. Other nominations include,Taylor Sheridan for Wind River, Aaron Sorkin for Molly’s Game, William Oldroyd for Lady Macbeth and Geremy Jasper for Patti Cake$.

The Director’s Guild Awards will be presented at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 3, 2018 and is said to be a crucial factor to deciding who will take the even more coveted Oscar.

See the full list of nominations below.

OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN FEATURE FILM

GUILLERMO del TORO
The Shape of Water
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Unit Production Manager: J. Miles Dale
Production Manager: Dennis Chapman
First Assistant Director: Pierre Henry
Second Assistant Director: Tyler Delben

GRETA GERWIG
Lady Bird
(A24)
Unit Production Managers: Lila Yacoub, Danielle Blumstein, Jamin O’Brien (New York Crew)
First Assistant Directors: Jonas Spaccarotelli, Cedric Vara (New York Crew)
Second Assistant Director: Brendan Lee, Dana Zolli (New York Crew)
Second Second Assistant Directors: Lillian Awa, Teri Barber

MARTIN McDONAGH
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Unit Production Manager: Bergen Swanson
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Peggy Robinson
First Assistant Director: Peter Kohn
Second Assistant Director: Paula Case
Second Second Assistant Director: Spencer Taylor

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Dunkirk
(Warner Bros.)
Unit Production Managers: David Witz, Christine Raspillere (France Unit), Chris Brock (UK Unit), Nicky Tüske (Netherlands Unit)
First Assistant Directors: Nilo Otero, William Pruss (France Unit), Willem Quarles van Ufford (Netherlands Unit)
Second Assistant Director: Eric Lasko, Nicolas Baldino (France Unit), Alexis Chelli (France Unit), Clément Comet (France Unit)
Second Second Assistant Director: Alina Gatti

JORDAN PEELE
Get Out
(Universal Pictures)
Unit Production Managers: Marcei A. Brown, Rick A. Osako (Fairhope Unit)
First Assistant Director: Gerard DiNardi
Second Assistant Directors: Ram Paul Silbey, Marc Newland (Fairhope Unit), Jack McKenna (New York Unit)
Second Second Assistant Director: Maggie Ballard
Location Manager: Kurt Enger (New York Unit)

OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT OF A FIRST-TIME FEATURE FILM DIRECTOR

GEREMY JASPER
Patti Cake$
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Unit Production Manager: Sara Blechman
First Assistant Director: Inna Braude
Second Assistant Director: Natasha Rivera
Second Second Assistant Director: Lucas Isabella
Additional Second Second Assistant Director: Alice Johnson

WILLIAM OLDROYD
Lady Macbeth
(Roadside Attractions)
Production Manager: Robert K. Harm
Unit Manager: Eugene Galbrath
First Assistant Director: George Every
Second Assistant Director: Richard Stanley Jan Harris

JORDAN PEELE
Get Out
(Universal Pictures)
Unit Production Managers: Marcei A. Brown, Rick A. Osako (Fairhope Unit)
First Assistant Director: Gerard DiNardi
Second Assistant Directors: Ram Paul Silbey, Marc Newland (Fairhope Unit), Jack McKenna (New York Unit)
Second Second Assistant Director: Maggie Ballard
Location Manager: Kurt Enger (New York Unit)

TAYLOR SHERIDAN
Wind River
(Acacia Entertainment)
Unit Production Manager: Christopher H. Warner
First Assistant Director: Nicholas Harvard
Second Assistant Director: Jason Altieri
Second Second Assistant Director: Kristina Massie

AARON SORKIN
Molly’s Game
(STX Entertainment)
Unit Production Managers: Lyn Lucibello-Brancatella, Stuart M. Besser, Michael Beugg (Los Angeles Unit)
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Bart Lipton (Los Angeles Unit)
First Assistant Director: Walter Gasparovic
Second Assistant Directors: Penny Charter, Travis Rehwaldt (New York Unit), Paula Case (Los Angeles Unit)
Second Second Assistant Directors: Conor Griff (New York Unit), Drew Ritson (New York Unit), Bryan Snodgrass (Los Angeles Unit)
Location Manager: Dena Ghieth (New York Unit)